when traveling n Mexico, is it better to pre-book excursions (pay n American...

[dad of four]

...$) or wait & book there n pesos? my family and I will be going to Puerto Vallarta this year, and have never been to Mexico. The exchange rate seems great, and it seems it would be better to book and pay for the excursions in pesos, as we can bargain then, plus it appears to be cheaper to book once there. Having never traveled outside the US before, i am unsure the best way to do this.

[Lizzy]

I have never traveled outside of the US either, but i have an idea. I think it would be better to buy ahead of time, just as you would if you were going somewhere in the US. You dont want to try to find good deals and end up driving around looking for a place to crash with a bunch of tired kids in the backseat.

[Ozzie S]

When i went to Mexico -- 3 weeks ago--- i found out that a lot of these vacation packages were cheaper to buy over there and better!!For example, a trip to Chichen itza cost me $65 here in the US, in mexico they were asking for 550 pesos ($55 dollars) for the same exact tripOh yeah, dot go to Ishcaret, when you get there everyone will try to sell you a trip there saying its the best place to go, dont fall for it, its a trourist trap!!!Go to Cosumel, Chichen Itza, Tulum. They are fun trips and the sites are amazing. The Southern mexican state of Quintana Roo is extremely beautiful.*however, dont travel alone, always travel with tourist buses, taveling alone is not recomended due to some drug trafficking going on in southern Mexico (hence the many military checkpoints your bus will go through on the way to all the sites)

[Jen R]

Definitely wait until you get there, it will be cheaper and sometimes you can even bargain.

[BiStnder1]

Probably cheaper to wait and ge them over there. However, if you book ahead of time, from reputable companies, you'll be more secure. Not sure if you're flying, cruising, or whatever, but you have limited recourse if there's a problem over there once you've negotiated directly with a tour operater. However, if you book with an agency here, you can always dispute the credit card charges or file a complaint if things don't go as planned, the bus breaks down, whatever.

[Aaron]

Buy them in Mexico and drive a hard bargin, or you can get several hundred dollars of free excursions by listening to a hotels time share sales pitch for two hours. You get free food, I wouldn't buy one on impulse though, just go for fun and get the free stuff. This strategy works at any tourist area in Mexico.