Mexico Vacations: Shopping in Mexico
If you are a bargain hunter and want to get the best deals not only on souvenirs but also real leather goods and silver, you should take a Mexican trip. Mexico is the ideal place for bargain hunters and the US dollar goes a long way in this country. You can find bargains not only in the outdoor markets, but also in the shopping centers.
Stay away from the resort shops. They tend to jack up the prices of the goods a lot more than those in the markets. Yes, they are convenient, but you can get the same thing in the marketplace for a lot less money. Take a look in the marketplace and do not be afraid to haggle over price. Although they often think that you have a lot more money than you do, they are glad to make a sale and often overprice items for what they consider "rich American tourists".
Most American tourists are anything but rich. We save our money all year for a vacation to a place like Mexico and want to get the most for our money. This should encompass shopping as well. Unless you have money to burn stay away from the resort shops and go straight to the market places where you can get the best values.
Whether you are looking for authentic carved Mexican folk art or leather goods or even jewelry, you can find it in the marketplaces. Remember to offer them less money than the item is marked so that you can get a better deal. This will not insult the vendor, in fact, they expect it.
You should make sure that anything that you purchase is legal to enter into the United States. You will be checked at the customs office and you do not want to have items confiscated. Some items that you cannot bring back to the United States include plants and certain foods. There is usually a rule about liquor as well. Get to know the customs as well as what you can bring into the country and what you can bring out.
Another thing you need to address before visiting Mexico is your passport. Is your passport up to date? If not, you better renew it so that you an get back into the United States. A United States passport is essential now to get back into the United States once you have been in any other country. This includes Mexico, Canada and any of the Caribbean islands.
Although you want to get some good deal when shopping in Mexico, make sure that you stick to the beaten path. Staying in the village during daylight is safe. Make sure that you bring along pesos as well as United States currency. Different vendors will prefer US dollars to pesos, so make sure that you have plenty of both. As always when you are visiting a place of which you are unfamiliar, keep your wits about you and keep your money in different places on your person. Do not keep it all in your purse or wallet.
You can get some good bargains when shopping in Mexico as long as you know where to go and how to barter.