MEXICO

Savvy travelers know Mexico as a longtime haven for artists and creators, whether it’s locals like Frida Kahlo and Guillermo del Toro, transplants like Leonora Carrington and Alejandro Jodorowsky, or traditional artisans. Culinary creators have long flourished here, too, with cuisines far beyond what outsiders find at the corner taco truck (though those are delicious too!). The historic cities and natural landscapes offer a bit of everything, from alpine mountains to lazy beaches, and from quaint cobblestone boulevards to bustling big-city nightclubs.

Mexico’s official currency is the peso, but you’ll find most shops and even street vendors accept U.S. dollars … but not American coins.

Nearly everyone speaks some English, and in different regions, German and French are common second or third languages. (Mexico was once ruled by Maximilian I, an Austrian archduke supported by Napoleon’s French Empire. His rule brought, among other things, the accordions you can still hear in norteña music — and a tradition of outstanding European-style beers.)

Leaving a gratuity, or propina, is much the same as in the rest of North America: at a restaurant, usually around 20 percent, and usually (but not always) not included on the bill. Bartenders would usually get $1 USD per drink, or around 15 percent of the tab. (Note that an additional “IVA” charge on a bill is not a propina; that’s a value-added tax.)