Mexico City has a temperate climate throughout the year, largely resulting from its high elevation (7.328 feet). Average daily highs range from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 26 C), while lows fall in the range of 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 18 C). Nights are cooler from November through March. Mexico City's warmest season lasts from April to October. Rainfall is frequent from May through September.

American Chamber of Commerce Lucerna No. 78, Juarez 06600 ; Tel.: +52 55 5141-3800

German Chamber of Commerce (CAMEXA) Av Santa Fe, 170 ; Tel.: +52 55 1500 5900

British Chamber of Commerce Rio de la Plata No. 30, Cuauhtemoc 06500; Tel.: +52 55 5256-0901

International Chamber of Commerce Mexico Av. de las Naciones No. 1 Edif. World Trade Center Office. 20, Napoles 03810, Tel: +52 55 5488-2678/9

Italian Chamber of Commerce, Benjamín Franklin 222, 2º piso, Col. Escandón, Tel.:+52 55 5272-4300

Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Sevilla 9, Colonia Juarez 06600 Mexico D.F.Tel: 5207-5110

Korea Trade Association (KOTRA) Paseo De La Reforma No. 265, Piso 2, Col. Cuauhtemoc; Tel. : +52 55 5514-3172/5

United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Anatole France # 311 Col. Polanco Mexico D.F. 11550; Tel : +52 55 5545 1813

Brazil Calle Lope de Armendáriz nº 130, Col. Lomas de Virreyes, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, 11.000-México, DF, México, 55 5201 4531

China Av. Rio Magdalena 172, Col. Tizapan San Angel 01090; Tel.: +52 55 5550-0823; 5616-0609

Czech Republic Cuvier 22, Col. Nueva Anzures 11590; Tel.: +52 55 5531 2544 ; 5531 2777

European Commission Paseo de la Reforma 1675, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec 11000; Tel.: +52 55 5540-3345

France Campos Eliseos 339, Col. Polanco 11560; Tel.: +52 55 9171-9700

Germany Lord Byron 737, Col. Polanco, Tel.: +52 55 5283 2200

Italy Paseo de las Palmas 1994, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec 11000; Tel.: +52 55 5596-2472; 5596-3655

Japan Paseo de la Reforma 395, Col Cuauhtémoc, CP 06500; Tel.: +52 55 5514 5459, +52 55 5514 4307

Korea (Republic of) Lope de Armendariz 110, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec 11000; Tel.: +52 55 5202-9866; 5202-7160

The U.K. Rio Lerma 71, Col. Cuauhtemoc 06500; Tel.: +52 55 52 42 8500

The U.S. Paseo de la Reforma 305, Col. Cuauhtemoc 06500; Tel.: +52 55 5080 2000

Netherlands Av. Vasco de Quiroga 3000, Colonia Santa Fe ; Tel.: +52 55 5258 9921

Most large hotels also have business centers that offer many of the same services that independent centers provide.

HQ Reforma Paseo de la Reforma #10, 19 Piso; Tel.: +52 55 5628-1200

Hotel Camino Real : Mariano Escobedo No. 700 Colonia Anzures Tel: +52 55 5263 8889

Centro Sic del Valle San Francisco 406, Col Del Valle, Tel +52 55 5687 7231 or 5687 5754

Fiesta Americana Paseo de la Reforma 80; Tel.: +52 55 5140-4100

Four Seasons Hotel Paseo de la Reforma 500; Tel.: +52 55 5230-1818

Hotel Nikko Campos Eliseos 204; Tel.: +52 55 5283 8700

ABC Traducciones Providencia, 1227 501, Col. Del Valle Centro; Tel.: +52 55 5543 2684

Alarsa, S.A. Rio Panuco Col. Juarez 150; Tel.: +52 55 5525-6575; 5208-9437

Amtrad Intertraducciones Holbein 18; Tel.: +52 55 5563-2745

Angloamericano Campos Elíseos No. 107, Polanco Tel.: +52 55 5395 6779

Berlitz de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. Ejercito Nacional 503; Tel.: +52.55.5531.2259

Centro Integral de Traduccion e Interpretacion, S.A.de C.V. Av. Chapultepec, 471, 302 - Juárez 06600 México; Tel.: +52 55 5286 8832

Recursos Tecnicos Para Conferencias, S.C. Eugenia 13-602; Tel.: +52 55 5543-5011; 5523 0459

TNT Tel.: +52 55 5312 6226

DHL Tel.: 525 345 7000

FedEx Tel.: +52 55 5228-9904

UPS Tel.: +52 55 5228-7900

All upper-range and most medium-priced hotels are equipped with dataports that allow guests to use laptop computers. Many hotels also offer business centers equipped with computers and Internet access. Outside hotels, cyber cafes are available including:

Javachat Internet café Genova #44, Zona Rosa; Tel.: +52 55 5525 6853

Cybercafe internet-station Mexico Arquimedes 130 Loc.20; Tel.: +52 55 5280 6091

Citizens of Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. do not need a visa for a stay up to 3 months. Citizens of the People's Republic of China must apply for a visa.

Duty-free allowances are 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco; 3 liter of wine or spirits; a reasonable amount of perfume or eau de toilette, and; personal goods up to the value of US$300.

The country code for Mexico is 52. The code for Mexico City code is 5 and dialed for all local calls.

Police, Fire, and Ambulance 080

Tourist Help Line +52 55 5250-0151

For English-speaking international operators, dial 090. Toll-free numbers in Mexico start with 800. To reach them, you need to dial 01 followed by 800. For long distance calls within Mexico, you can use Ladatel phones, which are located in caseta de larga distancia, hotels, airports, railway and bus stations, and on major streets. Casetas are more expensive than pay phones, but you will have a better chance of successful connection. Long distance access prefixes are:

• Direct National Long Distance (01 + area code + number)
• National Long Distance with an operator service (02 + area code + number)
• Direct Long Distance to North America (001 + area code + number)
• Direct International Long Distance (00 + country code+ area code + number)
• International Long Distance with an operator service (09 + country code + area code + number)

CDMA is the major digital standard; main carriers are Iusacell, Telefonica MoviStar, and Pegaso. GSM is supported by Telcel. If you choose to bring your cellular phone into Mexico, be sure to check with your home cellular service provider to establish compatibility of your phone with systems abroad. Rent a locally compatible cellular phone before you arrive to obtain reasonable rates and reliable service.

The monetary unit of Mexico is the peso. Although there are large differences in value, one peso can be divided into 100 centavos. Common coins are one, five, ten and twenty pesos, while common paper denominations are 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 pesos. Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, authorized exchange bureaus, and hotels. Purchases should be made in pesos. ATMs are readily available. Major cards are widely accepted.

• Restaurants 15 percent of bill
• Bars A few pesos per drink
• Airport Skycap/Porter 5 to 10 pesos per bag
• Hotel Bell Desk 10 to 20 pesos
• Hotel Housekeeping 5 to 10 pesos per day and is optional
• Hotel Room Service 10 to 15 percent of bill, depending on the hotel category and quality of service
• Taxis Tips are not expected, but a token peso or two for kind service is a nice gesture. If you receive help with your bags 5 to 10 pesos
• Parking Attendant/Valet 5 to 10 pesos
• Haircare/Personal Services 10 percent of the total bill

The time zone for Mexico City is Central Standard Time, which is Greenwich Mean Time minus six hours. Mexico observes daylight-saving time the first Sunday in April through the first Sunday in October.

Mexico has 15% (10% in Quintana Roo, Baja California, and Baja California Sur) VAT or I.V.A. (impuesto de valor agregado).

Mexico runs on the 110V, 60Hz system. Many Mexican outlets only accommodate two-prong outlets.

A rental car is unnecessary. Taxis are relatively cheap and quick. You should use a designated taxi stand (sitio) or the tourismo taxis queued in front of hotels. Hotel taxis are more expensive, but are safer and offer better service. Rates go up about 20 percent after 10pm. Paseros (minibuses) have regular runs along the routes such as Paseo de la Reforma that most visitors need. The clean, well-equipped subway system is clearly the most economic way to get around. Maps and stops are clearly marked, but beware that some transfer points entail a bit of walking. Stations and trains can be very crowded. Baggage larger than a shopping or shoulder bag isn't allowed or recommended.

In México City to avoid pollution we have the "One Day Without a Car" Program, and that depending on last digit on the licence plate cars are not abble to circulate one day a week, for consulting the correspondance between the licence plate number and the day it cant circulate please call at +52 55 5658-1111

Immunizations are normally recommended against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, typhoid, and hepatitis A for travelers. If you are traveling from an area known to be infected with yellow fever, a vaccination certificate is required.Drink only bottled water or water that has been boiled for 20 minutes. Beware of ice cubes that may not have been made with purified water. Vegetables and fruits should be peeled or washed in a purifying solution. A good rule to follow is if you can t peel it or cook it, do not eat it. Diarrhea may benefit from antimicrobial treatment which may be prescribed or purchased over the counter. Malaria is found in some rural areas of Mexico, particularly those near the southwest coast.

• New Year's Day January 1
• Constitution Day February 5
• Anniversary of Benito Juarez's Birth March 21
• Good Friday Friday before Easter
• Easter Sunday in mid-March or early April
• Labor Day May 1
• Puebla Battle Day May 5
• President's State of the Nation Address september 1st
• Independence Day September 16
• Dia de la Raza October 12
• All Saints' Day November 1
• Day of the Dead November 2
• Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 November 20
• Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12
• Christmas December 25

An upscale dining choice is El Faro, which specializes in Northern Spanish dishes. For a contemporary take on Mexican, try La Chimenea. Modeled after the Los Angeles institution, Spago features posh Italian cuisine. La Fonda del Recuerdo offers a menu of traditional Mexican dishes with an emphasis on fresh seafood from Vera Cruz. Champs Elysées, one of the capital's finer French restaurants, has been reliably feeding the Mexico City elite for almost forty years. In a colonial courtyard, Bolivar 12 serves predominantly Mexican dishes, especially grilled meats and seafood. For a jacket-and-tie dinner, try Los Irabien, a gorgeous restaurant bedecked in fine art whose menu features highly imaginative twists on traditional Mexican dishes.

Favorite gifts are local handicrafts. Some specialties of this area are silver and copper objects, pottery, figurines, glassware and textiles. Exquisite examples of artisans' wares can be found in the Bazar Sabado, while the Mercado la Ciudadela and Dolores in the Centro Historico also have good selections at more affordable prices. FONART, one of Mexico's government-funded outlets, is worth a browse.

A vision of the Virgin Mary is one of the main draws of Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, while the Metropolitan Cathedral is simply stunning. An extensive collection of indigenous cultural artifacts, dating from ancient to modern times, is on display at the regal Museo Nacional de Antropologia. The Museo Rufino Tamayo features works by the artist it's named after as well as by other international and Mexican painters such as Picasso and de Chirico. A visit to the majestic marble Palacio de Bellas Artes is worthwhile not just to view a performance by the Ballet Folkllórico but also to see the giant murals by Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Siquieros and J. Clemente Orozco. Mexico Philharmonic is another of the city's renowned performing arts troupes. A charming colonial-style district that is pleasant to stroll through is the Floating Gardens at Xochimilco. In addition to the area's famous flower markets, many quaint shops and cafés are located here. The Chapultepec Forest is the site of a Castle, Zoo and the National History Museum. Discovered right below the city's historic center is Templo Mayor, an archaeological site that visitors can access. Only 45 minutes from the city are the legendary ruins of Teotihuacan, including the Sun and Moon pyramids.