• Alamo T. (55) 1101 1100/01 800 849 8001
• Avis T. (55) 5588 8888/01 800 288 8888
• Budget T. (55) 5488 8580/01 800 700 1700
• Hertz T. (55) 5207 1322/01 800 709 5000
• National T. (55) 5786 9026/01 800 716 6625
• Thrifty T. (55) 5207 2833/01 800 021 2277

Banks and money exchange houses (casas de cambio) can change your foreign bills to pesos and generally operate between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. ATM machines in Mexico belong to the Cirrus and Plus interbank networks, so travelers can access their own accounts; withdrawals are made in Mexican pesos. For added security, try to make withdrawals during the daytime whenever possible and preferably from machines located inside supermarkets, malls or department stores. It’s best to cash travelers checks at banks, as restaurants and retail stores usually offer a lower exchange rate. Coins come in the following denominations: 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavos; 1, 2, 5, and 10 pesos. Banknotes come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 pesos. Major credit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express, are accepted at most establishments.

Don’t carry a lot of money with you or wear anything too flashy; leave valuables in your hotel room’s or front desk’s safe deposit box. Only withdraw money from ATMs during the day and preferably from machines located inside shopping centers or supermarkets. Avoid having to flag a taxi on the street, particularly at night; assaults in taxis are common. Use a sitio (radio cab) instead. Restaurants and hotels will gladly call one for you.