We're headed to Puerto Vallarta this weekend. Staying at an all-inclusive with a 40-minute drive from the airport. The state department issued a "reconsider travel" message to Jalisco due to crime and kidnapping.

Wish us luck!

Hell no. We're going to Merida in May.

No. I have trips to Mexico City and San Miguel coming up in the next few months. Heavy tourist areas are fine. Tamaulipas is very dangerous and the US govt has had a "do not travel" warning on it for a while, as they have for a few other states.

We were in SMA in December and loved it. Go to Azotea for jicama tacos and thank me later.

Thanks! I've been to SMA twice and love it, but I dont think I've been to those places. I'll check them out.

SMA is amazing, feels so much more like authentic Mexico than the other big tourist spots.

I've wondered about this question myself. The world is very big with lots of places to go that have much less risk than Mexico. I travel to many 3rd world countries on business that many people would not want to go to. So when I go on vacation I usually want to go to a place where security is not a significant concern. I get that most tourist spots in Mexico are statistically safe, and maybe safer than the risk of your random Walmart shooting in Laredo or downtown Houston.

But there are many violent instances that occur in Cancun, PV, PDC and other tourist spots that never hit the press. If you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time then the statistics don't matter, and the downside is not good. I'm not trying to be chicken little as I know most people go and have a great time, including me as I love Mexico. But I just don't see the need the take the extra risk when there are so many other places to go to. I expect some comments saying I am over exaggerating, but if you have seen the security reports I have in my line of work it might make you pause.

Personal thoughts: No. You have risk everywhere. And where most of the stuff is taking place is no where near the regular tourist attractions.

Travel agent thoughts: It is a personal choice. I cannot advise if a location is considered safe or not. I suggest checking out the state department advisories. Would I personally travel there at this time? Yes. However everyone has a different level of comfort when it comes to travel.

I've seen more dead bodies in the US than I have in Mexico.

If you read F16 or their messenger boys on Austin board, I'm in more danger here than at a Jalisco New Generation Cartel block party.

Potcake, you talk about F16 more than any other poster, as far as I can tell. Really odd. You seem obsessed.

Ironic post. Stay away from my rabbit.

No irony here. Just an obvious observation.

Currently in Mexico in Playa Mujeres and taking a ferry to Isla Mujeres tomorrow. As I travel advisor I get this question all the time. Everyone's safety is different, I encourage others to looks at the Level the state that Cancun is in and do a comparison to some other destinations for instance in Europe. I myself with my family feel safe here but also realize everyone is different

I rode a donkey across the river over 50 trillion years ago -

Have never been back. Will never go again. I'm happy with that.

Flying to PV this morning and staying in Punta Mita.....While you always need to be aware of your surroundings I dont think anything has changed from previous years. The thing at the border was a whole different animal and if you stay away from bad parts of town and dont try to buy any kilos you should be fine. I would be more scared to walk around S. Chicago than Mexico.

People are shot daily in the USA in churches, stores, schools, etc. I don't feel any less safe in Mexico than I do walking around a Walmart in the states.

The Silverback said:

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Flying to PV this morning and staying in Punta Mita.....While you always need to be aware of your surroundings I dont think anything has changed from previous years. The thing at the border was a whole different animal and if you stay away from bad parts of town and dont try to buy any kilos you should be fine. I would be more scared to walk around S. Chicago than Mexico.

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See you in Punta Mita. We'll be there Saturday afternoon. Marival Armony Resort.

Less safe in Walmart? Welp there goes someone's credibility. I've never seen dead bodies in Walmart. I've seen several in MX.

So dumb

JustPanda said:

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Less safe in Walmart? Welp there goes someone's credibility. I've never seen dead bodies in Walmart. I've seen several in MX.

So dumb

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I lived in Mexico and traveled there more times than I can count....never seen a dead body and never had any type of security issue. I did, however, have someone shoot up a neighbor's house in Texas in broad daylight in a middle class neighborhood.

I'm not saying there aren't safety issues in Mexico....just saying there are also plenty of problems in the USA too. No reason to be scared to travel to Mexico as long as you have common sense.

Totally agree on the not being scared part but there's also a reason for the policeman walking through the zona touristica with AR 15s. Sure, there are a lot scarier places in the world, but I'm just saying I've never seen Walmart patrolled by employees open carrying AR15s.

Common sense can still get you into the wrong place at the wrong time. The Mexican women killed by the stray bullet in Tamp wasn't doing anything but living her daily life. To insinuate that getting caught in cartel violence exhibits a lack of common sense is just not true.

Again, comparing Mexico to Walmart or most places in the US is a gross exaggeration. I've lived in the hood, I've lived in the ghetto, I've seen 10+ dead bodies in 36 years of being alive, but with all of that said to stay that the US is as dangerous as Mexico is hyperbole to match a cognitive construct of safety.

It's dangerous, it's just a danger that most American don't feel entitled to naturally because most Americans think bad things don't happen to Americans because the govt will protect you. Ha!

When my brother lived in DF, his driver archimedes was murked with him in the back seat while stopped at a red light. Literally they drove up on motorbikes, shotgun to the head, opened the door, pulled out his body, and left.

What common sense would have avoided that scenario?

The driver was an Argentinian that worked for as a professional driver for Banamex.

Banamex investigated and found it to be a case of mistaken identity for a Groupo CEO they were planning to rob.

Again, how do you avoid that scenario? You can't you can only not be there.

And I love MX. I'm going in May. I just think people need to be real and not just throw out euphemisms to placate a cognitive construct that isn't aligned w truth.

Absolutely no concerns. We go in June every year and we can't wait. As we've seen over the past few years, some people can tolerate perceived risk and some people can't.

eiggA2002 said:

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Absolutely no concerns. We go in June every year and we can't wait. As we've seen over the past few years, some people can tolerate perceived risk and some people can't.

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I think my only concern (albeit very tiny) is the 45-minute drive from the airport to the resort. We packed last night and can't wait to get the hell outta Dodge.

Its funny. We used to hunt down just south of Laredo in San Ygnacio. Big ranch that we used to breed horses on for the owners. Property backed right up onto the Rio. We'd swim in the river during the summer. As teenager I'd go with some of the ranch hand guys in Nuevo Laredo and I never thought twice about it.

Haven't been down there in 15 years, but we are going with a large group to Cancun this December I'm definitely more wary than I was then.

JustPanda said:

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Totally agree on the not being scared part but there's also a reason for the policeman walking through the zona touristica with AR 15s. Sure, there are a lot scarier places in the world, but I'm just saying I've never seen Walmart patrolled by employees open carrying AR15s.

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We saw armed patrols along the beach by the JW in Cancun for the first time last month, glad they take the threats seriously but my wife and I decided it was probably our last trip there for awhile.

JustPanda said:

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When my brother lived in DF, his driver archimedes was murked with him in the back seat while stopped at a red light. Literally they drove up on motorbikes, shotgun to the head, opened the door, pulled out his body, and left.

What common sense would have avoided that scenario?

The driver was an Argentinian that worked for as a professional driver for Banamex.

Banamex investigated and found it to be a case of mistaken identity for a Groupo CEO they were planning to rob.

Again, how do you avoid that scenario? You can't you can only not be there.

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when was this? what part of the city? I assume by DF you mean Mexico City. I think some details would be important here, considering CDMX is still pretty safe, especially in the wealthier/touristy parts. This sounds like a freak incident.

Pot cake is one of the Austin posters that thinks any criticism and pointing out any bad trends in Austin means the poster must be f16.

barbacoa taco said:

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JustPanda said:

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When my brother lived in DF, his driver archimedes was murked with him in the back seat while stopped at a red light. Literally they drove up on motorbikes, shotgun to the head, opened the door, pulled out his body, and left.

What common sense would have avoided that scenario?

The driver was an Argentinian that worked for as a professional driver for Banamex.

Banamex investigated and found it to be a case of mistaken identity for a Groupo CEO they were planning to rob.

Again, how do you avoid that scenario? You can't you can only not be there.

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when was this? what part of the city? I assume by DF you mean Mexico City. I think some details would be important here, considering CDMX is still pretty safe, especially in the wealthier/touristy parts. This sounds like a freak incident.

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JustPanda is Nichols clan. There's a good chance it's all a lie.

It was in Santa Fe in DF 2012ish

JustPanda said:

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It was in Santa Fe in DF 2012ish

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Googled that. Looks like a pretty small part of town on the outskirts.

Not trying to downplay it of course. That's a tragedy. I still think CDMX is a pretty safe place, especially in the touristy parts, and it's pretty low on the travel warnings for Mexico.

It's a SUPER nice and wealthy new part of town. Lots of new developments. Hence why they thought he was associated with one of the groupos.

It was on the way back from Los Canarios on Alvaro Obregon

Only one data point but wife and I went to CDMX
weeks before the shutdown. We stayed near the Bosque Chapultepec and walked that neighborhood, Roma, Condesa, and down to Reforma without issues. Air quality, or lack thereof, was our biggest problem outside of the airport.