Puebla in Mexico

Buy bottled water. No one in Puebla drinks the tap water. Do not eat raw veggies or fruit unless they can be peeled or they have been well washed.

If you have a backpack the locals can spot you as a tourist. If you carry a purse wear it around your neck and arm. Although, it is better not to carry one. Stay in populated areas. Being a tourist in Puebla during the day isnt bad because the city does attract many tourist but it would be best to try and blend in at night.

At night the nicer restaurants prefer their patrons to dress nicer than just wearing jeans.

Wearing shorts is another way locals can tell you are a tourist. Most people in México in general will not wear shorts.

If you are staying in a hotel and you want to take a taxi, someone working the front desk will most likely be able to call and arrange for a cab to pick you up, or you can hail one off the street, if you speak enough Spanish to be able to negogiate the price with the driver. In puebla there are a multitude of taxis but your best bet will be a radio taxi which are easily identified by there black and yellow color. The radio taxis are the best cabs in appearance and since they are registered they are also the safest.

Traveling to Puebla from Mexico City is fairly straightforward and can be best accomplished via bus. There are two major bus terminals with continual service to and from Puebla throughout the day and night: first is TAPO (occasionally known as Terminal Oriente) and the Benito Juarez International Airport. Taking an Estrella Roja bus from the airport costs about $170 pesos (~$17USD) for a one-way ticket or $320 pesos (~$32USD) for a roundtrip. A one-way ticket on ADO or Estrella Roja from the TAPO usually runs about $40 or $50 pesos (~$4 or $5 USD). Buses leave for Puebla approximately every half hour from both locations.

There are two bus terminals in Puebla: the Centro de Autobuses Puebla (CAPU), the main bus terminal, and Estrella Roja’s 4 Poniente bus terminal (only Estrella Roja buses go there). Both ADO and Estrella Roja run buses to the much larger CAPU. If you’ve never visited Puebla before, the CAPU is your safest bet to get you to your final destination; there are secure taxis and the CAPU is a major intersection of several public transportation bus lines (known as combis or camiones).

Traveling within Puebla can sometimes be stressful as the local public transportation system is entirely privatized, leading to hundreds of bus routes, none of which are mapped out. If you know where you are going, you can ask around as to which route will take your destination, but often transfers are necessary for long-distances, which can be confusing, especially if you are not familiar with the language. The general fare rate is $4pesos (~$0.40USD) for combis. (Safety note about buses: they are generally safe, but they tend to carry pickpockets, especially when crowded. Always have a hand over any bags/backpacks that you have.) The buses generally run from about 7am to 10pm.

Taxis are, naturally, more expensive, but in Puebla they are almost always safe. They tend to run between $40-$70pesos for a ride. Negotiating a fare before entering a taxi is normal as the taxis do not carry meters in Puebla. If the taxista does not offer you a fare that you like, you can always just wave them off and wait for the next taxi.