My husband and I LOVE to travel. It’s a common bond that brought us together and one that continues to inspire us as parents. When we became pregnant with our son we both hoped that he would be a “good traveller” so that we could continue to explore as family of 3. Lucky for us, our little boy loves to travel as much as we do! While we like to explore new places, it seems many of our tropical travels since becoming parents have been to Mexico. The sheer size of the country has really made each of our 4 trips feel unique, and we always make sure to travel to a new region. Thus far we have been to the Mayan/Cancun, Mazatlan, Manzanilllo area and Ixtapa. Next up I would like to try Huatulco & Cabo San Lucas!
Here’s my top reasons why I feel Mexico is a fantastic family travel destination:
- Short flight times. I don’t care how good your kids are; flying with babies & toddlers is terrifying! You have no idea what might set them off, the schedule can be unpredictable and there is absolutely NO ESCAPE once you are up in the air. I love that from Alberta, I can be in certain parts of Mexico in less than 5 hours.
- Travelling as a family can be is expensive. I’m a budget traveller, but this does not mean I sacrifice quality in lodging. I spend a lot of time watching prices and you can often find the same resort significantly cheaper, simply based on the time of year. Mexico travel prices fluctuate big time so if you are not stuck following the traditional school calendar yet, go when it’s cheap. In most of my research I have only seen certain resorts in Cuba cost less than Mexico, and not much difference at that.
- All-Inclusives everywhere. Related to price, but not entirely. All-inclusive resorts are amazing for family travel. How many times have you taken your kid to dinner, ordered the item they “needed” to have, only to have them take 3 bites and refuse to eat the rest? With an all inclusive they can eat as little or as much as they want, same cost to you. Most resorts don’t even charge for kids under a certain age, or charge a very nominal fee if they do. All-inclusives are also way less work. You don’t have to research restaurants, travel with hot and hangry kids in a cab, or grocery shop on precious vacation time. Most vacation packages include all transfers to your hotel as well, so no need to rent a car (which is great because the road quality in Mexico isn’t always the best, just ask my husband;). Also, free booze, need I say more?!
- Easy to communicate. Yes, Mexico is a Spanish speaking county and yes you should try to brush up on some phrases before you go. BUT, when you have a kid who need the bathroom, like now, you will find that in most areas basic English is well understood.
- Time Change. For Alberta residents, most areas of Mexico are only 1 hour behind us. With children time change and travel can be brutal, a mere hour is nothing compared to somewhere like Hawaii. (Which we’ve also done and loved MINUS the 4am wake ups all week!)
- I know Mexico has crime, but the thing is, so does pretty much everywhere in the world. I’m of the belief that trouble finds trouble. Mind your own business, stay in well populated areas, don’t run around at night by yourself, use your room safe and you should be fine in tourist zones. Let’s be honest, when travelling with kids, everyone is exhausted and winding down by 9pm anyways. Gone are the days of trouble making at the club.
- Canadian Dollars. Canadian money seems to be widely accepted in resort areas in Mexico. The last place we stayed wouldn’t even exchange USD, only CAD. Goodbye terrible exchange rate!
Have you travelled to Mexico with your family? I would love to hear about your experiences! Got questions, send me an email and lets connect:)
