Why I’m writing this checklist
Hi! I have a lot of friends and family who want to visit me here in Playa del Carmen. Whether it’s friends or relatives, one of the questions I always get is: “What do I need to bring? What do I need to sort out before I come?”
Instead of answering the same thing over and over, I’ve gathered everything here in one honest checklist. Use it like a recipe—skip what doesn’t apply to you.
Who is this guide for?
| You are… | The most important thing to remember |
|---|---|
| 🎒 First-time traveler | Visa, insurance, airport transfer, eSIM |
| 💻 Digital nomad | Internet solution, long-term insurance, banking |
| 👨👩👧 Family with kids | Sunscreen, mosquitoes, food safety, extra insurance |
| 🤿 Adventurer (diver/cenote fan) | Water shoes, snorkel, dry bag, extra insurance |
| 🧓 Retiree on a long vacation | Prescription meds, insurance with high age coverage |
Quick checklist (skim this first)
3–4 weeks before departure
- Check that your passport is valid 6+ months after your return date
- Book flights (ideally direct to Cancún; if not, check the layover time)
- Book travel insurance that covers Mexico
- Book temporary accommodation for the first nights
- Notify your bank that you’re traveling to Mexico
1 week before departure
- Order an eSIM or prepaid international data
- Book airport transfer from Cancún to Playa del Carmen, or check the ADO bus route
- Download apps (see list below)
- Download offline maps in Google Maps
- Check the forecast for sargassum and storms
- Download offline Spanish in Google Translate
The day before
- Pack smart (see packing list)
- Exchange 100–200 USD before you fly (you can pay in US dollars almost everywhere in Playa del Carmen)
- Back up your passport, insurance and booking confirmations to the cloud
- Print one paper copy of your passport and insurance
Step 1: Passport, visa and entry
Passport
Make sure your passport is valid at least 6 months after your planned return. If you’re renewing, allow 2–6 weeks of processing time.
FMM / entry record (2026)
In 2026 most of this is digital. You no longer fill out a paper card on the plane. Instead:
- You get a digital entry stamp with a QR code in your passport on arrival
- The border officer asks how long you’ll stay—answer realistically (180 days if you have a flexible return ticket)
- Take a photo of the stamp right away! If you lose it, leaving gets tedious (you may have to pay a fine)
Vaccines
None are mandatory. It’s sensible to be up to date on standard vaccines. For long stays (3+ months), many doctors mention hepatitis A and typhoid, but they’re optional. Check with your doctor before departure.
International Driving Permit?
You don’t need it as a regular tourist. Your home driver’s license works to rent a car or scooter. If you plan a long stay, consider getting an International Driving Permit from your national auto association before departure—it’s cheap and can save you trouble.
Step 2: Travel insurance (read this carefully!)
This is the most important advice in the whole post: your home health coverage almost certainly does not apply in Mexico. You must have private travel insurance, and it should cover:
- ✅ Emergency medical care and hospital treatment
- ✅ Medical evacuation (can cost tens of thousands without coverage)
- ✅ Baggage and valuables
- ✅ Cancellation and interruption cover
- ✅ Adventure activities (snorkeling, diving, ATV) if you’ll do them
What I recommend
| You are… | Recommended insurance |
|---|---|
| Regular tourist (under 4 weeks) | Standard travel insurance from your usual insurer |
| Digital nomad (1–12 months) | SafetyWing or World Nomads |
| Retiree on a long stay | Cigna International or GeoBlue |
| Family | Annual travel insurance + additional cover for kids |
👉 SafetyWing — what I used the first months
⚠️ Extra important: Check that your insurance includes medical evacuation. If you get seriously ill in Playa del Carmen, you’re often transported to Cancún, Mexico City or even Miami. It costs a fortune without coverage.
Step 3: Money and cards
What I recommend you carry
- ✅ Your home bank card (Visa/Mastercard) - backup
- ✅ Revolut card - best for everyday use and exchange
- ✅ Wise card - best for large transfers or if you stay a while
- ✅ 100–200 USD in cash - emergencies only. Euros work too.
Before you travel
- Notify your bank that you’re traveling to Mexico. Many banks otherwise block the card on the first unfamiliar transaction. You can usually do it in the app.
- Set up Revolut and Wise and load a little into them before departure.
- Don’t exchange everything at home. The rate is poor, and Playa del Carmen is safe enough to withdraw pesos locally soon after arrival.
When you arrive
- Don’t exchange at Cancún airport - the worst rate in all of Mexico
- Use ATMs from real banks (BBVA, Santander, Banorte, Scotiabank), not Euronet (yellow machines = very expensive)
- Always say “without conversion” when the ATM asks about DCC
👉 How I use Revolut to get pesos 👉 How I use Wise for larger transfers
Step 4: Internet (eSIM or local SIM?)
You’ll want data from the moment you land.
If you’re here for 1–14 days: eSIM
| Service | Price | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | ~$15 USD | 5 GB for 30 days |
| Holafly | ~$30 USD | Unlimited for 15 days |
| Saily | ~$15–20 USD | 5 GB for 30 days |
Activate the eSIM at your home airport, and it works the moment you land in Cancún.
👉 Airalo - what I recommend for short trips
If you’re here for 2+ weeks: local Telcel SIM
Go into any OXXO (24/7 store) and ask for a Telcel SIM. It costs around 150 MXN, and you top up data for 200–300 MXN/month.
My tip: Buy an eSIM for the first 2–3 days, and switch to a local Telcel SIM once you’ve found an OXXO.
Step 5: Airport transfer from Cancún
Cancún airport is 45–60 minutes from Playa del Carmen. You have four options:
| Type | Price | Time | My recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer (pre-booked) | ~$50–80 USD | 45 min | ⭐ First time/family |
| Shared shuttle | ~$25–40 USD | 60–75 min | ⭐ Budget-conscious |
| ADO bus | ~$20–25 USD | 70–90 min | ⭐ Backpackers |
| Colectivo | ~$10–15 USD | 90+ min | Tough with luggage |
⚠️ Never take an unmarked taxi from Cancún airport! The drivers are often aggressive and the prices inflated. Always pre-book.
What I do myself
- Arriving alone: the ADO bus (go straight from the airport to the ADO counter)
- Arriving with family or lots of luggage: a private transfer
- Arriving late at night: always a private transfer (safer)
👉 Discover Cars / private transfers
Step 6: Apps to download before departure
Don’t do what I did the first time—standing at the airport trying to download WhatsApp on a slow connection. Do it at home.
Absolutely essential
- 📱 WhatsApp - EVERYONE in Mexico uses this. It’s how you book a tour, talk to a landlord, and contact a taxi.
- 🗺️ Google Maps - remember to download the offline map for Quintana Roo
- 🚕 Uber - works in Cancún, not in Playa del Carmen
- 🚕 InDrive - works in Cancún and Playa del Carmen - the Mexican Uber
- 💱 XE Currency - quick rate check
- 🌐 Google Translate - download Spanish offline
- 🏨 Booking.com / Airbnb - for new bookings along the way
- 🚌 ADO - bus to Tulum, Mérida, Cancún
Nice to have
- 🌊 Windy - weather and sargassum reports
- 🏊 Sargassum Monitoring - Facebook group Red Sargazo
- 🛡️ Insurance app - keep your own in your pocket
Step 7: Packing list by activity
Instead of one long generic list, I’ve split it by what you’ll actually do.
Clothing (base for everyone)
- 5–7 light T-shirts / tops
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 1 pair of long pants (for ruins, evenings and the plane)
- 1 long-sleeve shirt (mosquitoes, AC in restaurants)
- 1 light sweater or cardigan (buses have strong AC)
- 1 swimsuit / trunks / bikini (ideally two)
- Underwear and socks
- 1 decent outfit for a nicer dinner
Shoes
- ✅ Comfortable sandals (Birkenstock / sport sandals)
- ✅ Hiking or running shoes (for ruins like Cobá, Tulum)
- ✅ Flip-flops for the beach
- ✅ Water shoes - crucial for cenotes and the sargassum beach in summer
Beach and water
- Quick-dry microfiber towel
- Snorkel mask (you save 300–500 MXN per rental)
- Waterproof pouch for your phone (Sea to Summit or similar)
- Sun hat or cap
- Polarized UV sunglasses
- Biodegradable sunscreen - REQUIRED at most cenotes
Health and safety
- Mosquito spray with DEET 25–50%
- After-bite cream
- Anti-diarrhea medicine (Imodium)
- Electrolyte powder (Dioralyte/Pedialyte)
- Prescription meds in original packaging
- A small first-aid kit
- Antibacterial hand gel
Electronics
- Phone + charger
- Power adapter for US-style plugs (Mexico uses US plugs!)
- Power bank (10,000 mAh+)
- Headlamp (for cenote visits and night beaches)
- Waterproof phone case
- Headphones
Documents (paper + digital)
- Passport + 2 photocopies
- Insurance confirmation + insurer’s phone number
- Hotel/Airbnb booking confirmation
- Return ticket (printed)
- List of prescription medications
What you DON’T need to pack
- ❌ Lots of sunscreen (you get it in Mexico, but bring a starter bottle)
- ❌ Lots of shampoo/soap (buy locally)
- ❌ Iron-only clothes (nobody uses one)
- ❌ A thick sweater
- ❌ Rain gear unless you travel June–October
Health and safety in Mexico
Drinking water
Don’t drink tap water. Use:
- Bottled water (sold everywhere for 15–25 MXN/liter); the best-known brands are Bonafont and E-pura
- A filter bottle (LARQ, GRAYL, LifeStraw)
- A big water jug (“garrafón”) for long-term rentals—around 35 MXN for 20 liters
Food
Eat at local stands—the taquerías are safe as long as the place looks clean and the food is made hot. Be more careful with:
- Salads and fruit cut earlier in the day
- Ice cream from unknown sources
- Raw oysters and ceviche from sketchy places
Sun and heat
The UV index in Playa del Carmen is often 11+ at midday. You burn in 15 minutes without protection. Wear a hat or cap, apply sunscreen frequently (ideally reef-safe, or rinse before swimming in a cenote), stay in the shade between 11am–3pm, and drink LOTS of water.
Mosquitoes
Density fluctuates. Use spray in the morning and evening. Dengue occurs in the region—not common among tourists, but it’s one of the reasons I pack mosquito spray.
Sargassum and hurricane warnings
- Sargassum season: Worst May–October
- Hurricane season: June–November (rarely a direct hit on Playa, but preparations can affect your trip)
👉 Sargassum season in Playa del Carmen
On arrival at Cancún airport (step by step)
- Off the plane - head toward Immigración (immigration)
- Queue at entry - have your passport and return ticket ready
- Get stamped - photograph the stamp right away
- Collect your luggage - baggage claim
- Customs - if you’re lucky you walk straight out. Unlucky and your bag gets searched (totally normal, no reason to worry)
- Walk straight through the arrivals hall - don’t stop for anyone asking “taxi?” or “information?”
- Meet your pre-booked transfer or the ADO counter - don’t go with people offering alternative transport
- Done—you’re on your way to Playa!
⚠️ Watch out for timeshare pitches! People in white shirts at the airport may offer “free transport” or “welcome packages.” They want 90 minutes of your time for a timeshare presentation. Just smile and move on.
The biggest mistakes I see travelers make
- Not pre-booking airport transfer. Ends up paying 3x the price.
- Forgetting to notify the bank. The card gets blocked on the first ATM withdrawal.
- Not packing a power adapter. Mexico uses US plugs.
- Not choosing reef-safe sunscreen. Can’t swim in cenotes.
- Booking a fancy hotel on Fifth Avenue. Then getting woken by nightclubs until 4am.
- Packing too much luggage. You walk a lot here—less is more.
- Relying on home health coverage. It doesn’t apply in Mexico.
- Exchanging all the money at home or at the airport. Poor rate both places.
- Saying yes to DCC at the ATM. You lose 5–10% on the rate.
- Not downloading WhatsApp before departure. Half of Mexico communicates via WhatsApp.
Services I use and recommend
To make planning easier, here’s what I actually use:
- 🛡️ Travel and health insurance: SafetyWing for digital nomads, regular travel insurance for shorter trips
- 📱 eSIM before departure: Airalo
- 💳 Banking/exchange: Wise for large transfers, Revolut for daily use
- 🏨 Hotel for the first nights: Booking.com
- 🚐 Airport transfer: Discover Cars
- 🤿 Activities and tours: GetYourGuide
The links above are affiliate links. When you click and book, I get a small commission—at no extra cost to you. It’s what lets me keep the blog free and honest. Thank you!
Conclusion: What I’d sort out first
If you have 1 hour to plan tonight, do these five things first:
- Check your passport - more than 6 months left?
- Book travel insurance - check for medical evacuation
- Book airport transfer - don’t wait until you land
- Download WhatsApp, Google Maps offline, Uber, Didi
- Set up Revolut or Wise before you travel
The rest you can do at your own pace over the next few days. Playa del Carmen isn’t a dangerous or complicated destination, but the small preparations make all the difference to the experience.
What’s next?
- 👉 Cancún airport to Playa del Carmen: all options
- 👉 The best cenotes near Playa del Carmen
- 👉 Where to stay as a first-time visitor
- 👉 Scams to avoid in Playa del Carmen
- 👉 Is Playa del Carmen safe?
📩 Want the whole checklist as a PDF? Get it free by email — with all the links, a ready-to-print packing list, and pocket-sized Spanish emergency phrases.
