All Roads Lead to Mexico City

In Mexico, all roads lead to — and from — Mexico City. This sprawling megalopolis of some 20 million souls is Mexico's principal cultural and transportation hub and a virtual microcosm of the entire country. In my opinion, you haven't really been to Mexico until you've experienced "La Capital." It may not be as easy to navigate as Moose Jaw, but pack a little patience along with your comfortable walking shoes and you should do just fine.

Fortunately, Mexico City is one of the most convenient gateways to "the real Mexico" for Canadian travelers who want to see more than the resort areas. Air Canada offers nonstop flights to Mexico City from Toronto and Vancouver, with connections from other urban centres. Several other airlines including Continental and U.S. Airways have regular service to Mexico City via the U.S.

Once in Mexico City, you can fly or take a comfortable, state-of-the-art bus (some now even have Wi-Fi) to just about anywhere in the country. Mexico City has a large modern airport and four well-organized intercity bus stations serving the cardinal points of the compass: Terminal Oriente (East), Terminal Poniente (West), Terminal Norte (North), and Terminal Sur (South).

It is wise to purchase bus tickets and reserve seats at least one day in advance. This can be done either at the terminals themselves or through travel agents in Mexico City. You might also be able to book online, but this option isn't always reliable. Two bus companies that I've been very satisfied with over the years are ETN and Primera Plus.

Here is a slideshow of some of Mexico City's most best known landmarks. Move the cursor over the screen to view captions. Click on an individual image to see a larger version and for information on ordering prints or downloading.


Mexico City Landmarks - Images by John Mitchell

Read some of my suggestions on how best to get around Mexico City.