The People's Guide to Mexico

by Carl Franz, Lorena Havens, Steve Rogers (Editor)

Now in its updated 13th edition, The People's Guide to Mexico still offers the ideal combination of basic travel information, entertaining stories, and friendly guidance about everything from driving in Mexico City to hanging a hammock to bartering at the local mercado.

Features
- Advice on planning your trip, where to go, and how to get around once you're there
- Practical tips to help you stay healthy and safe, deal with red tape, change money, send email, letters and packages, use the telephone, do laundry, order food, speak like a local, and more
- Well-informed insight into Mexican culture, and hints for enjoying traditional fiestas and celebrations
- The most complete information available on Mexican Internet resources, book and map reviews, and other info sources for travelers

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Guidebook

624 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1972

Reviews

[Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful.

[Jessaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The was really a fun read, a book I can't put down, and one who tells it like it is.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read! My roomate and I were musing over the possibility of travelling through Mexico for the winter. It may have been nothing more than a day dream if this book hadn't landed in our hands. This ecclectic compilation of travel stories inspired us to take our life in our own hands and venture south of the border. Once we shared plans with our family and friends we were soon bombarded with precautions - everyone seemed to think that Mexico was a land of lawlessness and terror. This book served as a reminder that people are good and that there's plenty to be seen on the lesser travelled roads. In addition to its charming tales, this book offers valuable advice to the novice traveller. A delightful, laugh-out-loud read, I recommend it to all.

[Derek]

I found this at a used book shop in SF. Some good general travel advice here, however I read the first edition, originally published in 1971, so a lot of the material here is probably no longer relevant, especially that pertaining to Mexican culture and norms. The book mostly serves as a great artifact of the American counter culture movement of the sixties and seventies. Written by hippies for hippies, there’s lots of advice in here not typically seen in the average travel book (i.e. how to bribe a border patrol officer, how to dress “straight”, encouragements to use spare pages of the book to roll joints, etc.). On top of all that, there’s lots of funny stories from the authors (who knows if they’re true) and my edition is decorated with silly illustrations. Not sure how much more relevant the later editions are, but worth checking out even if only for the whimsy.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some funny anecdotes, but there is quite a bit of content that is either too general or too outdated to be useful. It is interesting as a window into what it was like to travel through Mexico back in... the 90s? the 70s? I'm not exactly sure what decade(s) his experiences are from. And it is also interesting in a sort of anthropological sense, being a window into Mexican society (and the travel habits of a particular group of Americans) of a particular era. But a lot of the content is less in the category of "useful and practical information for travelling" and more in the category of "tales from a half-crazed uncle." There are some aspects that I imagine would be useful for someone who has never travelled before, but if a reader lacks on-the-ground experience it would probably be challenging to separate the useful content from the random content.

[Dennis N · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a newly retired person, I want to spend more time in Mexico, but like most people, was unsure of how to do it well. This book has been enjoyable to read so far. I'm halfway through. It is full of interesting information and a pleasure to read, a few pages a day. I am feeling more confident about traveling in Mexico.

[Roberto Chavez · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view of nontraditional travel in Mexico. You will end up thinking "Should I go? I should go"

[Tim Mathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun read - I wish there were more travel guides like this. It really gives you a sense of the place.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of great tips from living in Mexico to shopping and eating.

[Ed Terrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best read before, during or after any trip!

[Ipso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can be a very nervous traveler. This book is not a travel guide for Mexico in the usual sense - it doesn't describe destinations or list hotels and restaurants. It gives practical advice on how to deal with crossing the border - what documents you'll need, etc. and how to get along while in Mexico. As I drive to (and within) Mexico, I'm always worried about border crossings, military checkpoints, car accidents, or encounters with the policia or federales. This book ALWAYS puts my mind at ease and makes me feel confident about handling myself in any situation. If you're at all unsure of yourself traveling to Mexico, I highly recommend this book. Mexico is a really beautiful, fun country to visit!

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part "Steal This Book", part Lonely Planet guidebook, "The People's Guide to Mexico" is a gas. Notwithstanding the 2006 edition date, the book reads like it's straight out of 1974. Frommer's or Fodor's it's not. But it ain't supposed to be. It is a great look at everyday Mexican culture and custom, covering everything from "la mordida" to renting a burned-out shack on the beach. The authors' anecdotes, wild travel tales, illustrations, and no-BS advice and commentary are right on.

[Jennifer Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly excellent book. It's written by folks who have been traveling in Mexico for over 40 years. It is unlike any other guidebook that I have seen -- more detail about how to explore this country (and what you need to know along the way) and very, very few hotel recommendations. It is a potent combination that puts this book head and shoulders above the competition. In fact, this book sets the bar so high that it should probably be in a class by itself.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sort for how-to guide for US hippies taking road trips into Mexico, full of the author's anecdotes. Not a replacement to Lonely Planet / Let's Go / Rough Guide type books which list specific places, but an essential supplement. As entertaining as it is useful, read it even if you're not planning a trip and curious what it might be like to be a foreigner wandering around Mexico.

[Tara B · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, he totally over-romanticizes Mexico and Mexicans, reducing them to quaint little brown people frolicking about an enchanted land of wonder. . . . White privilege aside though, there really is some great advice and funny stuff in here. It's a travel book that you can read like a series of magazine features.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best travel book I have ever read. Truly delightful. It is about travel philosophy, and really has little to say about the traditional travel-book staples like sights to see or restaurants to visit.

I like to think of the authors as my imaginary hippy grandparents who returned from their long rambling Mexican travels to teach me on how to live life well.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still the best travel guide ever written for those who want to see the real Mexico. You won't find any five-star Mayan Riviera hotel recommendations in here, but lots of practical, wise, essential advice and survival skills for traveling in this enchanting and mysterious country. Written by some old hippies who know whereof they speak.

[Christy Hall-scheufele · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have used both his Mexico books as a reference for our trips to Mexico. The first trip was in 1988/1989 to Los cabos in Baja. We used the recipes, the side trips and his knowledge of the culture and the people. Second trip a couple of years ago we went to central Mexico and saw places the tourists don't see. A must read before your trip.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This old hippy guide book to Mexico is still well worth reading even if the hippies concerned are well and truly old now and the 60s are long gone. Now in its 14th edition, this guide covers social and cultural topics seldom dealt with in other books. Personal anecdotes are the best part. Worth reading.

[Kellee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carl Franz obviously knows Mexico. His experience was very different than mine seeing as I live in the city. I did find many parts of this book helpful, informative, and entertaining. If you plan on doing any rural traveling through Mexico this is your book. If you are visiting cities or big tourist sites you might do better with a regular guidebook.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for anyone who is going to Mexico and wants to get off the beaten path and out of the tourist traps of places like Cancun. They cover every question you could come up with, from their own experience.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We got this book in advance of a recent trip to Mexico and not only was it helpful, but it was very enjoyable to read! I would recommend it to anyone who even wants to learn more about Mexican culture or daily life. It's a guide book that's worth owning many years after the trip!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels slightly out of date, but it's still invaluable. Most importantly, it's actually fun to read, so you absorb information painlessly. And it actually prepares you for the experience of being in the country, unlike normal "go here, do that" guidebooks. Marvelous.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on Mexico-not just a guide, but includes personal stories and friendly advice as well. I have the 1988(!) edition and noticed the 13th edition was published in 2006--not sure if that is the most current version.

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno no puede sino envidiar la vida de esta familia. Formato mixto que dificulta una lectura lineal. Por desgracia el Internet lo está haciendo obsoleto. Sin embargo los consejos son acertados y las historias para llorar de la risa.

[Astrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely the best travel guide I've ever come across. Going to Mexico? You must read this book!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a must read if you are going to Mexico, and would be fun just to read to learn about Mexico

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am learning spanish now in hopes to take a trip to Mexico. I hope I can use the information in this book before it expires.

[Bunnydozer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was awesome... I read it before my trip and it was great. It doesn't have the normal go here - do this of travel books, instead it's a description of life and travel in Mexico.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about practical tips to help you learn about Mexico and cut through the red tape in the Mexican bureacracy and culture. I highly recommend if going to Mexico.