This post is also available in: Spanish

Here in the Mexico City (D.F) airport after meetings with major advertising agencies, the tourism board and the major traditional newspapers for D.F., I’m reviewing the lessons from the trip.

This being my third trip on behalf of the company, I came armed with some key time-saving knowledge (not yet an expert). Mexico City can be intimidating as it is massive, spread out, has challenging traffic and, while safe, does require a certain level of caution, just like most cities.

Here are just a few tips for those of you planning a trip.

1. Get a map for an overall view for trip planning.  Here is a printable map with the zones. Also you can visit the Mexico Tourism board for additional information.
2. Choose which airport to fly into.  While the main Mexico City (MEX) airport is the most common, for business the Toluca airport (TOL) is a great alternative.  From San Francisco/Oakland  there are cheap and direct flights to TOL through Volaris, which I highly recommend, and they will bring you by bus to the Santa Fe district, which is where many businesses have offices.
3. Choose your hotels based on where your meetings are.  I usually choose the Novotel or Holiday Inn Express in Santa Fe and then save some money by staying in Colonia Roma at the basic but clean Hotel Milan when I have meetings in the City Center.  You can then spend the money you save for dinner at the Casa Lamm.
4. Transportation: Taxis are plentiful and a great way to go for all but the adventurous and those with time on their hands.  However,  it is possible that the drivers will not know the place you want to go, so the more information you have the better (cross streets, etc.).  For the safety conscious, you can call and have one within a couple of minutes.  The company Taxi Radio Mex can be reached at 55 840 571.  However, if you doubt the amount they say they will charge, you can ask them to turn on the taximeter, which will usually end up a bit cheaper.
5. Communication: If you want to avoid ridiculous roaming charges, you can stop by any TelCel or Movistar cell phone location and pick up a prepaid phone with minutes, which for $30 can give you a local phone number.
6. Food & Drink: It is plentiful and excellent, so it comes down to where you are and how much you want to spend.  A good beer and tacos from the street stands are a favorite in the downtown areas, while in Santa Fe you are probably going to a restaurant that will be not too far from U.S. prices.

For your first trip, take it easy so that you can get acquainted with the city and actually make it to meetings on time.  Another great tip is to end your trip with a journey to the coast to take in some of the wonderful beaches and food.