Mexico City is enormous but stitches together through walkable, distinct neighborhoods — colonial plazas, modernist boulevards, market stalls — each with its own rhythm.
A few things decide already knows about Mexico City before it even runs a live search - grounded background, not a substitute for the price checks a real itinerary still runs.
Getting around
The Metro is extremely cheap and extensive but very crowded at rush hour, with women-and-children-only carriages at the front of some trains; app-based rides (Uber, Didi) or official sitio taxi stands are the safer choice over hailing a cab directly off the street.
What things cost
A mid-range hotel runs roughly $60-90/night (up to ~$122 in high season); a mid-range dinner for two with drinks is closer to $25-40, while street tacos at $1-2 each are genuinely some of the best food in the city, not just a budget fallback.
Tourist-trap watch
Taxis flagged down directly on the street (rather than an app or an official sitio stand) have a real history of overcharging or worse; souvenir and craft stalls immediately at the Zócalo or Teotihuacán entrance are noticeably pricier than the same goods a few stalls further in.
Worth knowing
The Teotihuacán pyramids are about an hour outside the city — arriving early morning means both cooler temperatures for the climb and thinner crowds before tour buses arrive.
Practical
The city sits at roughly 2,240m (7,350ft) altitude; mild effects (fatigue, shortness of breath on stairs) are common for the first day or two even for otherwise fit travelers.
Dietary notes
Corn- and vegetable-based dishes are everywhere, so vegetarian eating isn't hard, but strict vegan travelers should ask specifically — lard (manteca) is a common traditional cooking fat even in dishes that otherwise look plant-based.
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