A Guide to Travel Insurance for Mexico

Imagine white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, dense jungles full of vibrant wildlife, sprawling canyons, otherworldly terrain, and delicious Mexican cuisine. That’s just a glimpse into the beauty Mexico has to offer. This country is a popular vacation spot for many reasons.

 

Once you decide to travel to Mexico and book your flight and accommodations, choosing a travel insurance Mexico plan is the natural next step in your international trip planning. You can enhance your Mexico travel plans by choosing the best international travel insurance to fit your unique needs in case your trip doesn’t quite go as planned. 

A comprehensive travel insurance plan like Atlas Journey® could cover your prepaid trip costs if you had to cancel due to a covered reason, as well as provide coverage for travel mishaps and some emergency medical expenses.

Or you can consider travel health insurance for Mexico designed for U.S. citizens and other international travelers, like Atlas Travel® medical insurance.

Jump ahead to…

• Get educated on health and safety in Mexico
• Follow our 10 tips for safety
• Know how Mexico’s healthcare system works
• Get travel insurance for Mexico
• Get travel medical insurance for Mexico

 

Is Mexico Safe to Travel?

Many travelers have heightened awareness of risk during international travel, so it’s easy to wonder, “Is Mexico safe to travel to?” Risk within Mexico varies greatly depending on your travel destination.

The tourism industry in major cities and resort areas is typically well-regulated, so these are typically safer areas to visit in the country. The U.S. Department of State has assigned each state in Mexico with a travel advisory, so it’s best to view the advisory for your specific destination for details regarding health and safety. See tips for safe travel in Mexico below.

Here are four of the safest places to visit in Mexico:

• Merida – This is largely known as one of the safest cities in Mexico. It has the lowest homicide rate and the third lowest violent crime rate in the country. Tourists can check out the Catedral de Mérida, the Mayan World Museum of Merida, and the Plaza Grande.
  
  
• San Miguel de Allende – This is a very popular place with many historical sites to visit and great restaurants. Over 8,000 expats from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. also live here.
  
  
• Huatulco – This is a beautiful family-friendly beach town in Oaxaca. You will be able to hear some indigenous languages being spoken here, so it’s a great choice for those looking for a more culturally authentic experience. See 25 bucket list items to check off during your Huatulco trip.
  
  
• Puerto Vallarta – This area is known for its nightlife, beaches, and marine life. A family-friendly place, the crime rates are low with the exception of petty theft.

Still wondering “Is Mexico safe for tourists?” Pay attention to international travel tips and safety advice from the U.S. Department of State and other sources. Check out our tips for traveling abroad for the first time to help you navigate international travel. Also see our safety tips below.

 

Mexico Safety Tips

Here’s how to travel Mexico safely:

• Research the areas you want to visit. When considering Mexico safety, have a list of the places you want to visit and create a plan on what days you will visit them. You want to visit when it’s daylight and there are people around.
  
  Check out the U.S. Department of State Mexico Travel Advisory page to know which states to avoid. The Department of State has had Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas on their Do Not Travel To list since October 5, 2022.
  
  
• Keep extra copies of your travel documents. It’s easy to lose or misplace travel documents when traveling. Make sure you have copies to prove your identity.
  
  
• Watch your food consumption. When visiting foreign countries, your stomach may not agree with everything. Be careful of what you eat and drink.
  
  
• Save your emergency numbers. Your emergency numbers should be always with you. In the event something happens and you are unable to communicate, this list can help someone reach your family. The phone number to report emergencies in Mexico is 911.
  
  
• Don’t get into any unknown vehicles. If you’re using a rideshare, make sure you verify the name of your driver, the car license plate, and who they are picking up before stepping into a vehicle. Also, always use registered taxis when traveling in Mexico. Make sure the driver turns the meter on as soon as you get in and ask how long it will take to get to your destination. Compare that against your own map.
  
  
• Leave your valuables at home. If you can leave the valuables at home, do it. Carrying around such items could make you a target for theft.
  
  
• Watch the ATMs you use. One of the biggest scams in Mexico is someone coming up and asking a question while an individual is using a card reader. Avoid using ATMs as much as possible.
  
  
• Reside in resorts with good reputations. Resort areas of Mexico tend to be the safest places to be. Ensure your resort’s reputation is legitimate prior to your visit. Read reviews and ask for recommendations from family or friends.
  
  
• Carry cash (but not too much). Try and pay for everything in cash if you can. Only use your credit card at reputable places to avoid fraud.
  
  
• Keep your hotel and travel details private. When you’re out and about, don’t share the details of your hotel or your travel dates with strangers, especially when traveling from the U.S. to Mexico.

 

 

 

Should I Get Travel Insurance for Mexico?

You never know when a trip will go south. A canceled flight, lost luggage, or medical emergency could all disrupt your trip.

If these scenarios have crossed your mind, then you’re probably wondering, “Should I get travel insurance for Mexico?” and “What kind of travel insurance do I need?” The decision to purchase travel insurance is your own, but keep in mind that the U.S. Department of State urges all travelers to Mexico to ensure they have medical coverage overseas and to consider supplemental insurance that provides coverage for medical evacuation. (Note that our Atlas Journey travel insurance plans and our Atlas Travel medical insurance plan include coverage for necessary emergency medical evacuations.)

Imagine your flight, cruise, or train ride is delayed or canceled. Then consider the hotel and all the other prepaid expenses associated with the trip that you will miss out on because of your delay or cancellation. If you have trip cancellation insurance, you could recoup these prepaid, nonrefundable losses.

Now imagine you get a little too excited during one of your resort activities and end up in the hospital with some not-so-exciting bills. The best travel insurance Mexico plans will provide coverage for these unexpected medical expenses too.

WorldTrips offers two types of travel insurance international plans for visiting Mexico: Atlas Journey trip cancellation insurance and Atlas Travel medical insurance. Whether you opt for a trip cancellation plan or a travel health insurance international plan is dependent on the type of coverage you want.

Travel medical insurance plans tend to have a lower cost since they do not include trip cancellation coverage, whereas trip cancellation plans offer more comprehensive coverage with both trip cancellation coverage and emergency medical expense coverage.

We’ll cover each of these travel insurance types below!

 

Travel Insurance to Mexico

Now that you understand how crucial it is to have travel insurance for Mexico, it’s time to consider what the best travel insurance for Mexico policy would look like for you and what benefits you should consider. Our Atlas Journey trip cancellation insurance plans offer comprehensive coverage in three different levels: Atlas Journey Premier, Atlas Journey Preferred, and Atlas Journey Economy.

First, benefits. What kind of benefits would be valuable for those traveling to Mexico?

Trip cancellation is the primary benefit for this type of travel insurance plan. What does that mean? With a Trip Cancellation benefit, you could be covered for up to 100% of your prepaid and nonrefundable trip costs if you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason.

Make sure you review your plan’s covered reasons for canceling a trip because they can vary by company and even by plan. A few of the covered reasons for canceling a trip with an Atlas Journey plan include:

• You or a family member get sick before your trip and have to cancel (as certified by a physician)
• Strike causing a stop in services for your common carrier (for at least 12 consecutive hours)
• Weather delays of over 12 hours
• Death of a family member
• Attending the childbirth of a family member

Be sure to note situations where you would not be covered as well. Check out “8 Times Trip Cancellation Insurance Might Not Cover You.

 

There are many more covered reasons for canceling a trip, but you can also upgrade your plan to include Trip Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, which would allow you full freedom to cancel your trip and get reimbursed for 50% or 75% (whichever you select upon purchase) of your prepaid trip costs. You can get a free quote for Atlas Journey and make sure to select the Trip Cancellation for Any Reason benefit upgrade to see your total cost.

As the U.S. Department of State recommends, a Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains benefit is crucial for a trip to Mexico in case you need to be transported somewhere else to receive life or limb-saving care. You’ll also want to make sure your plan has an Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expense benefit to cover unexpected medical costs.

What else? Trip cancellation plans like Atlas Journey also include some travel-related benefits like:

• Baggage Damage or Loss
• Baggage Delay
• Travel Delay
• Missed Connection
• Change Fee Cancellation
• Loyalty/Frequent Flyer Miles

 

GET A FREE QUOTE FOR ATLAS JOURNEY

Travel Medical Insurance for Mexico

The other option travelers have is to purchase travel medical insurance for travel to Mexico like our Atlas Travel plan. Travel medical insurance is typically less expensive than trip cancellation insurance because it primarily focuses on providing coverage for emergency medical expenses and does not include trip cancellation coverage. Medical travel insurance plans also typically provider more coverage for medical expenses than a traditional trip cancellation plan.

Our Atlas Travel medical insurance plan allows for flexibility in your deductible and overall maximum. For example, all travelers can choose a deductible from $0 to $5,000, and most travelers (those under age 65) can select from $50,000 to $2,000,000 for their overall plan maximum.

When it comes to health insurance for travel to Mexico, you’ll likely want to have coverage for the following:

• Hospital room and board
• Local ambulance
• Intensive care unit
• Outpatient physical therapy
• Emergency dental
• Emergency eye exam
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Accidental death and dismemberment

 

The best medical travel insurance for Mexico will cover a range of medical emergencies. In addition to medical coverage, a plan like Atlas Travel could also cover some travel-related mishaps by including political evacuation coverage, terrorism coverage, trip interruption coverage, lost checked luggage coverage, lost or stolen passport/travel visa coverage, and more.

When seeking travel medical insurance for Mexico, ensure your plan offers travel assistance services as well. See the travel assistance services included with Atlas Travel.