reddy2go2

Thanks to the many great trip reports on this forum, I am inspired to travel to Mexico. I am à woman in my 60s and plan to travel solo this April. I want to visit Mexico City (one week), Puebla (2 days) and Oaxaca (one week), and will travel by local buses between these cities. I know a bit of Spanish, and will attend a school in Oaxaca for two hours a day to learn more.

i would love your advice on whether it is safe to travel to Mexico as a solo woman. I am interested in museums, and will also take local tours to see some of the natural sites close to Oaxaca. I would also like to sample local restaurants and markets.

I have traveled extensively across Europe, but always with someone else. I am excited to try my hand at traveling alone, but at the same time, want to feel comfortable when traveling/eating alone when in Mexico. Would you recommend going?

Appreciate your thoughts in advance!

suze

I have traveled to Mexico solo/female many times (30+ trips). But I have not been to any of the places you are planning to comment on those. So while I highly can recommend my own experiences (mostly Puerto Vallarta, also Cabo San Lucas and La Paz) I don't feel like they would necessarily apply to the trip you are planning.

buena suerte! suze

kja

I think your choice is one that must be very personal, based on your assessment of the risks and benefits. I'm a woman who has traveled rather extensively by myself, and I love doing so, but there are risks in parts of Mexico that only you can weigh. I'd encourage you to give thought to the travel advisories on the US Department of State
https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...es/Mexico.html

Best wishes with your decision and your future travels!

reddy2go2

Thanks for the feedback. @suze, it is good to know that other parts of Mexico felt safe to you. I hope others on the forum who have visited the places I mention provide some thoughts on their experiences.

kja — great idea to review travel advisories.


If I do go, I will post a trip report!

suze

There are active "Destination Forums" for all those places over on Trip Advisor. You will find more information there than you'll get here on Fodor's from only a few people who post on this branch. Check it out!

Eating alone in Mexico is no different than eating alone anywhere else (lol) just a matter of your comfort level, and perhaps some "practice" traveling solo

As far as travel advisories you need to read them with a map in hand. For example the state of Jalisco has some iffy parts near it's borders, yet that is the same state that Puerto Vallarta is in which is considered safe by most.

MmePerdu

I’ve spent solo time (in my 70s) in Oaxaca on 2 month-long trips & love it there, have never felt unsafe & hope to go back for longer stays. I especially like having the resource of the English library, https://www.oaxlibrary.org/ . Maybe a look at my trip reports will be useful:

https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/por...my-of-a-trip-1

https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/back-to-oaxaca

suze

Do you speak Spanish? If not, I think doing some classes to get the basics down might be very helpful. Especially if you want to get off the main tourist trail. I am not fluent by any means but have studied for years and can at least say friendly greetings (it is important to 'buenas dias' and 'hola' often) count numbers, tell time, read basic signage, ask simple directions, etc.

bald0ne

While my wife & I have been to Oaxaca more than a dozen times, we know plenty of women that travel there sola from Guanajuato state. Plus many other destinations throughout Mexico. Now, I'm not trying to be pedantic, but rather just clarifying a little bit. Sometimes when people think of 'local' buses between cities, they may be thinking of 2nd class buses. 2nd class buses are very comfortable, but usually no bathroom. Plus they may make lots of stops along the route picking up passengers as they go. Which some might consider risky, since they'd not be screened at a bus station like 1st class passengers are. But the itinerary you're describing is a popular one and quite safe. The bus line from Puebla to Oaxaca ADO, try to reserve a seat on the right side of the bus as it's quite a scenic drive. Or from Oaxaca to Puebla, on the driver's side. In cdmx, the Roma/Condesa area is popular and considered safe. But you'll also want to visit Centro, it's fascinating. If you can afford it, I'd suggest considering private Spanish lessons. Group lessons are a good way to meet other travelers, but not ideal for learning the language. 2 hours/day is probably about right; much more than that offers diminishing returns.
Suze, it's actually 'buenos dias', as 'dia' is masculine. Yes, now I'm being pedantic, lol 😝😜😂

mlgb

I did these exact same places (Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca) by myself just before the world shut down. You can review my trip report(s) here on Fodors.

Baldone and crellston gave me good leads on places to stay. Number 1 tip for Mexico City, use Uber (although walking is also fine). Number 2 tip, try to see a performance at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Number 3 tip read some more trip reports here on Fodors, there actually ARE plenty of them for these three very popular cities.

Having a little bit of Spanish is nice, but a lot of Mexicans speak or at least understand English. I highly encourage you to go!! I felt completely safe the entire time but then I do not "stand out" e.g. I'm not a tall blonde. When I travel alone I always ask at reception about the "witching" hour when it becomes safer to call an Uber vs walking. Fortunately in Mexico that is fairly late. The Stanza in Roma worked out fine for me, location was perfect and I learned how to use the buses with a bus stop right at Pushkin Plaza.
Oh yes, do you know that May is the traditional month for strikes in Oaxaca? I think bald0ne can fill you in. If need be, just spend more time in Puebla and Mexico City!

Checking in from Puebla
Checking in from Oaxaxa
Loving Mexico City

ekscrunchy

I would not hesitate in the least! I've traveled very widely throughout much of Mexico and among my more recent trips was an itinerary the same as you contemplate, by first class bus between Df and Puebla and from Puebla to Oaxaca city.

NO PROBLEM.

I was struck by the kindness of just about everyone I met on the buses, and on the streets. As a solo woman (as I am) I think you will be looked after in a way that might not happen in the US.

If you do not already speak some Spanish, if you can learn a few words it will enhance your visit in many ways, particularly as an introduction to a conversation--sorry I am not explaining this better.
If you cannot learn any Spanish, do not fear, Mexicans (to me) are among the kindest and most helpful and optimistic people I've yet to meet--big generalization but to me its true and has been for many visits through many decades. Good opening topics of conversation include food, family and music.

But beyond that, I would not fear and do not think that you should, either.

I absolutely adore Mexico, I guess that shows by my comments.

mlgb

The OP says in her first post that "I know a bit of Spanish, and will attend a school in Oaxaca for two hours a day to learn more."

Some of the more recent trip reports covering these cities include the ones by maitaitom, progol, Michael, EYWandBTV, laurieann, and KWP. No real need to go to TripAdvisor IMO.

reddy2go2

Thank you everyone for your resounding affirmations of solo travels in Mexico.

suze and bald0ne — I do speak a bit of Spanish (thanks to Duolingo &#128522 and plan to learn more in Oaxaca. I will be taking private lessons at a school called Spanish Magic. They also offer a free hour of conversation with other students so I hope to meet other travelers that way.

bald0ne — thank you for clarifying the buses to take. I should have mentioned that I will take buses like ADO — and now I know what side to sit!

MmePerdu and mlgb — I will read your trip reports for sure.

ekscrunchy — your love of Mexico is infectious and just the prod I needed.

Thanks, everyone!

MmePerdu

Another way to meet people while working on your Spanish, the Oaxaca Lending Library (link above in my post) hosts get togethers every week, I believe, for language exchange, both English & Spanish-speakers wanting to improve their conversational skills, attended by locals, expats & visitors. It’s a very welcoming environment for that & other resources like hikes, talks, playing bridge & of course books. Check out the website & you might like to sign up for their newsletter in advance of your visit to see what’s on offer during your visit. This month’s arrived today & I see you’re traveling next month so if you’d like, message me with your email address & I can forward it to you.

mlgb

There are also a variety of market and eating tours, if that is your fancy. I got a free escorted tour of the big Abasto market in Oaxaca from the receptionist at my hotel. His grandmother used to run a stall there, and it was fun seeing all of his cousins greet him. We then walked his daughter and niece back from the market to town. There are several more popular with the tourists, the La Cosecha Organic one is nice and I liked that neighborhood. Maybe your school will include a market trip but if not I am sure there are commercial tours and cooking classes.

reddy2go2

mlgb — thanks for the info on the markets. I will definitely want to visit a few. And I did read many of the trip reports on this forum, which is what inspired me to plan this trip. However, I had wanted to get some feedback on traveling solo in Mexico, which I now have.

MmePerdu — the library sounds like a great resource. I will message you for the newsletter.

Thanks again!

suze

I think it's wonderful to take 2 hours of classes for 1 week during the trip but that isn't going to get you to any level of fluency in such a short time. I think using Duolingo (or even better taking classes at home before the trip) would be very helpful. Even in the "heavily touristy" area I travel within Puerto Vallarta there are plenty of locals who do not speak English. Just a few words and phrases can go a long way in making you feel more comfortable. At least to understand when someone asks "what's your name?" or "where are you from?" like that.

mlgb

Having actually traveled independently to those three places, I don't believe "fluency" is necessary, furthermore the OP is not going off the beaten path. In her original post, she says she already knows some Spanish. No one needs to conjugate tenses to get around.

Having a translation app or old school phrasebook can be a comfort if one is nervous about being unable to communicate. BUT I've never found that its necessary that everyone speaks English when traveling overseas.

Spanish For Dummies is a good one. My friend who taught Spanish for 40 years bought me that before my first trip to Peru.

bald0ne

I didn't see anywhere where the OP said she expected to be fluent in a week. But private lessons even for that short period of time are very helpful, even if one can learn simple things like the difference between por y para. Or when to use the correct indefinite or definite article to match the gender of the noun that follows. Likewise with adjectives and how to differentiate between bueno o buena. The advantage of private lessons over group, is that the fluency level of other students can vary and thus drag down the rest of the class.

reddy2go2

bald0ne — you are right, I do have some proficiency. I have done Spanish on Duolingo for over 3 years but want to practice speaking the language with a live person while exploring a new country. Private lessons should be informative and fun. I don’t think there was any expectation of getting to be fluent in a week 😀

mlgb

I rate myself as "intermediate" and not fluent. Usually not a problem for me to say something that the other person understands, but It takes a few days of listening for my "Spanish brain" to kick in so that I can understand the replies. Even when (if) I know the words written down, I don't always pick them all up in conversation (or the accent and local idioms are new). And then there are those darn verb conjugations.

I still have managed to travel independently in most of the Spanish-speaking countries is South America, except for Paraguay and Venezuela, and a few in Central America, plus Mexico. Luckily I learned mostly from a Cuban-born native speaker and most countries do speak more slowly (we can leave Chile off of that list, LOL).
You will be fine!