Planning Your Trip - 8 Steps

If you are travelling from the U.S. or Canada, you will need a passport to cross the Mexican border. New rules require passports for people flying, driving, or arriving by boat. All tourists travelling more than 25 miles into Mexico must also obtain a tourist visa (FMT) which is included in the price of your airfare. A blank form is usually provided during your flight here and is then stamped and approved once you land at a Mexican airport. If you don’t get one during your flight, you can get one at the airport when you land. You must then carry that tourist visa with you at all times, during your stay. They are generally issued for 30 days but you can specify a length of stay up to 180 days. It’s better to specify a longer period time than your actual trip to avoid the hassle of returning to the airport to ask for an extension and paying another fee. If you are staying longer than 180 days, you may need to apply for a student visa. They are generally valid for up to a year. You should consult with the nearest Mexican consulate well in advance of your trip if you need this kind of visa.

Travelers' checks are accepted by many business owners, and they are a safe way to carry cash, but it's also very easy to withdraw pesos from various ATM's throughout the city with your credit or debit card. The conversion to pesos is done automatically during the withdrawal process but you could get hit with transaction fees. You may want to call your bank to find out about those fees and possible ATM discounts at Mexican bank partners. Some of those partners include Bank of America and Santander Serfin and Citigroup and Banamex. Wells Fargo has a $5 international transaction fee which may be cheaper than some other banks. Capitol One does not charge a foreign transaction fee at all but depending on the account, it may charge a cash advance fee. HSBC and Scotia Bank operate in Mexico so you may avoid ATM fees altogether at those banks, if you are an account holder. Whichever bank you use, partnerships and fee schedules vary and can change at any time so you should check ahead of time for the latest fee schedules.

Please note: You should also inform your bank that you’ll be travelling outside the country to prevent unnecessary account holds, including those for both savings and credit cards. Plus, you should either set or reconfirm your "pin" because you’ll need them to use the ATM’s and banks are reluctant to email that information or give it to you over the phone if you are "not" calling from a phone in the U.S. and using a number they have for you on file.

The pace of life in Guanajuato is relaxed so you’ll do fine with comfortable, casual clothing. It can also get a little brisk at night, so no matter what time of the year, it’s advisable to bring a sweater or jacket. Guanajuato is also a walking city with cobblestone streets, so bring sturdy shoes that work well on uneven terrain. During the summer months of June through August, late afternoon showers and thunderstorms are typical, so bring an umbrella or other light rain protection gear. The only times of the year you need to worry about warmer, winter-like clothing is for the chilly months of December and January.

Guanajuato is a 25-minute drive from the León International Airport which is also known as Aeropuerto del Bajío or BJX. The easiest way to get here is to fly directly into this airport. Many U.S. and Mexican airlines offer flights from the United States to León but you can also fly into México City or Guadalajara and take a connecting flight or a bus. The bus from México City takes about 5 hours and 15 minutes to Guanajuato and from Guadalajara about 3 hours and 45 minutes. Homestay students staying with a family for two-weeks or longer, will be met at the bus station or the airport in Léon. As mentioned in the Facilities & Services section, we also offer one-way transportation to and from the airport for $50 U.S. dollars. You can also catch a cab from the airport for about $40 U.S. dollars or from the bus station in Guanajuato for about $6 U.S. dollars.

Please note: When you are at the airport, it is advisable to solicit a taxi from inside the airport at an official taxi service booth.

Upon your arrival at the airport in Léon, you will pass through Immigration and Customs. After you collect your baggage, proceed directly into the main terminal area. Someone from your host family will be waiting for you there, or just outside the doors to the main terminal. If you are arriving at Guanajuato's central bus station, you will need to retrieve your luggage, and then look for your family at the entrance to the main terminal area. In both cases, your family will be displaying a distinctive sheet of paper with your name clearly printed on the front.

If you don't see your family immediately, don't worry. We tell our host families to arrive early, but there is always the possibility of unforeseen problems or delays. Please be patient and wait for about 15 minutes. If your family still hasn’t arrived, use the contact information we sent you for your host family to call them. You must purchase a phone card to use a public phone, since they don’t accept cash. If your family does not answer, call the Instituto at one of our main business numbers: 473-732-8069 or 473-732-8017. As soon as we receive your call, we will arrange for someone to come pick you up. You should dial like this from the airport: 01-473-732-8069 or 01-473-732-8017; and like this from Guanajuato's bus station: 732-8069 or 732-8017.

Please note: For non-homestay students using the Instituto’s pick-up service, the procedure is the same except that you will be met by someone from the Instituto instead of a host family.

Guanajuato is more than six thousand feet above sea level. Most people require a day or two to adjust to this altitude. Just take it easy and don't drink too much alcohol for the first 2 or 3 days of your visit. As is the case everywhere in Mexico, you must exercise caution when drinking the water. Only drink bottled water and do not eat fruits or vegetables that haven't been purified unless you can peel off the skin. You can buy small bottles of disinfectant for food products at grocery stores. Virtually all public restaurants in Guanajuato serve food that has been safely disinfected along with purified water and ice. If you should become ill during your stay, the Instituto keeps a list of local doctors including those who are Spanish-speaking and bilingual. In the event of serious illness, there are emergency services in Guanajuato and first-class, modern hospital facilities in León.

If you're coming from the U.S. or Canada, the Guanajuato lifestyle will be different from what you're used to. Most businesses don't open until 10 a.m. and that includes many restaurants. Mexicans generally eat a hearty breakfast and their main meal of the day, the “comida”, is eaten between two and four o'clock in the afternoon. Many shops and businesses will close during this time. Restaurants, of course, remain open during “comida”, as do most banks. The city comes back to life around five or six o'clock, and businesses remain open until about nine in the evening. Once again, restaurants are an exception, staying open until eleven or twelve at night. Discotheques are open even later. In Mexico, the evening meal is a light supper and is generally eaten around 9 p.m. Homestay students will have their breakfast, “comida”, and supper prepared for them.

Your Host Family

After you have made yourself comfortable in your new home, your family will provide you with information on how to catch the Instituto's shuttle for the first day of class and with other local transportation options if you need them. When you arrive at the Instituto, we will have information for you in our orientation pamphlet about homestay do’s and don’ts.

Business Hours

Banks in Guanajuato are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week but ATM machines are accessible twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week and you will find many in the downtown part of the city. The post office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.

Internet

There are many internet cafes with high-speed internet access in Guanajuato. The average cost is 10 pesos per hour. There is also limited internet access during school hours, inside the school’s main office. Students usually hop on these computers during breaks, so they are often busy, but if you bring your own laptop, you may be able to tap into the school’s wireless network.

New students will receive an orientation sheet, a city map, and a class schedule. After the first class, during the break, you can pay the balance of your course costs. At any time during that day and any other day of your visit, we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.