Planning a Trip

The Federal District Department provides several information services for visitors. The Centro Integral de Atención al Turista (CIAT; tel. 888/401-3880 from the U.S., or toll-free inside Mexico 01-800/987-8224 or simply 078) offers information in English and Spanish, including maps, a wide selection of brochures, and access to information from the Mexico Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR) website. The office sits in Polanco at Av. President Masaryk 172 (tel. 55/3002-6300), at the corner of Hegel. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

SECTUR, Mexico's Secretary of Tourism, developed a website to address safety concerns about travel to this city and other areas in Mexico. The website www.sectur.gob.mx offers perhaps not-so-objective assessments of destinations, as well as travel safety tips and help with lodging reservations throughout Mexico.

There are branches of the Mexico City Tourist Office in the Zona Rosa at Paseo de la Reforma and Florencia (across from the Angel de la Independencia; tel. 55/5208-1030), at the TAPO bus terminal (tel. 55/5784-3077), and at the airport (tel. 55/5786-9002). They're generally open daily from 9am to 6pm. The Mexico City Secretary of Tourism also has a website, www.mexicocity.gob.mx, which includes details on things to do, special events, safety precautions, and tourist services.

The Mexico City Chamber of Commerce (tel. 55/5592-2665) maintains an information office with a very friendly, helpful staff that can sell you detailed maps of the city or country and answer questions. It's conveniently located at Reforma 42 -- look for the Cámara Nacional de Comercio de la Ciudad de México. It's open Monday through Thursday from 9am to 2pm and 3 to 6pm, Friday from 9am to 2pm and 3 to 5:30pm.

Day and night diversions are listed in the Spanish-language magazine Tiempo Libre, which is published each Thursday and is available at hotels and newsstands. It also has a website, www.tiempolibre.com.mx. Excellent English-language sources of visitor information are the Mexico File (www.mexicofile.com) and Solutions Abroad (www.solutionsabroad.com). Current event information and visitor tips are offered on the excellent site www.mexicocity.gob.mx.

Festival de México en el Centro Histórico -- In March of every year, a series of concerts, cultural events, art exhibits, and public performances takes place in -- and in honor of -- Mexico City's historic downtown district. For more information or a calendar of events, check the Festival de México website (www.festival.org.mx).

Free Sunday Concerts -- Every Sunday, concerts organized by Mexico City's Cultural Institute take place at the zócalo, generally around 6pm. They feature a changing array of traditional and classical Mexican talent -- and can draw crowds of 5,000 or more to the historic central plaza. For more information, and listings of upcoming events, visit the Mexico City website www.mexicocity.gob.mx. Listings also appear in Tiempo Libre magazine.