The necessity of “getting around” in your new city begins with getting to your new city! Here is a list of direct flights to Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta originating from several cities in the US and Canada:

Alaska Airlines L.A., Seattle, San Francisco. www.alaskaair.com Continental Airlines Houston. www.continental.com Delta Airlines L.A., Salt Lake City. www.delta.com Frontier Airlines Denver, Dallas/Ft. Worth. www.frontierairlines.com Northwest Airlines Minneapolis, Detroit. www.nwa.com Sun Country Airlines Minneapolis. www.suncountry.com U.S. Airways Phoenix www.usairways.com Charters to Mazatlán: Air Transat Vancouver, Calgary. www.airtransat.com MLT Vacations Minneapolis, Detroit. www.worryfreevacations.com Signature Vacations Calgary, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto. www.signaturevacations.com

Alaska Airlines Portland, Seattle, L.A., San Francisco. www.alaskaair.com Continental Airlines New York, Houston. www.continental.com Aeromexico Los Angeles. www.aeromexico.com Frontier Airlines San Jose, Sacramento, Denver, Kansas City. www.frontierairlines.com Northwest Airlines Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit Metro, Memphis. www.nwa.com U.S. Airways San Diego, L.A., Phoenix, Las Vegas. www.usairways.com Sun Country Airlines Minneapolis/St. Paul. www.suncountry.com

Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan are two cities that are extremely well-served by public transportation, both buses and taxis. For short visits to your new home, these options should allow you to get around with no problem, and you can always rent a car for day trips! If your move is permanent and you decide you would like to buy a vehicle, remember that the same models are a bit more expensive in Mexico than in the US or Canada. You can also drive your car into Mexico, an option that is especially easy if you live in North America. You can legally drive in Mexico with a license from your home country, although you may want to apply for a Mexican driver’s license for insurance and identification purposes.

Learning at least a little Spanish is a good idea if you choose to buy a home in Mexico. Knowing key phrases will help you get around your new city more easily, and will help you to fit in to your new community. Local language centers often offer inexpensive Spanish classes for foreigners, and what better way to learn than immersion? Making an effort to speak the language is always appreciated!