Traveling to Mexico for Treatment

Travel & Safety

What You Need to Know About Cancer Treatment in Mexico

Traveling to our treatment centers in Cancun and Playas de Tijuana for your healing journey each comes with unique preparations. Whichever destination you’re headed to, we want you to know that we’re here to help you prepare for the smoothest journey possible. From arrival logistics to safety tips, we’ve compiled the following information to help ease the process as you consider travel arrangements.
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Safety

Safety is always an inherent concern when it comes to traveling. We’re proud to let you know that neither of our treatment centers in Mexico has experienced any safety incident since opening our doors in 2000. Rated a top destination for medical tourism by industry research publication Patients Beyond Borders, Mexico sees more than 1 million travelers per year specifically for medical care. It is, in most areas, just as safe as the United States.

Still, the safety and well-being of our community are always our number one priority. Even before you reach our doors, we take extra care to ensure you are as safe and comfortable as possible through the entire healing journey. For example, our private transportation team is some of the first faces you’ll greet upon your arrival in Mexico as you are escorted from the airport to our treatment centers. For outpatients and companions staying off the Hope4Cancer premises, we also work closely with our partner 4- and 5-star hotels to ensure you receive our standard of top-quality service even outside our treatment centers.

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Travel Logistics

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time flier, a few proactive steps can make your journey as smooth and efficient as possible. We encourage all travelers to consider the following actions as they prepare for upcoming travel.

Collect and Copy Travel Documents
All travelers arriving in Mexico via air are required to have a valid passport. (U.S. citizens may use enhanced IDs when crossing the Tijuana border via land, though passports are still preferred.) Ensure passports are valid for the duration of your stay and packed in an accessible place. Though the Mexican government only requires your passport to be valid for the duration of your trip, it is a helpful travel practice to give yourself some wiggle room and ensure your documents are valid for at least 30 days after your trip is projected to end. You should also check that your passport has at least two blank pages.

Travel Tip: Keep a copy of your important documents (i.e., passports, personal identification, flight itinerary, etc.) with someone you can contact in the event of loss/theft. While these events are uncommon for our patients to experience, preventative measures are important for any international traveler.

If you are traveling from a country outside of the United States, please check with the Embassy or Consulate of Mexico in your country to ensure that you have all necessary travel documents.
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Connect with Your Patient Counselor to Finalize Transportation & Accommodations

Exact transportation logistics will vary depending on which of our locations you’re heading to and whether you decide to travel via land or air. For example, Cancun patients are responsible for booking air travel to Cancun International Airport (CUN), where one of our drivers will greet and escort you to your outpatient accommodations.

On the other hand, Playas de Tijuana patients can book air travel to Tijuana Airport (TIJ) or San Diego International Airport (SAN) and cross the border via land in the care of our transportation team. All air travel is the patient’s responsibility — be sure to finalize arrival plans directly with your Patient Counselor so our transportation team can meet you on time and make your journey as smooth as possible!

Travel Tip: Once you’ve arrived at your destination, local transportation is also available via bus and taxi, should you wish to venture out. When traveling by taxi, always ask for the price of the journey before entering the vehicle. Also, note that tips are not customary for taxi drivers in Mexico.
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Consider Your Money Management Plan

The official currency of Mexico is the Mexican Peso. You can exchange cash at the airport, currency exchange booths, ATMs, or Mexican banks — however, most patients find it easiest to plan a budget ahead of time and bring all allocated cash for the trip on arrival. (Note that if you plan to carry more than $10,000 USD in cash into Mexico, you must report this to customs upon entry.) You can also use major credit cards at most establishments, with Visa being the most commonplace. However, be aware that a credit card fee (usually around 3%) may apply to your bill.

Travel Tip: To avoid the potential of any cards being put on an inconvenient hold, be sure to alert any banks and credit card companies ahead of time when you plan to travel internationally. When paying with a card in Mexico, always ask to pay in Pesos for the best exchange rate value!

In the video below, learn what it’s like to travel to Mexico for cancer treatment.