About Acapulco

Currency and Credit Cards in Acapulco
The local currency is the Mexican Pesos. American dollars are also widely accepted, but it is best to have some pesos for shopping and tipping. Currency can be exchanged at exchange houses, banks, and hotels (poorest rates). ATMs are readily available and accept foreign bankcards. Major credit cards are accepted. Traveler's checks are negotiable in banks and hotels. Always travel with US or Canadian bills that are in good condition as they will not accept any money that has tears or corners missing.

International Airport Departure Tax in Acapulco
The airport departure tax is around US$18 and is usually included in the price of your ticket.

Temperature in Acapulco
The climate in Acapulco is hot and sunny all year round. The average temperature fluctuates between 80°F to 92°F (27°C to 33°C). July and August are the warmest months and rainy season runs from June to October, though showers usually last only 15 or 20 minutes.

Use of Small Appliances
Electricity is 110 volts. Same as U.S. If you travel from Europe and want to bring a small electrical applicance, you will have to bring an adapter.

Time Zone
Acapulco is on Central Standard Time.

Tipping
Restaurant tipping is 15 to 20 percent for good service and is expected. Porters should get approximately US$1.00 per bag; hotel maids should get US$.50 to US$1.00 per day. Taxi drivers do not expect tips unless you hire them for several hours or if they handle luggage for you. Don't forget to tip your guides, washroom and parking attendants,even kids who watch your car. Local sales tax (I.V.A.) is fifteen percent and should not be mistaken for gratuity.

Dress
During the day, casual dress is acceptable - shorts, jeans, T-shirts, sandal. At night, dressy casual is the dress code. Some nightclubs and restaurants have a dress code, which usually means no jeans,
T-shirts, sneakers or shorts.

Language
Spanish is the official langua, although; English is understood or spoken by most people in the tourism industry.

French, Italian, German are also spoken by tour guides and concierges. If you like, it never hurts to pick up a Spanish dictionary for a few key phrases. Just don't butcher the dialect so badly that you are saying something outrageous.

From the Airport
Use Transportes Aeropuerto, a special airport taxi service. Look for the signs as you exit - the staff is bilingual. The taxi fare to the downtown area is approximately US$25-30 for all of you, so you might try and get together with someone and split the fare. There is also a shuttle service with a return fare of approximately US$10.

Emergencies
 Cruz Roja tel 7/485-4100 or 485-4101; Emergency IMSS Hospital tel 7/486-3608 or 486-3620; tourist police tel 7/485-0490, or visit the 24hr emergency desk operated by the tourism office in the Centro Acapulco.

 
Helpful Phone Numbers in Acapulco
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Acapulco Airlines: Aerocaribe (tel 7/486-7645); Aeroméxico (tel 7/485-1600, at the airport tel 466-9296); American (airport tel 7/481-0161); Aviacsa (tel 7/481-3240); Continental (tel 7/466-9063 at the airport) Mexicana (tel 7/486-7585, at the airport tel 466-9138).

American Express: La Gran Plaza, at Costera 1628 between Parque Papagayo and Diana Glorieta (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-3pm; tel 7/469-1100). Will hold mail, but has awful exchange rates.

Acapulco Banks and Exchange: Banamex (exchange Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), on Costera has the best rates and hours. Nearby there's a casa de cambio, but rates are poor. If you miss the bank, it's far better to head to the hotel zone along Costera, where several places offer good rates for US and Canadian dollars and much worse ones for European currencies: try Money Express (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm), opposite the Fiesta Americana hotel.

Acapulco Buses: The first-class Estrella de Oro terminal at the corner of Cuauhtémoc and Wilfrido Masseiu (city buses marked "Cine Río" from opposite the zócalo) handles hourly buses to Mexico City (5hr) and three services daily to Lázaro Cárdenas (6hr). The much larger Central de Autobuses (aka Estrella Blanca; tel 7/469-2028; city buses marked "Ejido") handles the unified services of several companies; don't be surprised if you find yourself on a bus that doesn't match the company named on your ticket. The "Informes" booth in the middle of the line of ticket-sellers will point you in the right direction for your particular queue. Buses to Mexico City leave continually day and night in five classes: turistar plus and primera are the ones to go for, as the spacious seating and free drinks of the expensive executive-style buses fail to justify the extra expense. Second-class, avoiding the autopista, is very slow. You can also get to Chilpancingo and Taxco, while first- and second-class buses run to Zihuatanejo, half of them continuing on to Lázaro Cárdenas. Buses also leave hourly for Puerto Escondido until 6pm, after which there are three overnight services.

Acapulco Car Rental: A car is more of a liability than a help in Acapulco, though for heading along the coast or shooting up to Taxco it may be worthwhile. Try Alamo (tel 7/484-3305), Avis (tel 7/466-9190), Budget (tel 7/481-2433) or Hertz (tel 7/485-8947).

Consulates: Canada, Centro Commercial Marbella, Diana Glorieta (tel 7/484-1305); UK, Las Brisas Hotel (tel 7/484-6605); USA, next to the Hotel Continental Plaza , Diana Glorieta (tel 7/484-0300).

Flights: Frequent flights leave Acapulco for Mexico City and numerous other Mexican and US destinations. For up-to-date details, contact any travel agent (see below) or the airlines. To get to the airport you can take an expensive taxi or contact the Shuttle service (tel 7/462-1095). They'll pick you up at your hotel at a pre-arranged time and take you to the airport for US$7.50. Cheaper to take a town bus to Puerto Marquéz, then another from there to the airport.

Internet: Ikernet, upstairs at Carranza 14 (8.30am-midnight; US$2 per hr). There are a few internet facilities along the Costera but they charge astronomical prices.

Laundry: Automatica Azueta, Azueta 14, two blocks from the zócalo. (Mon-Sat 9am-7pm; four kilos for US$4).

Pharmacy: Plenty of 24hr places in the hotel zone along Costero; plus Botica de Acapulco, Carranza 3, just off the zócalo.

Phones: Long-distance and collect calls can be made from Caseta Alameda (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat & Sun 9am-2pm), on La Paz next to Café Los Amigos.

Acapulco Tourist Police: Officers will help with any tourist information you may require, as well as aid you in case of robbery. They only work in the tourist areas, and are most frequently seen helping children, seniors and visitors cross the busy Costera.

Post Office: On Costera, two blocks east of the zócalo (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm).

Travel agents: About the nearest to the zócalo is Las Hamacas (tel 7/482-0034), about 1km east. A number of other agents are interspersed between the hotels along Costera.

Business Hours: Banks: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some do business on Saturday and Sunday. Offices: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with two-hour break for lunch. Shops: Every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; those along the major tourist areas stay open till 10 p.m. and even later.

Visas or Tourists Cards: Citizens of the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and much of Western Europe do not need a visa to enter Mexico as tourists for less than 180 days. Most other Western Europeans can stay for 90 days. Non-US citizens travelling via the USA, however, may need a US visa. What every visitor does need is a valid passport and a tourist card. They are most easily issued by Mexican consulates, in person or by post. Every major US city and most border towns have a Mexican consulate.

Officially, most people need a passport to pick up their tourist card, but for US and Canadian citizens all that is required is proof of citizenship (an original birth certificate or notarized copy, for instance, or naturalization papers), along with some form of photo ID (such as a driver's license). US and Canadian citizens can even enter Mexico without a passport if they carry such documents plus their tourist card with them, but it's not advisable, since officials checking your ID may not be aware of this right.

Health: No shots or immunizations are required. Many of the hotels and restaurants have purified tap water, but it is best to drink bottled or seltzer water to be sure. Qualified doctors that speak English are available for most health emergencies. Visitors requiring the services of a doctor should contact the front desk of their hotel. Doctors are on call 24 hours a day. Many of the hotels have doctors on premise. Make sure to carry your health insurance card with you - if you have an emergency, you will need it.



 
 
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