vacationing in Mexico - safe for the family?

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who is half Mexican and said she has stopped taking her family to Mexico out of fear for her family's safety. Yet another friend (not Mexican) just came back from there and said she had a perfectly wonderful and safe trip.

If you have the option of vacationing elsewhere, would you still vacation in Mexico? Why or why not?

[Anonymous]

We go to Egypt because we have family there, and they have suffered a lot of unrest and State Department travel advisories, etc. I feel more comfortable going to Egypt than Mexico, personally, because of all the violence and targeting of Americans in Mexico. However - never say never. Research it thoroughly. A lot depends on region, modes of travel, etc. Check the State Department for travel advisories and warnings.

Kidnappings of children would be my greatest concern, personally:

"The rising number of kidnappings and disappearances throughout Mexico is of particular concern. Both local and expatriate communities have been victimized. In addition, local police have been implicated in some of these incidents. We strongly advise you to lower your profile and avoid displaying any evidence of wealth that might draw attention. "


http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5665.html

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the area you're thinking of traveling. I know that Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya/Tulum/Cancun area is completely safe, we go on 2 family vacations per year there.

[Anonymous]

It depends on where you are going. I wouldn't think twice about going to the Mexican Caribbean, or even Mexico City, Acapulco....places I would avoid include Monterrey, and really anywhere near the US border.

[Anonymous]

By the way, the majority of Mexico is safe - those areas are just what I'm very familiar with. I obviously wouldn't do border towns or the few towns in North Central/North Mexico that the State Dept. warns against.

[Anonymous]

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would avoid mexico all together when traveling with kids. If there is any inkling of danger on a vacation why go? I want complete peace of mind when i go on vacation or course there is always some element no matter where you go but with all the scary stuff in mexico it's a little different. Although some places like Cancun are deemed safe, I still wouldn't trust that and who knows if there has been incidents in those resort places but wasn't reported since Mexico relies heavily on tourism and wouldn't want bad press.

[Anonymous]

I work for the State Dept, so HELL NO. Not know what I know.

[Anonymous]

Remember the days when the big concern about vacationing in Mexico was either getting a bad case of diahrrea or drinking too much tequila?

If it wasn't so sad it would be comical how much things have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on where you are going. I wouldn't think twice about going to the Mexican Caribbean, or even Mexico City, Acapulco....places I would avoid include Monterrey, and really anywhere near the US border.

I don't know Mexico well but would consider the Mayan Riviera or Cozumel. I have a friend who is pretty conservative about those things and is returning with her family to an AI in Cozumel she went to last year. DH is adamently against Mexico though... so we are not likely to go. There are lots of alternatives (Key West, Carribean, etc) so why go somewhere questionable?

I am not sure about Mexico City but from what I have heard Acapulco is NOT safe right now. My main concern about any part of Mexico is it can change quickly... just because something is safe today doesn't mean there's not going to be issues next week.

[Anonymous]

Don't for gods sake go to a Mexican hospital. Just don't. Nothing good comes out of them----

San Diego Trauma RN

[Anonymous]

No way, not knowing what I know.... Playa del Carmen Mayan Riviera, while beautiful are not 100% completely removed from the drug wars.

[Anonymous]

We've gone to Puerto Morales with our little kids for the past three years and love it. My point of view is that some folks here are very unfairly judging an entire country. That said, I grew up on the outskirts of Newark, NJ and - while I'd never recommend Newark as a vacation destination - I'm familiar with how quickly neighborhoods can change, and I'm comfortable in proximity to neighborhoods many of my peers would deem too dangerous to go near. My two cents - bring your street smarts and trust your gut. It may really not be for you, but don't decide based on an anonymous forum. Happy travels!

[Anonymous]

''"...not knowing what I know..." posters: I am curious exactly what it is that you know. I am married to a Mexican and we spend at least half of the year in Mexico. Places like the Mexican Riviera or even el DF are no less safe than NYC. I would definitely avoid the border areas, however.

[Anonymous]

Given the number of tourists who go to Mexico it is actually is quite safe comparatively. I was looking at a list of safety incidents per x number of tourists and Mexico didn't even make the top ten list of most dangerous places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work for the State Dept, so HELL NO. Not know what I know.

Work on Mexico-related issues and I agree. HELL NO. and Acapulco is ABSOLUTLEY NOT SAFE. Go to Puerto Rico or Costa Rica.