Mexico City
WHY WE WENT
Dave had to go down for work and I was on maternity leave so I could either stay home with both kids in the middle of a Canadian February or we could all join him.
HOW LONG WE STAYED
February 1 - 10, 2019
WHO WENT
Dave, Ana, Owen (almost 4 years old) and Avery (4 months old)
WHERE WE WENT
Dave’s office was in Polanco so we knew we’d have a chance to see that area so we added a few days before and after his work week to venture out into other areas that interested us: Roma and Condesa.
How we did Mexico City
We feel bad. Before going to Mexico City we were scared (I was really scared that I almost didn’t go!). We knew that it’s a massive city and frankly, we had only heard the bad things.
Now, Mexico City ranks as one of our favourite cities and we consider it super kid-friendly. We can’t wait to go back!
Time change
There’s a one hour time change for us so we let it slide and kept the kids on their regular schedule. Since Avery was so close to sleeping through the night, we didn’t want to confuse her.
Transportation
There are no car seat laws in Mexico City and traffic moves so slow that we made the decision to take Ubers without them - Avery was always strapped to me in a carrier and Owen used a seatbelt and then Dave bear hugged him for the duration of the drive. So, other than a few Uber rides, we walked everywhere.
One thing we noticed was what a great biking city it was. We didn’t get to take advantage of it but there were bike and scooter rentals available everywhere.
Accommodations
Dave’s work set us up at the Hyatt Regency in Polanco which was wonderful. We had great views of the city and their VIP lounge was incredible. The thing we’ve come to realize is, we don’t want to share a room with the kids. We don’t at home. The four of us in a room was tight so once Avery went to bed at 7pm, that was it for us. No TV and no flushing the toilet (WHY are they so loud in hotels??).
When we were on our own in Roma and Condesa, we stayed in AirBnBs and what a win. In both places, we rented small apartments that are certified kid-friendly on AirBnB and both times we were thrilled. In Roma, we even had a rooftop patio that allowed us to enjoy the great weather during afternoon naps and in the evenings. Here and here.
Our Days
Basically, we ate, walked, played, slept and repeated. There are so many museums in Mexico City but we mainly enjoyed the outdoors for fear that Owen might break something we could never afford. This could be considered a drawback to travelling with kids but we don’t mind it, we’re seeing the world differently and find it really unique.
We found amazing restaurants in our walks and some really great parks with incredible playgrounds. Mexico City was so much cleaner than we expected, the weather was perfect for long walks and there were snack stands at frequent corners. Owen loved the popcorn!
cautions
As much as we felt safe, there were a few things that made us realize we weren’t in Toronto anymore:
Our favourite park had a security guard
Getting into a bank is like going through airport security
We were told to take Ubers instead of Taxi because your phone could be tracked through your account