Metrobús [ES]

El Metrobús es un sistema de transporte que opera en Ciudad de México, tiene 5 líneas que circulan por carriles exclusivos, están planeadas más rutas a futuro. El costo de cada viaje es de 6 pesos sin importar la distancia a recorrer, se necesita una tarjeta que se puede comprar y recargar en máquinas a la entrada de cada estación (la tarjeta tiene un costo de $15 y también sirve para el metro).

En horas pico suele estar MUY MUY lleno, prepárate para un contacto cercano con los habitantes de la ciudad. Hay una zona especial en la parte delantera de cada bus que debe ser usada sólo por mujeres o personas mayores… no siempre todos respetan la restricción pero puede ser un poco mejor.

Si necesitas cambiar de línea debes bajar en la estación y entrar de nuevo a la estación correspondiente a la nueva línea, debes poner la tarjeta en el lector nuevamente pero el cambio de línea es gratuito. Generalmente la caminata es de unos 100 metros.

Acá tienes el link al sitio oficial: http://www.metrobus.df.gob.mx/

El horario de operación del Metrobús es de 5:00 am a 23:30 pm, después de las 23:30 hay un servicio alterno sobre la Avenida Insurgentes desde la estación Indios Verdes hasta Doctor Gálvez y viceversa, el costo es de $10 y hay que pagar en monedas (únicamente), la frecuencia es menor pero pasa seguro, va por los carriles laterales junto con los coches, las estaciones de Metrobús Nocturno están demarcadas.

Cheap buses to other cities

Looking to go far away from Mexico City to elsewhere in the country? There is a variety of ways you can do it, here we put some noteworthy ones.


● Oaxaca state:
Autobuses Fypsa: 5557628528
They depart from Calle 15-5, two blocks away from Balbuena subway station (L1 - Pink).
Tickets to Oaxaca city cost $270 and they are available just an hour before the departure. There are around 6 daily trips but you better call them in order to ask at what time do the Volvo buses leave.

MAP HERE

● Chiapas state:
Buses to Tuxtla/San Cristóbal de las Casas depart from Santa Escuela and Emiliano Zapata streets, the closest subway station is Candelaria (L1 - Pink) but the area is quite messy and a little bit creepy by night, so you better walk from Zócalo station (L2 - Blue).

There are several companies in this block. The average price for a ticket is $300-350, but in some case you can try to bargain and get it for $250 (the price is the same, it doesn’t matter if you are going to Tuxtla or San Cristóbal).
Some companies offer a service with fancier buses (i.e. with WiFi) for $400-450. They all depart between 7:30 and 8:30.

MAP HERE

● Cancún:
Going to Cancún by bus takes about 24 hours. There are several low cost airlines nowadays and sometimes you can find tickets at the same price as the bus or even cheaper.
http://volaris.com/
http://www.interjet.com.mx/
https://www.vivaaerobus.com/

If you decide to do it by bus, you can try any of the companies in República de Perú street, in front of the Coliseo wrestling Arena, the closest subway station is Allende (L2 - Blue).
The average price for a ticket is $700, that’s why our advice is to pay for a plane ticket...

MAP HERE

● Guadalajara:
Buses to Guadalajara depart from the corner of Instituto Politécnico Nacional avenue and Poniente 112 street, the closest subway stations are Autobuses del Norte (L5 - Yellow) and Potrero (L3 - Light Green).
There are several companies in this block. The price for a ticket is $300 single trip, $550 round trip. Here you can’t as the fares are fixed, but you will be saving 50% compared to the prices of those lines inside the bus station.
Omnibus de Tijuana departs at 2:30 PM.
The company across the street (we don’t have the name…) has the same fares but departs at 9:00 PM.

 MAP HERE

Near Mexico City (day or weekend trips)

Morelos
Cuernavaca (capital del estado)
Tepoztlán (pueblo mágico y zona arqueológica)
Xochicalco (zona arqueológica)

Guerrero
Acapulco (playa)
Taxco (pueblo mágico)

Hidalgo
Huasca (pueblo mágico)
Pachuca (capital del estado)
Peña del Aire
Prismas basálticos (maravilla natural)
Real del Monte (pueblo mágico)
San Miguel Regla
Tolantongo (grutas, ríos y pozas de aguas termales)
Tula (zona arqueológica)

Querétaro
Peña de Bernal (maravilla natural)
Querétaro (capital del estado)
Tequisquiapan (pueblo mágico)

Estado de México
Chalma
Ixtapan de la sal
Malinalco
Nevado de Toluca (volcán inactivo)
Tepotzotlán
Toluca y Metepec
Valle de Bravo

Puebla
Cholula (zona arqueológica)
Cuetzalan (pueblo mágico)
Huejotzingo (solo en época de carnaval)
Puebla (capital del estado)

Tlaxcala
Cacaxtla
Huamantla
Malinche (volcán inactivo)

What to do

● Ride a trajinera (typical barge) through the Xochimilco water canals
● Lucha libre (mexican wrestling) show
● Soccer matches
● Bullfighting
● Museum visits
● Reenactment of Christ’s Passion (April/May)
● Go to a posada (local folk parties on days previous to Christmas)
● Day of the Death
● Independence Day (Sept 15th)
● Ride a bicycle on Sundays, specially the last Sunday of every month.
● The last Wednesday of every month go to a museum in the night of museums.
● Go to one of the many fairs that neighborhoods and towns held for their local patron saint. They are great! But perhaps some local experience will be needed to know from them and get into the inside celebration.


Activities with local Csurfers (You can find more info at the  Activities section of the Mexico City group in CS page)

Weekly meeting - La Insurrecta - Tuesdays  9 pm  - Coyoacán
Salsa lessons - Tuesdays 8pm  a 10pm - Metro Sevilla
Weekly Meeting - La Institucional - Thursdays   9 pm - Roma, Condesa, Zona Rosa
Lucha Libre  - Arena México (Metro Cuauhtémoc)- Fridays  8:30 pm

Looking for a room

There are a few websites you can check either if you want to share a room or rent a complete flat for yourself. Consider tariffs per month vary considerably from one area of the city to other. Typically but not exceptionally the most expensive rooms/apartments are located in Polanco, Condesa, Roma, Coyoacan (certain zones). With some luck you will find a very nice and not so expensive place in any of these zones, just be persistent on your research. Prices can range from as cheap as 1,000 pesos per month to as expensive as 10,000 pesos. In most cases you don’t need any special requisites but some landlord will ask for a “security deposit” just to be sure you will pay for any damage to the apartment. They will return it at the end of your stay.

Comparto Depa
Dadaroom‎
Departamentos Compartidos
Vivanuncios
Segundamano

If you are moving to Mexico City for job or studying don’t try to live just next to your office/school.
Most of the things happen in the area close to the downtown and you might be too far away from it and you could have several problems to go back home if you miss the last bus. Considering the size of the city you must feel lucky if you get to the office/school from home in less than an hour.

Some useful tips:

1. Decide what you want and be firm. Make a list of your top three to five priorities in an apartment and stick to it. It’s also helpful to know what size apartment you want in square meters. You’re not going to find the perfect apartment, but it’s good to have this list to weed out all the other places you might be tempted to take, just because you’re so exhausted from looking. When you start thinking, oh, hell, a place for the kitchen table doesn’t really matter, does it?, take out your list and remember that it does.

2. Realize that you will need a fiador, or co-signer, for pretty much any apartment that you’re going to rent. One broker explained to me that this is due to Mexico City civil code, but I’m not sure how true that is, as some rare places don’t require a fiador. Some American companies will act as fiadors if you’re an expat coming here to work. Unfortunately, there isn’t a list of the city’s certified fiador requirements, so the landlord you’re dealing with can make them as exacting as he likes. The most basic definition of a fiador is someone who owns property in Mexico City. You may need a fiador who owns property and is also mortgage-free. Have all of your ducks in a row before you start looking, that way when you find something, you can start the paperwork process immediately. The fiador must also provide copies of the following: his/her title, a valid ID, his last tax statement (the “predial”), a recent utility bill. The fiador must also be available to sign the rental contract in person.

3. Walk, walk, walk. Once you have your desired neighborhood picked out, put on some comfy shoes and grab your cell phone. Take a day or two to walk around the neighborhood seek out “Se Renta” signs. You could also hire a cab to take you there and cruise around; sitio cab stands tend to charge around 120 pesos per hour. You could also hire a broker, but they usually take a cut of the rent, or at least this is my understanding. However, a broker that’s showing you around might be willing to be your fiador for you, assuming they own their own place.

4. If you find an apartment with a “Se Renta” sign that looks interesting, call immediately. Some real estate firms task the doorman with showing the apartment, and if so, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to see the place right then. (Also, don’t be surprised if the place is already rented: chilangos are very slow to take down their “Se Renta” signs.) At the very least you can make an appointment to see the place the next day — this is also why it’s a good idea to carry a calendar or a small notebook. The nice apartments go quickly, so if you snooze you lose. If you don’t speak Spanish well, this is a good opening line for when you make that first call: “Hola, buenas tardes. Estoy llamando para pedir informes sobre el departamento en la calle [insert street name here.] Cuántas recámaras tiene?” More often than not, as soon as you mention the street name, the broker/owner will cut you off and launch into the apartment’s salient characteristics: “Claro que sí. Mire, éste departamento tiene dos recámaras, dos baños, su cocina integral…” If you are interested, you can then say: “Puedo hacer una cita para verlo?” They will say sure, and you will probably be able to see it later that very day, or the next day.

6. This reminds me: “Cocina integral” is just a fancy way of saying that the sink, stove and cabinets come with the place. Some apartments in Mexico City don’t have this amenity, but if you’re looking in the Roma/Condesa/Cuauhtémoc/Polanco area (where many foreigners tend to live), chances are they will.

7. The quoted rental price is not final. Whaaa? Yes, you heard that right. You can totally negotiate on the rent, and it’s not considered rude. In my experience, brokers will quote you 1,000-2,000 pesos less if you tell them: “Bueno, me encanta el departamento, pero lo que pasa es que queríamos gastar un poquito menos.” (Well, I love the apartment, but it’s that we wanted to spend a little less.) Then he’ll ask: “How much?” And you will say: “Oh, well, we’re still trying to figure it out, pero no hay posibilidad de oferta?” Oferta roughly means “sale” in English, but in this case, it means an offer of lower rent. At this point, the broker will usually quote you a lower rent, and then say, “If you want it any lower, you’ll have to negotiate with the owner.” You can always negotiate in Mexico. This is one of the great things about this country.

7. Don’t freak out if the broker asks to look at your bank statements. If you find a place that you love, and you start the paperwork process, a common requirement is copies of your bank statements from the past 1-3 months. You may also be asked to provide pay stubs, a letter of recommendation from your current landlord, and a recommendation from your job. (One place I found actually requested ALL of these things, but usually it’s just the bank statements and/or pay stubs, and the fiador.)

8. Most Mexico City apartments do not come with a refrigerator or washer/dryer. Remember that “cocina integral” thing? Yeah, so you get the cabinets and sink, but not the appliances. You must buy those yourself. Some places do include these items, but they’re in the minority — I’d say 3 of 10 places I looked at offered a fridge and centro de lavado.

9. Unless you don’t mind running outside your house at 7 in the morning to refill your gas tank, make sure that the apartment has natural gas. (This is also known as “gas estacionario.”) Many old apartment buildings in Mexico — the vintage, charming art deco buildings in particular — still rely on gas tanks. This means that when you run out, unless you have a backup, you must listen for the gas guy yelling, “Gaaaaas!”, as he does very early in the morning. Then you have out and catch him. Some people don’t mind this activity, but I’d rather stick to hailing the pandulce guy.

10. Follow up. Sometimes, even if an apartment is in the process of being rented, the contract will not go through for some reason. (This might be because the fiador wasn’t sufficient, or the person’s ID was expired, etc.) If you love the apartment and the real estate agent tells you, “We’re in the process of signing the papers,” follow up the following week and inquire whether the deal has gone through. Also, leave your number with them, so they can call you with other leads.

Security

As with any other large metropolis, Mexico City suffers from some crime and violence problems. However, the city is safe for tourists if certain precautions are taken to avoid any incident.
To avoid robberies, be alert at airports, stations, crowded peseros, metro and buses. Also, whilst being on the street project confidence, walk as if you know the place very well (particularly if lost).
Keep your belongings close to you. Avoid carrying ATM cards, credit cards or large amount of cash.
Most importantly, if you get mugged don't resist but rather give away whatever valuables you have, most of the time robbers only want money and nothing else, stay calm, try not to get scared, be cooperative but not coward. Most likely, you'll have a great time and nothing will happen, don't worry ;)

Mexico is safer than many cities in the U.S.
While the media sensationalizes stories of violence in Mexico, Mexico is safer than many major U.S. cities. Travelers feel relatively safe visiting popular U.S. cities like Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C, or Atlanta. Visitors from around the world enjoy these vibrant cities in relative, reasonable safety. Yet each of these cities is statistically less safe than Mexico.

Media Favoritism versus Facts.
New Orleans is beloved and its renaissance is showcased in the news. The FBI reports the murder rate of New Orleans is declining, but it is nearly 4 times higher than all of Mexico and over 5 times higher than Mexico City. New Orleans is still an amazing place to visit and the Media is right to champion this inspirational city.  But Mexico is at least as remarkable and there is a clear difference in how each of these storied destinations is portrayed in contemporary news.
Every city and country has places that are safe and dangerous. Mexico is no exception. The areas that are dangerous should be avoided. And those that are safe should be enjoyed and celebrated.

Which Mexican States & Regions are safe?
The U.S. State Department’s warning recognizes that Mexico’s tourism areas do not experience the safety issues seen along the Texas border. In fact, 27 States and the Mexico City Federal District have no advisories or limited advisories outside of their tourism areas. Travel to only 4 States is advised postponed or avoided.




Mexico is safer than many vacation destinations.
While the media often portrays Mexico as the most dangerous place on earth, it is statistically quite safe. According to NationMaster.com which uses U.N.-based data, Mexico doesn’t even make the list of the 36 nations with the highest murder rates. Mild-mannered nations like Sweden and Switzerland top Mexico for murders on NationMaster.com.  The assault rate in the U.S. is nearly 5 times greater than that of Mexico in the independent Prominix report adjusted for under-reported crime.

Eating and Drinking

Mexico is very well known for its food, and there is so much of it and so poorly represented elsewhere in the world that most likely you are to get a very positive surprise. A few observations: not all food is spicy, a taco is essentially something wrapped inside a tortilla and the options are many, there are tons of different typical dishes, different regions of the country sell different things (some things having the same name), in Mexico City you can find almost all of the regional food from the country (ask in the forum for specific stuff), we love "antojitos" but we usually have a more healthy and balanced meal, a "comida corrida" is a great and cheap meal that commonly has a soup, rice or pasta, a main course and flavored water (agua fresca).

NEVER DRINK TAP WATER! You will need shop water bottles at stores, you will find Oxxo or 7-Eleven stores almost each block in the city, most of them are 24/7 stores.

Consider that YOU CANNOT DRINK ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE STREET, you could be caught by the police. You won’t go to jail but they will try to get a brive and you will spend a lot of time and money arguing with them.

Food and drinks to eat whilst in Mexico City (not complete):

- Tacos al pastor

- Pozole

- Barbacoa

- Carnitas

- Churros en Coyoacán

- Pulque

- Mezcal

- Tamales and torta de tamal

- Michelada

- Gomichelas

- Caldo Tlalpeño

Some noteworthy places (not complete):

- La Casa de Toño ;)

- Borrego Viudo

- El Chupacabras

Cellphones and SIM cards

If you are gonna stay in Mexico for a long period (more than 2 weeks) it would be good to get a Mexican SIM card.
There are only 4 carriers in Mexico: Telcel, Movistar, Iusacell, and Unefon.

Many Telcel users will recommend Telcel because they think it’s cheaper… but it’s not!

We strongly recommend you to get a Movistar SIM card. You can find them almost everywhere, there is a lot of cellphone shops in the city. It should cost between 50 and 90 pesos. Then ask the vendor to set it on Plan Movistar Ilimitado.

For $200 pesos you get:
- Unlimited navigation on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and email (Yahoo!, Hotmail and gmail)
- 200 extra MB to use them as you want
- Unlimited SMS to Movistar numbers
- Unlimited calls to Movistar numbers
- 200 SMS to other Mexican companies + USA and Canada
- 500 minutes to call other Mexican companies + USA and Canada

These benefits are valid for 30 days.

When Mexicans give you their phone number, they will usually give you 10 digits.
This is the way to dial:

Given number: 55 12 34 56 78

From a Mexican cellphone----------------- 55 12 34 56 78
From a public phone ------------------ 044 55 12 34 56 78
From a foreigner cellphone ------- +52 1 55 12 34 56 78
SMS from a foreigner cellphone---- +52 55 12 34 56 78
What's App messenger ------------+52 1 55 12 34 56 78

Language

Even though you will find people that speak English or other languages in touristic places, in the street, buses, stores and restaurants you will need to say some words in Spanish, so, try to learn at least how to ask for food, ask directions and other basic things to have a better experience in Mexico.

Try asking young people, they are more eager to speak English.

If you will be here for a long time you could take some lessons. There are several schools that teach spanish as a foreign language; CEPE, CENLEX, Cecuallende and La Salle are some options. An additional benefit is that some will give you an student ID, with which you can get discounts on bus tickets on holidays, archaeological sites, museums, movie theaters, etc.

You can also have a language exchange with local people, there are several tandems for language exchange and at CouchSurfing community there are always people willing to learn or improve their language, so you can write in the CS Mexico City forum and for sure someone will answer you.

Money and Currency

- Where to exchange money
You can exchange your money at airport when you arrive, there are a lot of places to exchange money, the prices are good, just check at least 5 different places to be sure you're choosing the best exchange rate: avoid the places that are near to the boarding gates or right outside the exit, these are the most expensive. If you arrive late in the night you can also find places to exchange money in touristic places at the city, principally over Reforma avenue, downtown or Condesa area. Most of the banks also have this service available.

- Exchange rate
The exchange rate is always changing, but almost is always surrounding 12.50 Mexican pesos for each American dollar (Dec/2013), we mean MXN 12.50 ~ USD 1

- How to pay
In Mexico City you need to pay everything in Mexican pesos, almost nobody take dollars, euros or other currencies. If you take a taxi remember, the taximeter is in Mexican pesos, NEVER IN DOLLARS!

Where to sleep

It almost never happens, but if you can’t find a CS host in the city or you just wanna do whatever you want instead of following the rules, you can stay in one of these places, all of them are very close to the Zócalo (downtown main square):

Hostal Catedral
República de Guatemala #4, Col. Centro Histórico
Behind the Cathedral
Average prices: from $150 pesos to $600
Closest subway station: Zócalo (L2, Blue)

Hostal Amigo
Isabel la Católica #62, Col. Centro Histórico
3 blocks away from the main square
Average prices:
Closest subway station: Isabel la Católica (L1, Pink) or Zócalo (L2, Blue)

Hostal Moneda
Isabel la Católica #62, Col. Centro Histórico
Next to the National Palace
Average prices:
Closest subway station: Zócalo (L2, Blue)

Mexico City Hostel
República de Brasil #8, Col. Centro Histórico
Next to the Cathedral
Average prices:
Closest subway station: Zócalo (L2, Blue)

Hotel Nevada
Soledad #38, Col. Centro Histórico
3 blocks behind the National Palace
Average prices: Private rooms for $120 pesos, 1 or 2 persons
(If you don’t like it you can blame on our “Belxican” friend Vincent)
Closest subway station: Zócalo (L2, Blue)

If you get lost...

If you get absolutely lost and you are far away from your hotel, hop into a pesero (mini bus) or bus that takes you to a subway station. Most of them do. Look for the sign with the stylized metro "M" in the front window. From there and using the wall maps you can get back to a more familiar place.

Bus stations

The easiest way to get to (or to get out of) these main transportation hubs is by subway.
Take a look to the Subway map to plan the path you need to follow to reach your destination.
If you are feeling too lazy to use public transportation you can use a taxi.

North bus station
Bus station for northern destinations: Teotihuacán, Pachuca, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Guadalajara, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas and so on.
Closest subway station: Autobuses del Norte (L5-yellow)

South (Tasqueña) bus station
Bus station for southern destinations: Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Taxco, Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán.
Closest subway station: Tasqueña (L2-blue)

TAPO (San Lázaro) bus station
Transportation starting-point for trips to Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula.
Closest subway station: San Lázaro (L1-pink & LB-green/gray)

West (Observatorio) bus station
Bus station for western destinations: Toluca, Morelia, Pátzcuaro and Guadalajara.
Closest subway station: Observatorio (L1-pink)

Airport

The easiest way to get to (or to get out of) the airport is by subway.
There is a subway station 200 m away from Gate 1 in T1.
If you are in T2 keep reading to know how to get to T1.

The airport has 2 Terminals: T1 and T2. They are on opposite sides of the airport runways, and connected by shuttle buses.

T1 is a very long thin terminal, which takes 10-15 mins to walk the full length. Arrivals and transport is on the lower level. At one end is Domestic Arrivals (Hall A), and at the other, International (Hall B). Domestic check in is in the centre of the lower level. Upstairs is for departures, International Check-in, shops & restaurants. International flights depart from hall B. Buses depart from a bus station reached from the upper level of Hall B (see bus section below). Airlines serving T1: Interjet, MagniCharter, Mexicana, Volaris, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Avianca, LAN, Air Canada, British Airways, Lufthansa, Cubana, Taca, Alaska Airlines, Iberia, Air France, KLM, United, American Airlines, Lacsa and US Airways.
T2 is more compact and easier to navigate than T1. It is all on one level. Airlines serving Terminal 2: Aeromar, Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, Aero Republica, Continental, Copa and Delta.

Transfer between Terminals
Aerotrén/Airtrain is a fast free train that runs from the upper level of T1 (follow signs across the walkway over the road) to and from T2. It is only for use with connecting passengers with onward boarding cards on the following airlines: Aeromexico, Aeromar, Continental, Copa, Delta and LAN.




There is a Red Bus that runs from outside door 7 on the lower level of T1 to the bus station at T2. Route: T1 - Aduanas - Hangares subway station - T2. Buses run every 10 mins and take 10 mins to get to the other terminal. The cost between T1 and T2 is $12.50. To Hangares subway station and Aduana is $6.50.


Taxis wait outside Terminal 1 (Hall A & near door 10 at Hall B) and Terminal 2 arrivals. However, you are recommended to use an authorized taxi from one of the desks in arrivals.
Prepaid taxi tickets are available from the Authorized Taxi Service booths in baggage reclaim. Authorized taxis are white and mustard yellow with an aeroplane logo, and travellers are strongly advised to use these and to lock the taxi doors when inside. Companies with desks in T1 and T2 are Nueva Imagen , Sitio 3000 , excelencia , Pro Taxi , ToTaxi , Yellow Cab .
Taximeters charge $24.64 initially, then $1.65 per 250m travelled or 45 seconds waiting. 20% surcharge applies 23h to 6h.
Taxi fares are calculated on a zonal basis, the city being divided up into a number of zones. The city center (Zócalo and Zona Rosa) are in Zone 4. To the city centre you will pay $260-$360, it takes 40-60 mins.

Taxi

Taking a random taxi on the street might be dangerous, but there are some general precautions that will minimize the risk:

●      Taxis have special license plates. The registration number starts with "A" for free-roaming taxis, and with "B" for base taxis (registered taxis based on a certain spot, called "sitios"). Base taxis are safer. These plates are white and have small green and red squares at the bottom corners.
●      The taxi license should be displayed inside the taxi; usually it is mounted somewhere above the windshield. Check that the photo of the driver on the license is of the actual driver. Make a point of looking at it.
●      Look for the meter. Without it, they will be more likely to rip you off. All taxis in Mexico city have meters.
●      If you are nervous, take sitio taxis only. These may be a bit more expensive, but they are well worth the expense.
●      If you are safety-conscious or require additional comfort, consider radio taxis, which can be called by phone, and are extremely reliable and safe, although a bit pricier than other taxis. Most restaurants, hotels, etc. have the number for radio taxis. Radio taxis will usually give you the price for the trip on the phone when you order them. Radio taxis charge more than regular taxis, but are available all night. Hotel taxis will be significantly more expensive than site or radio taxis.

Mexico City is so large, and many street names are so common that cab drivers are highly unlikely to know where to go when you give only a name or address of your destination.
Out of the city’s eighty-five thousand streets, there are about eight hundred fifty called Juárez, seven hundred fifty named Hidalgo, and seven hundred known as Morelos. Two hundred are called 16 de Septiembre, while a hundred more are called 16 de Septiembre Avenue, Alley, Mews, or Extension. So, always include either the name of the neighborhood (colonia) or the district, as well as any nearby landmarks or cross streets. You will probably be asked to give directions throughout or at least near the tail end of the journey; if either your Spanish or your sense of direction is poor, carry a map and be prepared to point.

Metrobús

The Metrobús operates 5 lines in dedicated lanes. Plans exist for additional routes. It costs 6 pesos to ride, but a card must be bought in advance (15 pesos and also works for subway) at vending machines. There are stops approximately every 500m. Expect it to be crowded around the clock, but its a great way to get up and down these two major thoroughfares very rapidly. While the Metrobús operates only in this two avenues, you must check the bus' billboard before boarding to see which is the last stop they will visit, for some don't go from end to end of the line. There are reserved areas (indicated on the platforms) for women.

If you need to switch lines, you need to go outside the station, and access the corresponding station (you have to revalidate your card but the transfer is for free). Usually you need to walk about 100m.

The buses works from 5:00 until 23:30 everyday, after that over Insurgentes between Indios Verdes until Dr. Gálvez works an alternate service, is a common bus that goes in the cars lines and has specific stops, you have to pay with coins and the exact amount, the cost is 10 pesos, the frequency is less than regular service but for sure the bus will appear. 

Light Rail

The Tren Ligero consists of one single line that runs south of the city, connecting with subway station Tasqueña (L2, Blue). For tourists, it is useful if you plan to visit Xochimilco or the Azteca stadium. The rate for a single ride is 3 pesos.

You must buy a keycard to use it, but this card, as we said previously, can be used in the subway and Metrobús systems too.

Subway

It is one of the largest and most used subway systems in the world, comprised by 12 different lines that measure more than 170 km and carry 4.4 million people every day. You'll quickly see how busy it is, particularly during the day: trains are often filled to significantly over capacity, and sometimes it will be hot and uncomfortable. Despite the close quarters, it's relatively quick and efficient.

Tickets for one trip with unlimited transfers within the system cost 5 pesos.
Operating hours are from 5AM to midnight on weekdays (starts at 6AM on Saturday and 7AM on Sunday), so if your plans will keep you out beyond midnight, be sure to have alternate means of transport.

Although the Metro lacks informational signs in English, the system was originally designed with illiteracy in mind, so finding your way around should not be a problem. Lines are defined by number but also by a color (most of the time we remember the color, but not the number of the line). Stations are identified by name but also by a pictorial icon that represents that area in some way.
As you enter a Metro station, look for the ticket booth. There might be a short queue for tickets, and to avoid having to always stand in line, many people buy a small handful of tickets at a time.
Once you approach the agent, simply drop some money into the tray and announce (in Spanish) how many tickets you would like (" uno " for $5, " cinco " for $10, " diez " for $50, and so on). You do not need to say anything about where you are going, since fares are the same for everywhere in the system.

The turnstiles won't give you the ticket back. Some frequent Metro users use keycards instead of tickets (this card can be used for the Light Rail and Metrobús systems too), so if you see any turnstiles marked with "sólo tarjeta" that means the ticket reader is broken; just move to another turnstile.

While on the train, you will see a steady stream of people walking through the carriages announcing their wares for sale. Act as if you are used to them (that is, ignore them, unless they need to pass you). Most often you'll see the city's blind population make their living by selling pirate music CD's, blaring their songs through amplifiers carried in a backpack. There are people who "perform" (such as singing, or repeatedly somersaulting shirtless onto a pile of broken glass) and expect a donation.

A few words of warning: there have been incidences of pickpocketing. Keep your belongings close to you; if you have bags, close them and keep them in sight. As long as you are alert and careful you won't have any problems. Women have complained of being groped on extremely crowded trains; this is not a problem on designated women's wagons, or any other time than rush hour. If theft or any other sort of harassment do occur, you can stop the train and attract the attention of the authorities by pulling on alarms near the doors, which are labeled " señal de alarma ."

New to CS?

WTF is CouchSurfing?

CouchSurfing (CS) is a system for cultural exchange and hosting, this hosting is provided by, let’s say, “some guy you met on the internet”, because normally you will be staying with somebody who you have never seen in your life before.
The couch or sofa, could be an actual couch, a bed, a private room, an inflatable mattress in the living room, or the ground, it depends on each person’s possibilities.
But CS is more than only hosting and being hosted in another city. Each person has his own criteria, but in general we can say than a good host will hardly accept a request from somebody who’s only looking for a free place to sleep.

The main idea is to promote the cultural exchange, to know each other, to share ideas, to compare those cultural differences and to discover with a local inhabitant a lot of things of the city that would still unknown for you if you were just a regular tourist.

Please notice that once your host has accepted your request his only responsibility is to provide accommodation. He/she will obviously try to help you in any possible way and to suggest you what to see or what to do, and if he/she has some free time he/she will be pleased to show you around, but this is not mandatory.
Yes, as a CouchSurfer you are free to go anywhere you want, in the end your host is not a tour guide you are not forced to go stay him/her 24/7. The perfect scenario is that one where you have enough time to do whatever you want, but also share some time with your host.

How does CS work?
Let’s start with the main thing: the profile.
Would you let in John Doe, who claims to come from Timbuktu and has no pictures on his profile?
No way!! Right?
So... how do you expect to be hosted if your profile is as empty as that?
Therefore, mission #1: FILL YOUR PROFILE!! Tell the people who you are, what do you like to do the most, add some cool pics, where have you been before (or where do you wanna go), tell what are the languages you speak... and it is not mandatory but it is better to write it all in English... you know, if you are looking for a host in Paris but you don’t speak French and your profile is only in Spanish it could be a little bit complicated.

CS profiles work like those on ebay and other e-commerce websites:people who have met this person (host or guest) write him/her a reference (positive, negative, or neutral), so you can know if this person is trustworthy or not.
And what if you have no references and you are traveling next month?
Well, you have 2 choices:
- You can attend events of your local community, so you can meet other people and they can write you a reference
- Or even better, you can host a traveler!

Personally I consider the second choice as the best one. At least, as a host, I prefer to host people who has hosted travelers before. Is a little bit like bringing them back some of the hospitality they offered to other people. Kind of a karma.
In this point I just make an exception: there are guys who have hosted a lot of people... but ALL of them have been girls. I’m pretty sure that if I was asking them to host me they wouldn’t accept me... so do I. Yes, karma, always karma... and it’s a bitch!

Long time ago we had groups. Now they have been replaced by “Place Pages”. Normally when you log on you are redirected to the Place Page of the city where you live, there you can meet people from your city, locals and travelers can get some advice or ask general questions. If you are traveling you can take a look to that city’s Place Page, most of the time the meetings are published there. In MXC we have a weekly meeting on Thursday (“La Insti”), there’s a group of CSers going to a salsa dancing place on Tuesday, on Friday we go to the lucha libre (wrestling) show and so on.

Cool, now you have a profile... but that doesn’t mean that people will always host you.
To find a host go to the Surf/Host section and write the name of the city where you wanna go. A list with the people living in that city will be shown. You can use the filters to make an specific research.
When you are looking for a host please consider these tips:

1) Read at least the basic information about the person you are about to contact. Maybe you have nothing in common, maybe he/she lives far away from the downtown, maybe he/she has a cat and/she accepted your request you should read the whole profile. It is always cool to know a little bit about the person who’s gonna host you, don’t you think so?

2) Send creative and detailed requests. Call the person by his name. No one likes those shity requests, like “Hey, buddy! I’m coming to your city by the end of July and the mid of August, would you host me?”
Each person “sets a price” to his couch. For me it’s enough if they call me by my name and they tell me when and at what time are they arriving and leaving, but there is also “picky” people: if you don’t include the “magic word” (it is hidden somewhere in their profiles) in the request, they won’t accept you.
TIP: creative requests get several positive replies. Guaranteed success.
ATTENTION: If you don’t wanna send several requests you can write a public request, just check the “Make this an Open Couch Request” box when you are writing your first request. It will be sent to a “pool” where the local surfers can pick you up. If you are a girl and chose this option please be ready to receive more than 40 invitations from guys with no references :)

3) It is not mandatory, but for a host it is always cool to receive a small gift. Sure, the size of it will depend on for how long you will be traveling. If you are visiting only 2 or 3 cities you can bring a huge bottle of booze for them, but if you are going to visit 30 cities within a period of 6 months you must think about bringing something else: a keychain or a magnet for the fridge will be enough.

4) Buy your own food and drinks. As a host I understand that sometimes my surfers are too tired to go to the supermarket, specially when they arrive late at night, so I can share some bread, cereals and milk for the dinner and for the breakfast, but after that they need to buy all what they need for the days they will stay.

5) If you are thinking about staying in a city longer than one week you should look for several hosts. Some people has no problem and they will host you for as long as you want (some urban myths say there was a guy who surfed for 3 months at the same place). All depends on how good is the relationship with your host, but the normal stuff is staying from 2 to 4 days.

6) NEVER send requests more than 2 weeks before your trip. CS hosts are not hotels, they do have a life. One week before your trip is the ideal time to look for a couch. There’s even people who like to receive very last minute requests, I mean, one day or just a few hours before.

7) Follow your host’s rules: consider that some people will ask you to leave when they go to work, others will give you the keys so you are free to go out and come back at any time. Some people won’t allow you to enter with wearing shoes. SOme people is vegetarian or vegan and won’t allow you to cook meat... some of them won’t even let you to put it in the fridge. In some cases you will have to learn how to separate the trash. Yup, you might not like some of them, but the rules are the rules! read them, follow them and avoid any problems with your host.

8)All hosting rules, do’s and don’ts are supposedly mentioned in your host profile, so ,of course, you as a surfer may complain about any improper conduct from your host that was not initially agreed using the adequate channels (Reference in her/his profile). Example: Your host never mentioned he uses to listen to music at 3 am at an intolerable volume. Remember you (host) are VOLUNTARILY offering your place which immediately establishes a good will relationship agreement.

9) If you sent a lot of request and received several positive replies, tell them that you have already found a host.

10) If something changes, inform your host. Seriously, is NOT cool to be waiting at home for somebody who was supposed to arrive on Friday night and who finally will arive on Monday morning... or who will never arrive.

11) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do always have a freakin’ cellphone! Having to coordinate times with somebody who’s basically isolated is not easy.



What Couchsurfing is not

If your sole intention is to get into Couchsurfing for any of the following purposes let us tell you are completely lost and that you must rather find another site that really fits your needs:

1) This is NOT A DATING SITE. If you think you can just break into a CS meeting  to pick up guys or girls, think it twice. Foreigner stalker or güero hunters are in most cases immediately detected. That doesn't mean you cannot establish a nice relationship with someone,  it’s just that there are lots of meeting crashers just standing there to catch some “prey”. Mexican girls and boys are not naïve, so avoid arranging personal dates with them lying about your intentions. BE A REAL MAN/WOMAN.

2)This is NOT A COLLEGE-STYLE PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT CORKBOARD: Try to refrain your inner party animal for a moment and consider not posting things like: “I feel like F&%/$ all night and want an orgy”, “Let´s hangout and drink until we spit our livers”, “Anyone wants to come with me to a strip club/wedding/erotic massage session/pick up mission”.

3)This is NOT A FREE CHANCE TO SLEEP AT SOMEONE’S: Even though one of the many advantages of this site is to save some money during your trip, you must not see your host as a MEANS but as a person who is kindly willing to share his way of life, culture and space with you.