@hankinthecity
Mexico City survival cheat sheet (altitude, water, tipping)
12 items
- 01You're at 2,240 meters
- 02Don't drink the tap water
- 03Tip 10 to 15 percent at sit-down restaurants
- ··9 more entries
16000
🚇riding cdmx's metro + metrobús without looking lost
five years of visiting friends means five years of explaining this. cash still helps, the card is faster.
01
Get a Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada at any Metro or Metrobús booth
costs 15 pesos, non-negotiable, keep it forever
02
Load it before you need it, not at the turnstile during rush hour
machines take cash, some take cards. the app CDMX can top it up over NFC if your phone has it
03
Metro rides are a flat 5 pesos, any distance, any transfer
04
Metrobús is 6 pesos, tap in on the double-length buses
05
Look for the pink markings on the platform, that's the women and kids car
enforced hardest 7-9am and 5-7pm, not really a suggestion during those hours
06
Route around Line 1 and the Pino Suárez transfer during peak hours if you can
trust me on this, i've stood in that tunnel more times than i'd like
07
Keep cash for anything that isn't Metro or Metrobús
RTP buses, most combis, plenty of taxis. cash only, still, in 2026, definitly bring coins
08
Download the app CDMX before your first ride, not after you're lost on a platform
Or start a list of your own. Free, it takes a minute.