PREPARE YOUR TRIP
Valuable information for an ideal vacation.
TIME ZONE
The state of Quintana Roo is in the GMT-5 time zone and does not observe daylight saving time. There is a 6-hour time difference with Paris in the winter and 7 hours in the summer.
Currently, it is: in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.
(Note: The rest of the Yucatán Peninsula and Mexico City are on GMT-6 year-round and do not change time either!)
CURRENCY
The Mexican currency is the Peso. The symbol “$” is the same as the US Dollars. You can pay in US Dollars anywhere you go and receive cash change in pesos. There are many exchange offices (casas de cambio) to change your money into Mexican pesos.
VISA
Citizens of European Union member countries receive a free visa valid for up to 180 days upon entry into Mexico, provided they have a return plane ticket.
There is no longer a paper form (FMM) to fill out upon arrival; the immigration officer directly stamps your passport.
The Visitax: The State of Quintana Roo requires a mandatory tourist tax for international visitors over 4 years old. It is generally paid online on the official website before departure. If the site is down (which happens sometimes), don’t panic: you will have the option to pay on site or handle it directly if you run into agents upon departure, simply by letting them know.
ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
Mexico has the same type of electrical outlets as in the United States in 110V .
In the supermarket you will find adapters as in the photo for around 1 euro that works with most recent european chargers or electronic devices .
TELEPHONE CALLS
To call Mexico from abroad the country code is: + 52.
You can get a local SIM card for your calls (we recommend Telcel Amigo) or you can simply get an eSIM for data (Airalo works very well in the region).
The single number for emergency calls is 911.
HEALTH
No special vaccines are required to travel to Mexico. It is simply advised not to drink tap water.
If needed, COSTAMEDand Amerimed are recommended hospitals in Playa del Carmen.
In the city center, you can also visit the SSS Hyperbaric Chamber Network clinic located at the corner of 10th Avenue and Calle 26, which has a doctor on duty for any consultation, whether dive-related or not.
TRANSPORTATION
ADO bus company is the most reliable option with regular airport transfers. We can also arrange a private transfer for you upon request.
There are also “colectivos” (shared vans) that will stop wherever you ask along the route. Count around 70 pesos for the Playa-Tulum trip.
Please note that there is no Uber in Playa del Carmen, but the inDrive app works very well and has recently become very efficient.
FLIGHTS
Air France (departing from Roissy CDG) and Air Caraïbes (departing from Paris-Orly) offer regular direct flights to Cancún.
You can also look into long-haul airlines focused on attractive fares such as World2Fly or Iberojet (often departing from Madrid, which is convenient if you combine it with a short-haul flight).
To compare all options and find the best prices (often with layovers), tools like Google Flights, Kayak, or Skyscanner remain excellent allies!
,Additional questions? Please send them and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible! Our business hours are from 8am to 6pm.
It is currently: in Playa del Carmen.