Practical Info

How easy is it to get to Cancún?

Flying to Cancún from the UK is easy. We flew with British Airways and thanks to a leisurely pitstop in Clubrooms airport lounge, the 10-hour-plus flight went surprisingly quick.

Our flight was at the crack of dawn, which was made all the better by staying at a nearby airport hotel the night before, which meant getting up was a lot less agonising. The key here is to be as prepared as possible, so putting your car in an airport car park the night before is also a big win for reducing unwanted stress levels ahead of the long flight.

Do you need a visa to visit Cancún?

Those with British passports don't need to worry about having a visa to enter Mexico, but you'll need to fill out an immigration form and have it with you when you enter and leave the country. If you don't have it then it's an on-the-spot fine of $500 pesos - we found out the hard way.

What currency do you need in Cancún

The peso is the currency in Mexico, which uses the symbol $. You can also use American dollars but as a general rule of thumb, always accept change back in the currency you spent to avoid getting ripped off. If you pay in American dollars and get the change back in pesos you will always lose out.

Most hotels are able to change currency for you, and if not there are plenty of banks around that will.

If you go to the markets then haggling is expected, so don't be afraid to get a good deal and never take the first price. Always negotiate!

How much did we spend?

Here's a breakdown of what we spent during our Cancún trip:

• Direct return flights with British Airways – £577pp
• Holiday Extras worldwide travel insurance, standard cover – £16pp
• Holiday Extras airport transfer, 4 seater car, one way to Tulum – £35
• Hotel room in Tulum – £57 per night
• Enchiladas in Cancún – $4 pesos (about 15p)
• Entrance to Chichén Itzá – $9 pesos (about 34p)
• Entrance to Ik-il cenote – $4 (about 15p)
• Return ferry to Isla Mujeres – $17pp (about 65p)
• Entrance to Coba Ruins – $4 pesos pp (15p)

Speaking Spanish in Cancún

What phrases should I learn for my Cancún holiday?

• Hello: Hola
• Yes: Si
• No: No
• Please: Por favor
• Do you speak English?: Habla usted Inglés?
• May I have the bill please?: Puedo tener la cuenta por favor
• How much is it?: Cuánto cuesta?
• Thank you: Gracías
• Goodbye: Adiós

Getting to Cancún from the airport

Bear in mind that Cancún alone sees over 4 million tourists visit each year and for the most part they know how to accommodate for so many visitors, for example we were met by a sea of English-speaking transport companies as we left the airport.

Now, it has to be said that if you're booking your holiday through a travel agent, then chances are that they've organised transfers for you, which is lovely. But, if you're doing it yourself, like we did, you need to think about organising those transfers beforehand. Naturally, we used Holiday Extras to book our airport transfers. That being said, it's worth being prepared for a very small amount of organised chaos since queuing is a pastime solely practised by us Brits, but the alternative and winging it looked a lot more hectic.

Shuttles are great if you're on a budget or looking for a cheap way to travel to Cancún. Take the ADO bus company (Mexico's version of a Megabus or Greyhound) to the big downtown Cancún bus station and most shuttles include air con and wifi, so yay!

From the bus station catch one of the buses that go to the Hotel Zone - it will say Hoteles. Although this is the cheaper option it is the longest way to get to the Hotel Zone and could take you triple the amount of time than booking a private transfer. Taxis will also be available from the bus station.

Getting around Cancún

Real Mexican culture is best outside of Cancún and many hotels provide excursions that include transport. If you're going at it alone to explore Cancún you'll need to make your own way, which fortunately is straightforward enough thanks to plenty of transport options on offer.

Cars

Outside of Cancún we chose to a hire car for the majority of getting about. Admittedly, this is one of the most expensive options, but it is by far the easiest and most convenient if you're feeling confident. Or, you can arrange a private driver who will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. We did this for one trip and our amazing driver pulled over for snacks when we asked him.

Buses

For travelling within Cancún we took the local bus into town; the R1 and R2 run through the Hotel Zone to downtown and come every 5 minutes. Use these services to get from your hotel to the beach as well as travelling into Cancún town if you fancy hitting the markets for some shopping. These buses were simple and cheap with a single ticket costing $11 pesos, which works out to be less than 50p.

The ADO buses run to all tourist locations and can be picked up from designated bus stops. Just consider that these buses can take a little longer as they frequent multiple stops.

Another budget option is the Colectivo. These are 10–16 seater mini buses that not only run more frequently than the ADO style buses but are also cheaper and have air-conditioning. The vans are differentiated by number and colour.

Cancún Airport Transfers

Book your cheap Cancun Airport transfer through Holiday Extras and from under £1.76, with FREE cancellations up to 3 days before departure.

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Cancún Car Hire

Pre-book your holiday car hire with Holiday Extras to make great savings.

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Is it safe to travel to Cancún?

Overall Cancún is a safe holiday destination - but here are a few of tips to have a safe trip:

• Watch out for pickpockets, especially when in busy areas like the markets.
• Many hotels will filter water themselves but if you're out exploring, only drink bottled water, even if it means paying higher prices as it's worth it to avoid getting ill.
• Avoid using Uber, the rules regarding the service are a bit of a grey area in Cancún. A local advised us to always stick with the regulated taxi companies.
• Don't leave drinks unattended at clubs and bars and refuse any 'free' drinks offered to you.

Travelling sustainably in Cancún

Sustainable travel in Mexico is important to the locals and the environment, and we like to know that our experiences are having a positive impact on the places we visit, so here are our tips for travelling responsibly in Cancún.

• Avoid taking pictures with a flash when on the beach at night. The baby turtles hatching mistake it for moonlight and end up walking in the opposite direction to the sea.
• Speaking of the sea, don't put sunscreen and bug spray on and then go straight for a dip. The chemicals in these products can be dangerous to sea life and disrupt the natural balance of the water. Put your cream on a half an hour before swimming so it has time to absorb into the skin. This rule applies to cenotes too.
• Try to buy gifts from markets instead of your hotel gift shop to support local businesses in the area. We can recommend Market 28 for beautiful Mexican souvenirs.
• If you're staying in an all-inclusive hotel with an abundance of drinks and food, avoid throwing away plastic cups after every use. Re-use them and say no to straws because single use plastic often ends up in the ocean and causes tremendous damage to sea life.
• Avoid buying coral. For one thing, buying coral is generally illegal, although there's a tenuous loophole which means some can legally harvest back coral so long as it comes with a government label and comes from a licensed source. Another thing, many are fake and fobbed off to unsuspecting tourists. The best policy is to not buy it and leave the coral where it belongs … in the ocean.

For more information on travelling sustainably visit www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk