Eating habits are often disrupted during vacations. You have to take into account changes in altitude and climate (not to mention time differences) in order to understand the upset your body experiences. So to make things easier, here are a few tips:

• Wash your hands before meals
• Never drink water from a faucet or drinking fountain
• Always have a bottle of purified water with you, including in your hotel room
• Avoid raw or unpasteurized products
• Peel all fruits
• Eat light and adapt gradually to local eating habits
• Never eat food from street vendors
• Beware of hot peppers! Ask how strong they are before ordering.

Travel-related gastro-intestinal illness - also called The "Montezuma's revenge" is an important issue to tourists visiting Mexico. Click here to view more about it.

Electrical current
110 volts, 60 cycles

Tipping
Tips are not mandatory, but in general use 15% as a guideline. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped.

What to wear
You can go just about anywhere in casual clothing. However, here are some specific guidelines for Mexico, according to the particular situation: Swimwear is appropriate for pool and beach areas only. Eccentric or revealing outfits are out of place in small hotels and interior towns. Shorts are not allowed in churches. People tend to dress up more in the evenings in the large cities. On the other hand, if you're dining in a hotel on the beach, casual wear is generally acceptable.

Stringent anti-pollution laws restrict motor vehicle usage to certain days of the week. The law is enforced strictly and without distinction, applying also to foreign visitors driving their own or a rental car. Driving days are determined by the final digit on your license plate.

Mexico is divided into numerous regions. Each one has its own climate, altitude, latitude and topography that dictate what you'll need to take with you to be comfortable. There are two seasons: dry and rainy. In general, it is rainiest from June to October when the temperatures are highest; the dry, temperate season extends from November to May. Here's an overview of climate by region:

Northern Baja California - Despite the desert landscape, this region is like southern California: little rain, hot summers and mild winters. The Sea of Cortez side is generally warmer than the peninsula's Pacific coast. The average annual temperature is 20° C.

Southern Baja California - A subtropical desert with 350 days of sunshine per year, cool evenings in winter, dry air and ocean breezes. The temperatures can be high in summer. Generally it is cooler on the Pacific coast. The average annual temperature is 25° C. Northwest Coast - Resembles the Northern Baja with more rain and occasional storms. The average annual temperature is 20° C.

West Coast - The "Mexican Riviera" has a warm tropical climate year-round, with hot dry days and pleasant evenings from November to May. The rainy season extends from June to October with daily downpours and moderately high temperatures. The average annual temperature is 27.4° C.

Central Plateau - A spring-like climate exists here practically year-round thanks to the high altitude. It rains frequently from June to September. Nights can be cold in winter. The average annual temperature is 18.4° C.

Yucatan - In this region the temperature and humidity are determined by proximity to the coast. In the summer, the Gulf and Caribbean regions are cooled by trade winds, while the jungles of the interior are humid and hot. It rains frequently in April and May and from September to January and the temperatures are often higher. In September and October the sky can be overcast or even stormy. Winters are very pleasant. The average annual temperature is 26.5° C.

The Gulf - Rather humid, with higher temperatures. The rains are more significant south of Tampico with a refreshing breeze coming from the north from September to February. The average annual temperature is 21.4° C.

Shopping in Mexico is above all the art of bargaining. Except in hotel shops and big department stores, the marked price is simply the starting point for negotiations. In markets, haggling is the national sport. Don't be afraid to try it! Unfortunately, during a stop on a bus tour, I ran out of bargaining time because I was too polite! Why had I found it necessary to ask about the seller's health, to compliment her work? Seeing my sheepish look, Manuel, our guide, taught me - in case the occasion presented itself again - how to quickly pick out a coveted hammock, a sisal hat (no. 4 for style, no. 5 reserved for Yucetecan weddings) or else the "henequen" which he said would go so well with my blond hair… Start by cutting 50 to 60% off the marked price and go up by small increments. If you get to 40% and still don't have a deal, head for another seller.
Mexico is a fantastic place for buying silver. If Taxco is on your itinerary, wait until you get there before making any silver purchases. Here you'll find the most talented silversmiths, craftsmen capable of transforming metal in works of art. If you buy anything, check first that it bears the ".925" mark (meaning 92.5% pure), a guarantee of authenticity.

Oaxaca offers the most beautiful woven rugs, embroidered bags and dresses, as well as black ceramics that can be found only there.

Temoaya is famous for its hand-knotted carpets. In the Michoacán, you'll find wooden furniture, platters and boxes, as well as wonderful lacquered ware made by the direct descendants of the Tarasque people. The Indians of northern Huichol make embroidered pictures in many different sizes.

In brief:

• Copper: Villa Escalante (Santa Clara del Cobre), Michoacán
• Pottery: Oaxaca, Puebla, Tonala, Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Guanajuato
• Leather: Guadalajara, Ledn, Il Monterey
• Fabric and tapestry: Atzcuaro, Mérida, Oaxaca, Aguascalientes, Chiapas
• Ceramics: Puebla, Oaxaca, Tonala, Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, San Cristobal de la Casas
• Wood: San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Michoacán y Colima
• Confectionery (which can also be an art form): Puebla, Guanajuato, Morelia, and Nuevo Leon