Anybody Went with a Year Old on Vacation to Mexico?

Have you ever been to Mexico? My husband and I went recently and there was not much at all for any children. We went to Cancun. Maybe you are going somewhere else and there will be more for kids. I've heard Playa del Carmen is a little more family friendly. I definitely would not bring a one year old to Cancun, and if you do, bring many, many things for him to do, because there are no book stores, toy stores, playgrounds, nothing but beaches and bars, so bring a lot of sand toys!!

We took both our kids to Mexico when they were 3 and 1 1/2. They have everything there, even if you are not going to an all-inclusive resort. I'd check with the resort to see if they have a crib/cot if you need one. If you are bottle feeding, you might want to bring your baby's formula (just so there is no change). You can buy bottled water everywhere. Diapers too, no problem. We found absolutely everything and we were in a small, not very touristy town. I wouldn't pack much if I were you!

L.,

Just be careful about only using purified water and food washed with purified water, and pacifiers, etc. rinsed in purified water, etc.-everything you consume!

You can get some serious illnesses and parasites and your baby will not be able to fight as well as an adult because babies are smaller and more easily debilitated and dehydrated.

I've never been to Mexico-- but we were considering a trip to the Bahamas when my son was one- but had to cancel. Anyway, you should check out the water supply and bring any food items you think he may need as well and whatever you need to sanitize bottles, etc. Don't plan on being able to get anything there. We found a limo company that had car seats in the Bahamas- you might be able to rent one in Mexico as well.

Hi L.!
My husband & I honeymooned in Maya Riviera (Tulum) years ago. While all in all we had a great time I did learn some very important things. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER!!! Keep in mind, all food on a buffet table has probably been there for a while...AND the weather is VERY HOT. I drank the water, ate fish off of the buffet, & boy did I get sick!!! Food poisoning is not fun! Also, once you're trip is paid for NO MATTER WHAT, do not give the resort a credit card number for anything! I gave them my CC for mishaps & they ASSURED me it would not be charged. I did not sign anything. We got home & our paid in advance vacation had been double charged. We lost $3500+. Fought it but it being a different country we didn't get anywhere. As far as clothes, pack light & airy everything! I packed Ohio clothes. It was so HOT, my husband bought me a dress from the market & I wore that every single day! Pack heavy sunscreen & aloe vera in case someone gets sunburned. I can not stress this enough, the sun is a lot hotter there, so you may want to take a big hat for your son. Don't get me wrong here, Mexico is so much fun, & we were there in October. I would go back any day! I'm sure you & your family will have a great time! I hope this helps some. If you take anything from this, please take the water & the buffet advise! Best of luck to you! S.

Last Christmas we took our kids to Mexico for an all inclusive vacation. At the time, they were 2.3 and 15 months. It actually worked out well b/c you don't have to wait in line at restaurants so you are in constant motion. You CAN drink the water and eat the ice at the restaurants. And there are many people there so the food has a fast turnover rate. But don't drink the water in your hotel room. We did pay a "sitter" to come in at night so we could go to some of the night shows but we usually waited until they were asleep-so the sitter just had to be there. There were two hard parts- 1. they did not have enough cribs (which by the way were these metal institutional cribs)...so the first night was really rough until we got a crib-so I would suggest either calling ahead of time or just bringing a pack n play. Also we stayed in Playa del car which was a little over an hour drive from the airport in a bus with no car seats...so bring something he would like to do for an hour.Also I gave them both Benedryl to knock them out for the 4 hour flight. I don't know where you are staying but we went to this huge zoo, aquarium wildlife park place (right now i forget what it was called) but it was really expensive and a REALLY long day for the kids..I would not go there again until they are like 15. Anyway if you stick to the beach and stay in your resort then its actually a fun trip. We are going to go again this year.
K
Oh ps...I read some other responses..we did NOT need a passport for the kids-just ss cards and birth certificates for the airport.

Make sure you have a lot of water on hand, the water in Mexico is terrible. Make a list of everything you use on a daily basis, multiply it by the number of days you are going to be on your trip and add extra. All around..just have a great time!

Call or research ahead of time what is provided and/or what you might be able to rent while there - like strollers, high chairs, toys etc.

A family that I nannied for 2 years ago was going to be going to Mexico because they had a good deal on an all inclusive resort as well. After they looked into health suggestions such as talking to their doctor about getting extra shots for the child, bringing a full water supply (mexico's water would not be good) for everything from bottles to washing, they finally decided it wasn't worth it. The parents were going to just scratch the idea and stay home but they still wanted to go so they ended up shortening the trip from 7 days down to 5, and then they just had me watch their baby while they were gone. If you have a nanny or childcare provider or even family member you may want to talk to them. I now have an in home daycare and would be willing to do this for you if you are interested.
Anyway I would start out with talking to your child's pediatrician and also talking to the resort to see what they will supply. You may find out everything is ok or you may want to take some percautions such as shots and bringing a lot of water. I hope you figure everything out and if you do end up going I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

I had my son overseas and had to come home twice with him once at 3 months and again at 9 months.........anyways the change is hard for them so I slept with him, mattress on floor and gave him lots fo attention but I think he'll be fine after you get throught the first day, the hardest part for me was the flying, so call the airlines and make sure of what you can bring on board due to the new restrictions you'll need liquids and snacks, and feed him(bottle or breastfeeding) during take-off and landing this helps with the ears, and bring your stroller especially if you have layovers and your carry-on should be light and if possible a book bad type so you can keep your hands free oh yes did you get passports for all???? you need them for him as well. the airlines are ussually good about taking care of children but other passengers are NOT!!!! they are rude and won't help you out or with your bag so don't be alarmed not everyone loves kids!!!! Oh and since there is a beach bring sunscreen and call the resort and see if they have sun shades for children.....I hope this helps good luck and have fun

Hi L.,

We took our son to an all-inclusive in mexico (playa De carmen)when he was 2 years old. He did just fine. Yes they tell you not to drink the water but you can use it to brush your teeth and wash things out. At a year old your child is most likely on milk anyway. We always ordered milk on ice for our son and put it in his sippy cup. People are very friendly and when we were leaving the country at the airport because we had a young child they took us straght up to the desk in front of hundreds of people so we could get through faster with our child. I loved it and I am still glad I took our son. Since then we have taken our son to nicarauga, and Coasta Rica, and none of thiese places were as kind and as fun as mexico. have fun, where are you going to stay? I have been a few places in Mexico.