5 Essential Apps for Traveling in Mexico

Traveling to Mexico can be a bit overwhelming if you aren’t prepared. Transportation, a different currency and a foreign language are just a few of the things that could potentially leave you feeling lost. The good news is: phone apps can help with all of those things.

There are five apps for traveling in Mexico that I always depend on. Why only five? Because it keeps apps to a minimum and lessens the chances for phone problems. No one wants to have connectivity issues when they’re traveling in another country. Of course, you can always add more apps but these are my top recommendations.

Rome 2 Rio App

When I travel to Mexico, I usually stay a few weeks and visit multiple states and cities. Since I might be road tripping or traveling by plane, bus and even boats, a transportation app that shows me all the options available for getting from one place to another is particularly helpful.

Rome2Rio checks all the boxes. It’s become one of my most useful apps for traveling in Mexico. Or anywhere in the world really. Their tag line is “discover how to get anywhere by plane, train, bus, ferry and automobile” and that’s exactly what it does. Unfortunately, I haven’t needed the ferry info. Yet.

This useful app provides essential details about every mode of transportation. Just enter your starting point and destination, hit search and voila, you instantly have the results and price estimates. For example here’s the options for Guadalajara, Mexico to nearby Tequila.

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After choosing the type of transportation, select that option and the app provides more info. For public transportation there’s schedules, departure times plus, bus and train station locations. The results also include frequency, duration, telephone numbers and company websites.

In my opInion, Rome 2 Rio is the best transportation app for traveling in Mexico since it provides all the ways to travel between cities. If you’re looking for buses schedules only then the Busbud app might be more helpful.

Uber App

Even though there are plenty of other ride-share apps out there now, Uber is still one of the bests apps for traveling in Mexico. Why? Mainly because Uber can generally be found everywhere and in my experience, it’s more affordable than taxis. Who doesn’t want that? I mean, that’s a few more tacos.

The Uber app is also so easy to use. You know exactly who’s coming to pick you, where they are and what they are driving. Speaking of which, Uber has cars requirements in Mexico just like cars in United States. In most cases, the vehicles are much better than their taxi counterparts.

Using Uber in Mexico

While Uber operates in most larger Mexican cities, it’s still not available everywhere. Where it does exist, you’ll notice a couple of differences. Since Mexico relies heavily on taxis, when Uber showed up, taxi drivers were a bit upset about the competition. This caused a lot of issues in some cities. Especially around Cancun.

To mitigate a potentially volatile situation, the government created some special regulations for Uber drivers. One of the biggest difference is the lack of signage on the vehicles. I know this might be a little off-putting but keep in mind the app tells you the color, make and model of the car AND the license plate number.

Uber highly encourages you to double-check the license plate details. Any doubt or discrepancy – don’t get in the vehicle. In all my years using Uber, I’ve only had this happen once. I just declined the ride and ordered another one.

For added safety, Uber also has a pin verification system. The app generates a unique pin when you request a ride and that pin should match up with the driver. Once he or she arrives, verify the pin and proceed with the ride.

Can Uber Pick Me Up Anywhere in Mexico?

Another Uber difference in some cities – like Cancun for example – is Uber isn’t allowed on federal property. That means they aren’t allowed at any airport, bus station or property owned by the government. In classic Mexico style, here’s where it gets a little tricky.

Uber is allowed to drop you off at the airport. Again, this is not the rule in every city. I’ve been able to get rides at the Guadalajara, Mexico City, La Paz and Tijuana airports. And this could change. Jalisco, where Puerto Vallarta is located, recently negotiated to allow Ubers to operate from the Puerto Vallarta airport (PVR).

The rule of thumb is, if in doubt, just ask. Uber is very popular and someone will know the rules. Or just add your trip and when connected with a driver and give him, or her, a call.

Southerner Says: DiDi, and InDrive have also become pretty popular rideshare platforms in the last few years but I personally have not used them yet.

More Uber Tips

For the best Uber experience: keep your Uber app up to date and have a clear, current photo on your profile. In Mexico, I did find that at times it was necessary to refresh the app to keep track of the driver’s vehicle.

One more suggestion for maximizing your experience and maintaining a good Uber rating is to be as close as you can to the pick up spot. Not being there is what gets you a bad rating. This means being conscious of one way streets – common in Mexico – and traffic flow.

At times, you might need to move to a better location for a more efficient pickup. Do this before you request a ride. If you end up moving, refresh the app to show the current location and contact your driver. Which by the way, I found, most speak some English. So, no worries there.

A Currency Converting App

An app to convert dollars to pesos and vice versa comes in handy when you don’t want the whole world to know that after six days in Mexico you still don’t have a handle on the currency thing. So I didn’t have to do the math in my head I researched currency apps.

I chose Adiante Ventures US Dollar to Mexican Peso app because of its good reviews and simple design. However, it seems they have pulled their Mexican Peso app from the Play Store (I’m and Android user). It’s still available in the Apple App Store but the reviews aren’t what they once were.

To replace that app, I switched to using Galileo Data Systems Mexican Peso/U.S. Dollar app. It’s another simple, easy to use and free converting app with really good reviews. Time will tell how annoying the ads are but so far so good.

Google Maps

Can Google Maps can be used in Mexico? Absolutely. Google Maps uses satellites so it works virtually everywhere. I use Google Maps almost daily at home, so it’s a kind of a no-brainer that it’s of my five essential apps for traveling in Mexico.

Besides maps, savable lists and GPS, Google Maps has other useful features. Did you know that you can use it for public transportation schedules? This is really comes in handy in large cities Mexican cities like Mexico City or Guadalajara.

To access routes and schedules, simply tap the icon in the upper right hand corner (the one that looks like squares and a plus sign) and add public transit filter. Any available services – like bus and train options – will show up on the map.

Click the corresponding icons (it might appear as a small bus or train and sometimes a logo) for the current schedule and details about when the next one available will be passing. You’ll be able to see delays and even photos of what the bus stop or train station looks like.

More Google Map Features

Another useful feature of Google Maps is downloadable offline maps. This is particularly helpful when traveling somewhere without cellular service or Wi-Fi. I downloaded a bunch of maps before I visited Cuba and is was so nice to have access to.

Southerner Says: Even without service, with satellites, you’ll always be able to see your location on your map. What’s not available is step by step guidance.

To download a map on your device: open Google Maps and navigate to the map you want to download. Click your profile photo on the upper right side. This opens your account and shows all available actions. Select Offline Maps to open the next screen.

Another tip: Some offline maps expire after a specified amount of time. So it’s better to wait as close as you can to your departure date to download maps. If a map expires, Google says they will update automatically when there’s Wi-Fi available.

WhatsApp for Staying in Touch in Mexico

A billion people can’t be wrong, right? According to sources, that’s how many people use WhatsApp. In fact, WhatsApp is the most used app in Mexico. If you aren’t using yet, you might want to start – even when you’re in your home country.

WhatsApp is a freeware and cross-platform messaging and voice using your internet service when it can. This app allows the sending of text messages and voice calls, as well as video calls, images and other media.

I was able to communicate even when standard text messaging wasn’t available. That alone makes it an invaluable app for traveling in Mexico.

One other feature that makes WhatsApp especially convenient on the road is how easy it is to connect with new contacts. Unlike most messaging platforms, WhatsApp lets you instantly share your contact information with a QR code – no typing phone numbers required.

Just tap the three dots in the upper right corner, select Settings, and you’ll see a QR code next to your profile photo that others can scan to add you in seconds.

Best Apps For Mexico Travel

So there you have it – my five best apps for traveling in Mexico. Even though this article is about Mexico, any of these apps would be useful in other countries as well.

One more thing – you may have noticed that I didn’t mention a Spanish translation app. That’s because I haven’t really found one I like yet. Most people rely on Google Translate but I’ve found it lacking. If you have a favorite, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

See you on the road!