TRAVEL INFORMATION
VISAS
Depending on your nationality you may require a visa to travel to Mexico. The National Immigration Institute (INM) provides further information on this. Although the link is only available in Spanish, it features an infographic that provides a list of countries that you may be able to identify if you speak English. In here you can find a travel guide for foreigners who don't need a visa (it's in Spanish only) Please check with your national embassy to double check for visa requirements and exemptions for travelling to Mexico.
The guidance we can provide is limited so we suggest you contact your embassy for more information.
Invitation letters (Important)
If your embassy asks you to provide an invitation letter to approve your visa, please contact us as soon as possible.
Please make sure to copy all of your co-authors in the email, and to clearly provide us the following information:
Your full name as it appears in your passport.
Your co-authors full names (if it applies).
The title of the work you are presenting at NIME.
Merchandise that you can enter Mexico
In here you can find a guide from the Foreign Affairs Office with information on what you can bring to Mexico without paying taxes.
NAVIGATING MEXICO CITY
Below you will find useful information to navigate the city in an easier and safer way.
Venues
Most of the activities will take place at the Biblioteca Vasconcelos’ Auditorium, located in Eje 1 Nte. S/N, Buenavista, Cuauhtémoc.
The installations and secondary activities will happen at the Centro de Cultura Digital (CCD), located in Av. Paseo de la Reforma S/N, Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo.
Airport transportation
FROM/TO THE AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL BENITO JUÁREZ CIUDAD:
The airport is about a 30 minute drive from downtown. The easiest and fastest way is by UBER. Airport taxis are also available, however, they might be more expensive.
Public transportation to and from the airport is possible. Take into consideration that this method is the slowest and busiest one. To move from the airport in public transport you must take a route called Metrobus Línea 4 (Line 4). We highly recommend you to review in advance where your accommodation will be located and if it’s possible to get there via public transport, so you can locate if bus transfers are necessary.
Local transportation
The best way to move around the city is by “Metrobus”, a public transport method identified by red buses. Moving from one venue to the other by Metrobus is approximately a 30 minute ride. We recommend you to consider 15 extra minutes, in case of any delays. You can download the Metrobus map here.
From Vasconcelos to CCD:
Metrobus LINE 1, Buenavista to Reforma, then transfer to
Metrobus LINE 7, from Reforma to Chapultepec.
From CCD:
Metrobus LINE 7, from Chapultepec to Reforma then transfer to
Metrobus LINE 1, from Reforma to Buenavista
Public bicycles are also available for rent on a week, day, or ride basis. You can review the terms, conditions and fees here. There is a confined bike line all the way from Biblioteca Vasconcelos to the CCD.
Subway (called Metro in Spanish) is another option, however, we do not recommend taking it in rush hours since it may be overcrowded and slower. You can download the Metro map here.
Accommodation
There are several available hotels close to Biblioteca Vasconcelos. We have negotiated a preferential rate with the following hotels (reach out to us for accessing the code):
MX Fórum Buenavista (2 minutes walk)
Hotel Lepanto (9 minutes walk)
The Hotel Fiesta Inn (2 minutes walk) is another accommodation option that we recommend. We’re currently negotiating with them the possibility of a preferential rate. We’ll provide more information as soon as possible.
If you are interested in a more touristic area, we recommend you to look for a hotel near the corner of Avenida Insurgentes and Avenida Reforma Avenue (it’s a 20 minute walk to the venue).
Another accommodation option is to book for a hotel or Airbnb in the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods, those are the most touristic and friendly areas for international visitors having nice parks, restaurants and busy nightlife. Take into consideration these areas are highly gentrified, therefore are more expensive. From there it’s a 20 minute ride in Metrobus to the venue.
Food
You can find a food court next to Biblioteca Vasconcelos. Additionally, you will find the Santa María La Ribera neighborhood at 10 minute walk from the venue, where you can find a diversity of restaurants and bars. Here are some recommendations.
What to do in Mexico City?
Mexico City offers you an extense variety of cultural and touristic activities, like museums, archeological areas and traditional neighborhoods you can visit while in town. Here are a few resources with some of the most attractive things to look at in the city:
Top attractions in Mexico City (by TripAdvisor)
Best things to do in Mexico City (by TimeOut)
Note about security
Mexico city is the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the world. It has, as any big city, different situations and dynamics occur depending on the area. The venues and all the touristic areas such as downtown, Coyoacán, Condesa, Chapultepec, Roma, Reforma, San Rafael and Santa María la Ribera are very safe. Going to the outer side of the city late at night is not recommended. If you have any concerns or questions about a specific area let us know and we can help you.