What to Expect when Traveling to Mexico from the United States During a Pandemic
This article is meant to be a helpful reference for anyone who wants to vacation to Mexico from the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll be speaking towards what it was like from our experience, where we flew from Austin to Cancun, Mexico and back for a vacation at the end of July in 2020. Please note that different airports, airlines, and resorts may have different policies, but I have done my best to accurately depict what our travel experience was like.
Links to Check Before You Fly
When trying to figure out what you can and can’t do while traveling during COVID-19, it can be incredibly overwhelming with all of the vague information out there. This link list was curated during my own search for answers, and only provides the information that I found helpful during our trip.
• State of Texas Air Travel Restrictions (even better, call (844) 986-1093) **I found this link to be the most helpful for our trip flying from Texas to Mexico during COVID**
• This map from the CDC shows you where there aren’t restrictions on entry to the USA for US citizens (orange and yellow means there aren’t restrictions)
• If you’re not flying from Texas, this link shows you where you’ll most likely be able to find info on your state’s travel restrictions
• You’ll want to have this handy to look at the USD to Peso Conversion Rate while you’re in Mexico (sometimes it’s cheaper to purchase in pesos)
Continue reading for a free printable list of important things to remember when traveling to Mexico During a Pandemic
Flying to Mexico for Vacation during the COVID Pandemic 2020
This section is meant to tell you what to expect from the moment you leave your house to when you exit the airport in Mexico. I’ll be speaking towards what it was like from our experience, which involved taking an Uber to the airport, flying American Airlines out of AUS to a connection in DFW, then flying to Cancun, Mexico. Please keep in mind that different airports & airlines may have different waits in security etc.
Transportation to the Airport Using a Rideshare Service
When we left for the airport around 6:00 AM, we called an Uber. We usually only wait 5 minutes for one in the morning, but this time it took about 20 minutes. New regulations now require passengers and drivers to wear a mask at all times while in a rideshare, encourage drivers to leave the windows down, and prohibit passengers from sitting in the front seat.
TIP: Check your rideshare app 25 minutes before you want to leave and see how far away the closest car is.
Going Through Security and Getting to Your Gate
We didn’t check any bags, so we went straight to security. We had no line at security at AUS at 6:30 in the morning on a Sunday (this may be different for larger airports). Everyone has to stand 6 feet apart during the process. You can use either your ID or your Passport along with your boarding pass at security, you now have to scan your own boarding pass. The TSA rep will briefly ask you to take your mask off as they look at your ID. All of the TSA workers we saw were wearing masks & gloves, some were wearing face shields. Other than that it was a very similar process to what it normally is going through airport security.
If you’re traveling internationally and have a connecting flight, you will be called up to the podium about 10 minutes before boarding your first flight so that they can scan your passport. If you have a direct international flight, they will call you up to the podium to scan your passport before your flight takes off.
Masks are required in the airport unless you’re eating or drinking something. Most people are very conscious of social distancing while you’re there. Expect to wait 6 feet apart in any line you’re in (except while boarding).
What to Expect While Boarding and in Flight on an International Flight During a Pandemic
As much as the airlines attempt to keep social distance and avoid crowding during the boarding process, it seems human nature is not so easily changed. Expect people to be vying for the quickest entry onto the plane and to start lining up way before their group is called.
You’ll have to scan your own boarding pass to get on the plane. Please try to maintain 6 feet apart from other passengers when boarding your plane. There are less flights per day going out during COVID, so expect your flight to have every seat full (this was the case on all 4 of our flights). The good news is that the airlines require you to wear a mask while on their plane and have the right to refuse to let passengers fly with them in the future if they refuse to wear a mask.
Our first flight was short, and didn’t have any food/beverage service. On our second flight (DFW to CUN), the crew gave everyone a paper bag with water and some snacks when they boarded. There was no food/beverage service outside of this. You’re not allowed to put trash in the seat back pockets, but someone will come around at the end of the flight to collect any trash you may have.
On your flight to Mexico, you’ll be given customs and re-entry forms to fill out, but they won’t have any pens.
TIP: Pack 1 pen per person in your group
TIP: On the re-entry form, you’ll have to put the same information twice, once on the bottom and once on the top. Make sure you fill out both top and bottom of this form on the plane.
If you don’t fill out both parts of this form beforehand, then once you get through the entire line, the customs official will send you back to the end of line to fill out the part of the form you forgot and wait your turn again.
They’ll stamp your passport then tear off the bottom of the re-entry form for you to keep. Don’t lose this paper, you’ll need it to get back into the states!!!
TIP: Past this part you won’t need your passport again, so put the paper inside your passport and pack it in your bags somewhere safe. Keep your passport in the resort safe the entire time you are there.
After leaving customs, airport security will randomly select some people to have their bags scanned through an X-ray. This happened to us, it was really no big deal and took the whole of one minute for both of our bags to get scanned.
Everyone who worked at the airport in Mexico was at least wearing a mask (most had face shields.)
Continue reading for a free printable list of important things to remember when traveling to Mexico During a Pandemic
What it’s Like to be on Vacation in Cancun, Mexico During a Pandemic
In this section I’ll cover transportation to your resort, what steps our resort took towards prevention of the spread of the virus, and in general what our vacation in Cancun was like during the COVID crisis in the summer of 2020.
Transportation to Your Resort from the Cancun Airport
When looking for transportation to your resort, it can seem like a total cluster. Some of the best spent money of the entire trip was the money we spent on transportation to and from the airport. I cannot recommend doing what we did highly enough, which was book a round-trip private SUV through BDExperience (Best Day) on Travelocity for about $140. It may sound like a lot, but for 2 people, when you break it down, it’s only $35 each way per person & can seat up to 6 people.
When you exit the terminal, you’ll be bombarded with different people trying to get you over to their booth to sign you up for their transportation services. Some of them will look very official (especially the ones inside), ignore all of them until you find the transfer company you booked.
If you book through the company we did, someone in a uniform with their logo will be holding a sign with your name outside the airport. Once you meet them, they will ask to see your trip confirmation and take you to their cars. There, they’ll have you download an app so that you can set up your transfer back at the end of your trip. They’ll also take your temperature, load all of your bags, and offer you hand sanitizer. Everyone in the company will be wearing a mask, and your driver will likely be wearing a face shield as well.
It’s hot and humid outside the airport, and if you decided to book a shared van with other passengers to save a couple dollars, you could be waiting for hours (standing up in the heat) for everyone in your group’s flights to get in (this happened to me the time before this when I was in Mexico). With a private SUV, it only took 5 minutes from when we saw the guy with our sign to when we were on the road with a great professional driver. We also didn’t have to make a ton of stops before making it to our hotel. Double-win.
TIP: It’s worth it to spend the extra money on a private SUV from a reputable company for your transfer to and from the airport.
What it was Like at the Resort in Cancun During COVID
We chose to stay at the Hyatt Zilara Adults Only/All-Inclusive Resort in Cancun, therefore this will reflect what our stay was like. Other hotels and resorts may have different practices and policies.
During check-in, you will have to pay all of your stay up front, in addition to that there is about a $65 USD eco tax on top.
Tipping bartenders, waiters, maids, and bellhops was extremely important at the resort. Make sure you have plenty of cash on hand for this, and bring it with you as you walk around the resort. The tourism economy has been devastated during COVID and tips make up a large portion of the staff’s income.
TIP: Bring at minimum $100 in a combination of $1/ $5 bills on your trip for tips!
During our stay, our resort was at less than 20% occupancy, so it felt like we had the place all to ourselves. Room rates were significantly reduced at up to 65% off, every room had an ocean view, and ours even had a jacuzzi tub in the room looking out at the ocean! The front desk had coupons for $$ off upgraded services. This was an amazing value for us and one of the huge advantages to traveling during a pandemic.
Water bottles, a stocked mini-fridge and snacks were replaced each day as well as all of our towels.
How the Staff at Our Resort Kept Our Room and Environment Sanitized and Safe
Before entering the resort, we had to get our temperatures taken and recorded, our names were written down, we were asked about our experience on our ride from the airport. Then we were given hand sanitizer, asked to step on a soapy mat, and then on a soft one to dry off our feet. This was typical of what it was like any time we entered any shop, restaurant, or building the entire time we were in Mexico.
TIP: There was so much hand sanitizer available for free everywhere we went. I advise not packing sanitizer, to make room in your liquids bag for other useful things like sunscreen and bug spray.
The staff is required to clean your room every day. They have a strict 50-point cleaning system they are required to follow which includes wiping down commonly touched surfaces, changing sheets, cleaning towels, etc. They even knocked on our door after we came back to the room each day to make sure our room met our standards of cleanliness.
The entire staff had to wear gloves, a mask, and a face shield at our resort. The hotel guests were not required to do so, though it was encouraged in public spaces like the lobby. Dots on the floor marked how far apart guests needed to wait at the bar, gift shop, etc. and there were signs at the swim up pool bar mandating 6ft separation. There was even someone walking around the pool doc spraying sanitizer on surfaces.
When going to restaurants on site, all tables were positioned greater than 6ft apart. All table cloths were replaced between each guest and tables were wiped down.
In all, we felt as though the staff and resort took cleanliness, preventing the spread of COVID, and our safety very seriously (TBH it felt safer than going to the grocery store in the USA).
Hiring a Photographer in Cancun
For my birthday gift, Zach hired me a professional photographer (yay! content!). In Cancun, freelance photographers can range from $250-$600 USD per hour, and require a lot of communication if you’re booking them while you’re there. Make sure you’re not going on an excursion without cell and data service while you’re setting something up with them.
TIP: If you want to shoot at your resort, ask them what their photographer policy is, or if they have an on-site photographer.
Some resorts charge an extra $150-$300 USD fee for you to let a photographer on their property, or have their encourage you to use their on-site photographer instead. We ended up using the resort photographer and got a much better deal, because she charged per photo instead of per hour. This meant that I could have multiple shoots at multiple times during the day and only pay for the photos I loved. The best part is that I got the digital files sent to me the same day just hours later.
Booking and Going on Excursions in Mexico during COVID
We booked two excursions through BDExperience on the app while we were in Cancun, and though they were pretty fun, we learned a lot and decided that next time, it would be best to carefully consider what we do and to book them in advance.
TIP: 1 excursion every 3-4 days is a good ratio. Try to book them before you get to Mexico to make sure you have time to think about what you really do and don’t want to do.
The excursions picked up people from different hotels in a van. Before we got in, the resort took down our names, where we were going, and the license plate of the van. Before getting in, the driver also took our temperatures. All of the excursions were COVID friendly and required a mask.
TIP: If you book an excursion for some sort of vehicle to drive, and don’t know how to drive a stick-shift, make sure you request an automatic transmission vehicle when you book the excursion **cough cough we didn’t do this and neither of us drive standard… so that was quite the adventure**
Don’t forget to bring sunscreen/bug spray, tips for your driver(s) guide(s), and extra money for lockers to hold your stuff or to buy photos if there’s a photographer there. If you’re going to get wet/dirty (like ATV-ing through the jungle) pack a bag with a change of clothes for when you get back in the van on your way home.
TIP: Pack more than 1 mask per person on your trip in case one gets lost, dirty, or ripped
Continue reading for a free printable list of important things to remember when traveling to Mexico During a Pandemic
Returning Back to the USA from a Vacation in Mexico
This section is meant to tell you what to expect from the moment you get to the airport in Mexico to when you arrive at your final destination. I’ll be speaking towards what it was like from our experience, which involved taking flying American Airlines out of Cancun to a connection in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX, then flying to Austin, TX. Please keep in mind that different airports & airlines may have different waits in security, customs practices, etc.
What to Expect at the Airport in Mexico When Returning To The USA
When you get to the airport there will be these QR codes in the area where you check in that you’ll need to scan. Those codes take you to this link
TIP: Bookmark this post so you have the link for later!
You’ll have to fill that link out and show it to an airport official before they let you go through security. (If you can’t use your phone then you’ll need to get a form to fill out from your airline’s check-in desk). Remember your re-entry form? If you lost it, you’ll need to get that at the check-in desk as well, and you’ll have to pay $30 for it.
Security went really quickly and was the exact same as in the USA.
In the Cancun airport, they won’t tell you your gate on the monitor until 1 hour before your flight leaves. If you have a lot of extra time before your flight, I highly recommend stopping by Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in the Cancun airport (rated one of the top 15 airport restaurants in the world) for the best calamari and margaritas – thank me later.
When you board, you’ll hand the representative your passport and they’ll take your re-entry form.
The flights back were the same experience as the flights there, minus any forms to fill out.
What to Expect when Arriving Back to the United States Airport after an International Trip to Mexico
This part was not at all what I expected, especially with everything going on with COVID and how the CDC claims that everyone is recommended to self quarantine for 14 days after international travel. It wasn’t what I expected because it was… easy.
Once you get off your flight, you’ll be directed down a hallway to kiosks where you’ll answer a quick survey about if you have any symptoms for COVID. Then the kiosk takes a picture of you and prints that plus the survey out. You’ll hand that print out to a customs official. There is no temperature checking, nothing you sign that says you will quarantine, nothing like that at all. You just hand that sheet of paper over and… that’s it, you’re done.
If you are like us and have a connecting flight, then you’ll have to go through security again before you board your flight.
TIP: If you have a connecting flight in the USA, don’t buy anything at the airport that goes over your liquid allowance, because you’ll have to throw it out when you go through security again.
