What to Pack for Trip to Mexico?

Updated on January 18, 2016
S.G. asks from Beverly Hills, CA
7 answers

I am planning a trip to Mexico, but I have never been before. I am thinking of an all inclusive, Cancun or Mayan Riviera, March or April, seven days. We would be doing some excursions. I want to make sure we have everything we need (and it fits) now before it is time to start packing. So, what do I need to pack for a woman, man, teen boy and tween boy? For example, I have heard that the restaurants have dress codes, so the men need long pants and button up shirts for meals and women need dresses. I have also heard we need sweaters or light jackets for at night. How many pairs of shoes do we need? Are flip flops good enough? Do I need capris, or are shorts and swim suits (and a dress) good enough? What do I wear to the airport since there will still be snow here? I feel like I don't know where to start. Thanks for any advice you can give.

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F.B.

answers from New York on

Call the resort and ask these questions. If you want to travel without winter clothes wear lightweight casual clothes and get a lift or a cab to the airport. Drop off at the door and you won't have to tote your winter gear.

We needed closed toed shoes when we rented scooters. We needed tevas or a sturdy water shoe for kayaking.

Best for a good trip
F. B.

2 moms found this helpful

J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

Bottled water, more bottled water. Just kidding.

I would dress in layers at the airport when you go down and when you come back, this way you can add or remove clothes to stay comfortable.

I think it depends on what you want to do there. Some sites and activities will require closed toe shoes. I would want something comfortable if I were going to see any ruins in Cancun/Cozumel. I think the average temp this time of year is in the 70's so that depends on you (I get chilly when it is 70 or below). I would bring at least one nice outfit per person for a fancy dinner. Also, most all inclusive resorts offer a few restaurants (fancy and casual) and will have shopping available if you need something.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Portland on

How fun! lucky you :)

On the plane, we wore what we would wear to dinner there. And then layered. I wore capris with a cardigan, and a lightweight jacket. I wore Merrell type mary janes which I also wore on excursions. Something you can walk in. My husband wore pants and a button down short sleeve shirt. And then we just cranked the heat.
I took a couple of sundresses and one pair of sandals. No heels but they were nice enough to wear with dresses for supper. Our resort had both casusal and nice restaurants so I went with beachy but a little nicer than flip flops.
I had a beach hat and a baseball cap, and sunglasses.
On our trips, I just mostly wore shorts and nice tank tops. I did take a couple of lightweight cardigans to throw over. I had my lightweight jacket from the plane that we wore once when it rained and was windy.
Just bring a bag/tote that it's easy to carry for the excursions. I just used it as my travel bag too :)

1 mom found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

You need to check with the hotel/resort re dress codes. I've been to Mexico twice (Cancun and Cabo) and the resorts were nice but very casual, we never dressed up for dinner. Just plan to dress like you do in the summer, shorts, skirts/sundresses, swimwear, tank tops, etc, maybe a wrap or light jacket for unpredictable weather. I prefer to pack light so I'd probably only pack nice sandals and flip flops and wear my walking shoes (tennis shoes) during travel.
Have fun!!!

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

The resort will tell you what you need at the restaurants. They really vary, and many have a variety of restaurants with different dress codes. My friends went to a resort last year with 3 kids, and no one dressed up, but they chose the more casual restaurants in the complex. So ask up front - they are used to such questions. But I would be surprised if this was a dressy affair like one of those "dress-for-dinner" cruise lines. Certainly you would have options.

You need 2 bathing suits per person (one to wear, one to be wet and drying off in the hotel), and a cover up for you. If the men wear longer "board shorts" type bathing suits, they might get by with a tee shirt over it to go from room to pool/beach, but if they wear skimpier speed-o type suits, they can't go through the lobby or the lunch buffet in those. You need something else. You might get by with a light dress or sarong skirt that can double for another wearing.

I think you always need a wrap/jacket at night because you have ocean breezes. You also need something on the plane. Take one thing that doesn't wrinkle and that can get you through a variety of situations, like a white sweater with a simple pattern that might look dressy enough over a long skirt.

Airport - you will be in a car for most of the trip, so wear jeans or even a pair of loose pants that you can wear leggings or yoga pants underneath. Wear a sweatshirt with 1-2 things under it if you can avoid wearing a winter coat too. It really depends on where you are parking. If you are leaving your car in an outdoor lot and have to shovel your way out when you return, you'll be miserable without a coat, gloves and boots. But if you are getting a ride or taking an airport shuttle, you can wear less and just double up some layers. Take a collapsible bag on the plane with you for ditching all that extra clothing en route or when you land.

I think separates in coordinating colors work the best (so you can layer or mix/match), and if you have fabrics than can be rinsed in the hotel room sink and hung up to dry, you will be very happy. Take a small bottle of something like Woolite and a few of those folding travel hangers or travel clothesline (unless it's a resort that includes a line in the shower - some hotels have those in the US too). I would think that capris would be very versatile. Plan on wearing things several times and/or splurging on the hotel laundry service if you're not a rinse-out-in-the-sink sort of person. If you will use the hotel laundry, take one of those lingerie bags (mesh with a zipper) for keeping socks and small items together.

Excursions? You NEED solid, sturdy walking shoes or excellent sneakers with a good tread on them. You are not climbing Mayan ruins in flip flops, sandals, Crocs or flimsy bargain store sneakers. You just aren't. It does not matter what the kids say is cool or not cool. It is not negotiable. Also socks (2 pairs per person - wear one pair, pack one pair). Nothing ruins Excursion #2 like blisters acquired in Excursion #1, with the added complaining! Take something simple to wear onto beaches, but wear a good pair of walking shoes on the plane (to save space in the suitcase) and then use them for your treks.

Have fun!

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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

Swimsuits are most important. We spent almost our entire trip to Cancun in the water, either in the pool, Gulf or swimming in cenotes (if you get the option to do the Tankah excursion, do it!). Bring two for each person if you can, so you always have a dry one.

Our resort, the Hard Rock (Loved it! Great for kids.), did have some dress codes, so we packed according to those for evening. No codes during the day. Very casual. It got windy at night and then our entire last day, when it got stormy, so we were glad to have jackets and sweaters. You'll need better shoes than flip flops for dinner, and consider whether you might do an excursions with a lot of walking or climbing when thinking about shoes.

Our weather in California wasn't snowy when we left, but it was cold by our standards. We wore lightweight pants (I had capris that adjusted to various lengths and just had them all the way down when we left), closed-toe shoes, short-sleeved shirts and then layered over it, so we could shed the layers once we got there. (And boy, will you! It's humid in Cancun.)

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Take flip flops, tennis shoes for running around the airport and to be warm on the plane. Dress in layers
on the plane. Leave you warm winter coat, gloves etc. in the car at the airport so you have that to go home
and in case you ever breakdown en route to or from the airport. Pack 2 bathing suits, shorts, capris, 2 nice
casual dresses if you need to dress up for a dinner at the resort, pack a few casual sun dresses, light
sweaters to wear over the dresses for dinner as sometimes restaurants can be chilly, sunblock, sunglasses, board
shorts for the kids, a pair of jeans for each child, a pair of long nice pants for each child for the nice
dinners (they can wear them more than once), short sleeve AND long sleeve tees for each child, tennies & flips
for the kids & hubby, nice black or khaki pants for hubby, nice short sleeve and long sleeve for hubby for
dinner. Ibuprofen in your big suitcase, sunglasses for all, a over the shoulder purse for you so you can
carry your money/passports close to your body. Immodium medicine in case you get diahrrea.

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