Today, we are traveling from Mexico City (CDMX) to Phoenix, AZ to visit family in the United States. After spending 28 days in Mexico City, I have mixed feelings about leaving. Here are some pros and cons of Mexico City that explain why I have mixed feelings.
Pros of Mexico City
- Warm weather: Having been in Quito for the past eight months, it felt so good to feel warmer weather – weather above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius). I really love warm summer weather, and being able to wear short-sleeve shirts and shorts every day felt great. It also wasn’t hot or humid, so it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just lovely summer weather.
- Food: We ate a lot of tacos. Lots and lots of tacos. We don’t have many options to eat tacos in Quito, which is unfortunate since we love tacos. When we first moved to Quito in 2023, we used to eat at Tacos del Gordo on Wednesdays, as they gave discounts on 15 taco platters. But after we moved to a different neighborhood, we didn’t eat at Tacos del Gordo much because of travel time and because they don’t open until 12:30pm (we eat lunch early). So yes, we definitely enjoyed filling up on tacos in Mexico City (and also Chili’s because we love Chili’s, and there are none in Ecuador). (Read about our favorite restaurants in Roma Norte here.)
- Airbnb: Although we had a rough start to our Airbnb experience in Mexico City, the Airbnb host was super accommodating to our concerns. After switching our room on the second day, I thoroughly enjoyed our Airbnb. It was so lovely having a modern place, a nice balcony, and a lovely view. We always kept the sliding door open the entire day, and it was so relaxing to work with the light breeze – something hard to do in Quito because of the cooler weather.
- Starbucks: There are no Starbucks in Ecuador, but there are Starbucks on every corner (sometimes even across the street from each other!) in CDMX. We got our fill of Starbucks, although I didn’t realize at first that you had to sign up for the Mexican Starbucks Rewards – the U.S. version doesn’t work in Mexico.
Cons of Mexico City
- Dry weather: As mentioned above, I loved the warm – not hot! – summer weather. But due to Mexico City’s elevation, it is very dry. Extremely dry perhaps. Plus, with the smog, my nose had a terrible time. Sleeping was especially hard as I would have to wake up to just blow my nose as I couldn’t breathe sometimes.
- Prices: Sorry, we are spoiled now living in Ecuador. Mexico City is expensive by Ecuadorian standards. Although not as expensive as the United States, Roma Norte and Polanco are some of Mexico City’s most expensive neighborhoods – and the ones we enjoyed the most!
- Dust and smog: I mentioned this above, but it is really dusty in Mexico City. Working outside meant getting a layer of dust on the keyboard after a few hours. This didn’t help with allergies, and as clean freaks, it also reduced our enjoyment of being outdoors.
- Time Zone: Although this isn’t the fault of Mexico City, I didn’t like that it was only one hour ahead of U.S. Pacific time. Ecuador is 2-3 hours ahead, and I much prefer that. Since I work on Pacific time, I appreciate having the mornings wide open without the stress of work. I also like eating lunch before starting work. In Mexico City, this was hard to do.
- Subway/Metro: For the second straight year, the subway stations in Roma Norte do not work correctly. The first year we came – 2023 – Line 1 was under maintenance, so we had to detour when going to and from the airport. This year, the stations themselves weren’t even functioning. Thus, we had to take the RDP bus bridge between our station (Insurgentes) and Tacubaya in order to get onto the subway. Maybe the third year will be the charm? Otherwise, we love taking the Mexico City metro and it is only five pesos (around 30 U.S. cents) per ride.
Yet, I am looking forward to the next time we travel to Mexico City. Our plan right now is to come back each year, probably for one month at a time. That is enough time to soak up the city but it allows us not to get bored. Having said that, we would like to come back during a different season. The past two times we came to Mexico City, it was springtime – March and May. We’d probably like to try the Fall to see if it is better allergy-wise.
AICM: Mexico City’s Airport
There are plenty of opinions on AICM, Mexico City’s main international airport. They tend to center around its cramped and congested condition. I will say it is definitely not one of my favorite airports in the world. It feels more like an office building with airplanes than a 21st-century international airport, or at least Terminal 1 does. Terminal 2 may be better, but every time we have flown out of CDMX, it has always been through Terminal 1 (American Airlines).
Since it was a Saturday afternoon, Terminal 1 was pretty quiet, unlike last time. We flew through security, and the terminal itself was somewhat empty. For travelers with Mexican residency, remember to get your passport stamped at the desk right after you get through security. Last year, it was easy to spot the desk, but this year, we had to hunt for it due to the construction. As of April 2024, the immigration desk is near gate 29 and the Duty Free store.
Mexico City Priority Pass Lounges
There are several lounges in Terminal 1 that accept Priority Pass, however none of them are that great. They are all sort of small, dark, and cramped. The one we went to today – Grand Lounge Elite – was very quiet because it is off the beaten path. It is near gate (puerta) 19, but it is not the Lufthansa lounge that most people go to. Instead, you walk past the Lufthansa lounge, make a right turn and keep walking. You think you are going nowhere, but suddenly, there is wood paneling and the lounge appears.
I appreciated this lounge has skylights, so unlike the other lounges, you get some natural light. The downside is that there are no windows or views otherwise. They serve small snacks and food, and you can ask the bartender for non-alcoholic drinks, but nothing special. We ended up eating lunch at Carl’s Jr near gate 20 for an actual meal. On the other hand, the chairs were comfortable, and the Internet worked well inside the lounge. But note that there is a three-hour limit for using the lounge.
This was very interesting to read, and very detailed with a lot of information. The dry weather would wreak havoc on my allergies, and it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. Interesting, Ecuador is so inexpensive in all-around costs.