Hello, Americans!
We sincerely hope you decide to celebrate with us in Mexico! It is beautiful and warm, the food is amazing, people are friendly, and the prices are much better than in Seattle! Atlixco and Puebla are safe cities; the most nerve-wracking part is not knowing the language, so get some basics with Duolingo or, my favorite, Babbel. Apple and Google Translate are also handy. I have now visited Puebla 4 times; here are my tips!
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Allow at least 3 mos. to get a passport.
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I recommend visiting the travel doctor before your trip. Sometimes these appointments are a month out. If you mention visiting any body of water, they will recommend vaccines for mosquito-borne diseases. Puebla is not known for bodies of water, but you may want to get these if you plan to visit any beaches like Cancun before or after the wedding.
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Cancun is a 2-hour flight from Puebla or Mexico City, if you want to add to your trip. We plan to mini-moon there after the wedding. Remember that Monday the 20th is MLK day!
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The Mexico City airport is about 2 hours from the venue and you can fly directly from Seattle; this is usually cheaper than flying from Seattle to Puebla. The airport is big like the city; think LAX. The Puebla airport is about an hour from the venue. It is smaller, so you need to fly from Houston or Cancun; there are no direct flights from Seattle. Flying to Puebla is usually more expensive than flying to Mexico City.
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Apple pay is not common in Mexico. Many credit cards avoid foreign fees nowadays, but some charge a foreign transaction fee near 3% on every purchase, so check yours before you come. Get your pesos in the airport to use for purchases from small businesses.
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We plan to hire shuttles for airport-to-Atlixco transportation. If you have some confidence with travel and/or Spanish, there is an awesome Greyhound-bus-like service we can help you take if you want more flexibility. Uber is also great (and so much cheaper than Seattle) in Mexico City and Puebla. Once in Atlixco, there are only cash-paid (pesos) taxi cabs. We do not recommend renting a car because driving in Mexico takes cojones and practice!
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Weddings in Mexico are more of a spectacle than in the U.S. Generally, women wear gowns and men wear dark suits. It's fun to be fancy, but be comfy. It will likely be 75 in sun and 45 in the middle of the night; wear layers. We will have a cocktail hour with an open bar, and four, plated courses. The party will go until 2 a.m.; no judgment if you sneak off to bed.
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Last but not least, avoid the tap water, and watch out for ice! You might want to skip raw vegetables, too. Bottled water is readily available. Stay hydrated!
I am so grateful to Daniel for bringing Mexico into my life, and I hope you will feel the same way, too. I have wonderful memories of shopping in malls that are still in their glory days, taking in the sun, eating fresh tortillas, flan, and tamales, and driving by the mountains.
Welcome to the adventure!
With Love, Leah