# New guy on this forum



## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

I have spent years traveling in Asia and Africa. Being from the US, I am now asking myself why not consider somewhere much closer to home? I love Mexican food and Mexico is the closest. And 500 years ago I took Spanish in high school. So Mexico here I come. 

My name is Jerry and this is my plan. Spend 3 months touring Mexico, see how I like it, and then see if I want a next trip - probably a 2nd one would be longer. Maybe much longer. And this is my very first day in starting the research needed to put this plan together. So of course the place to start is with a friendly expat forum. 

I think the first question for me would be - where should I go during those 3 months? I would fly in and then do busses from there. If I end up living in Mexico it would be in an area of the country where the cost of living is lower that other parts of Mexico. I know the cost of living is low throughout Mexico compared to the US, but I would want to keep my costs as low as possible. And I don't like very hot climates. So I would tend to enjoy the mountains more than the ocean. 
I know very basic Spanish - too basic to rely on. Cobwebs, oh the cobwebs. 

Those are the biggest criteria - no vehicle (for now), low cost, low temps (below 90 degrees most of the time) and how to prepare for little to no English in the most of the places I will be in. I know there are Englsih speaking communities but I expect mostly I will be on my own. 
Timeframe - Feb/2023 at the earliest to start this trip

So - what is a good route for me for 3 months? Where should the plane land, where should it depart 3 months later, and what should the route be in between? And is 3 months long enough? Should I make it longer?

If anyone wants to chime in - or just to say hi - all will be appreciated
Jerry


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## Takingiteasy (Aug 12, 2021)

I went to san miguel de allende which is in the mountains last summer. It is reasonably cool in summer, max of around 84 or so in august. The dry air makes it seem cooler than it is, if you are in the shade and not working hard you will not perspire. They say in winter its also mild and usually highs in 60s. They also have a large expat community and virtually all shop keepers know some english, many speak it well.

You will have to pick your own route, just look at more than one or two cities to get an idea. SMA is not super cheap but for super cheap you have to live like a mexican. So, convenience vs cost.


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## Jreboll (Nov 23, 2013)

There’s expats scattered all over Mexico and each area has forums or Facebook pages. Dig in and start with whatever area strikes your fancy.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Get google translate on your smart phone. (It's probably not the best translation app, but it's free). When you arrive, get a Mexican prepaid sim for the phone. Depending on your phone, you may have to go with a certain vendor. If your US phone is T-mobile get Telcel here, if AT&T in the US get AT&T here, Verizon I don't know. I think that's the way it has to be, but I'm not 100% sure.

Or buy a low-end smart phone here if you want to keep your US number active for the duration. Again putting a prepaid sim in the mexican phone. Anything that will run google maps and google translate and you're basically off and running. Whatsapp is very useful here, and of course email. 

One of the biggest bus companies in Mexico is named ADO. They have an app. You could get that from the US and use it to poke around and plan your trip.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

eastwind said:


> Get google translate on your smart phone. (It's probably not the best translation app, but it's free). When you arrive, get a Mexican prepaid sim for the phone. Depending on your phone, you may have to go with a certain vendor. If your US phone is T-mobile get Telcel here, if AT&T in the US get AT&T here, Verizon I don't know. I think that's the way it has to be, but I'm not 100% sure.
> 
> Or buy a low-end smart phone here if you want to keep your US number active for the duration. Again putting a prepaid sim in the mexican phone. Anything that will run google maps and google translate and you're basically off and running. Whatsapp is very useful here, and of course email.
> 
> One of the biggest bus companies in Mexico is named ADO. They have an app. You could get that from the US and use it to poke around and plan your trip.


When I am in a new country the first thing I always do is get a prepaid sim from the country. But none of those countries had telcos that were related to American telcos - mine being T-Mobile. Is there an advantage in my choosing Telcel for some reason? I do not have a monthly plan with T-Mobile. I have a prepaid plan so I can (basically) put my T-Mobile plan on hold while I am out of the country for months. And in the new country, I usually choose the telco that has the most coverage. Is there one that is best for overall coverage in Mexico?


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I think Telcel has the best coverage country wide, just my opinion, and it all depends on the area anyway. T-mobile and Telcel have a reciprocity deal and you can get some roaming coverage. Telcel is the easiest sim to buy, they have shops all over the place plus you can buy sims in OXXO and other convenience stores. If your phone is t-mobile, it's probably best and easiest to get a Telcel sim for it.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

At one point we had both Telcel AND At&t. It was kind of interesting how when one phone didn't work well we would try the other. Today I have only AT&T and it is ok. Sometimes I have to go out into the garden to talk but that may be true of any carrier. My current plan cost me in the area of 4000 pesos (200 US) for 24 months of coverage. That includes more data than I need, free calling in all of North America and other benefits.


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

Jerry01 said:


> I end up living in Mexico it would be in an area of the country where the cost of living is lower that other parts of Mexico. I know the cost of living is low throughout Mexico compared to the US, but I would want to keep my costs as low as possible. And I don't like very hot climates. So I would tend to enjoy the mountains more than the ocean.
> 
> Those are the biggest criteria - no vehicle (for now), low cost, low temps (below 90 degrees most of the time) and how to prepare for little to no English in the most of the places I will be in.


Be sure to hit Querétaro and Puebla, which meet all your criteria. Tlaxcala, where I live, does also and is among the cheapest cities in Mexico, but is a more of an “advanced” destination in the sense that there are fewer expats and fewer English speakers here. It is close to Puebla, though, so you could check it out on the same swing.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

MangoTango said:


> At one point we had both Telcel AND At&t. It was kind of interesting how when one phone didn't work well we would try the other. Today I have only AT&T and it is ok. Sometimes I have to go out into the garden to talk but that may be true of any carrier. My current plan cost me in the area of 4000 pesos (200 US) for 24 months of coverage. That includes more data than I need, free calling in all of North America and other benefits.


First decision made thanks to this forum - get Telcel and AT&T prepaid sim cards. 
In Asia and Africa half the phones sold are dual sim. But not as easy to find in the US and I needed to buy my last phone in the US. But it's ok, I have 2 phones.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

PatrickMurtha said:


> Be sure to hit Querétaro and Puebla, which meet all your criteria. Tlaxcala, where I live, does also and is among the cheapest cities in Mexico, but is a more of an “advanced” destination in the sense that there are fewer expats and fewer English speakers here. It is close to Puebla, though, so you could check it out on the same swing.


Ah, some good routing advice. Thank you ! The more ideas the better for places to put on the route. I have also started internet research but advice from this forum is very helpful.
In my years of traveling, I have actually tried to stay away from areas with high expat populations. My thinking - if I wanted to see Americans (my country) I would stay in the US. But bad Spanish is making me want to reconsider that a bit. Better - what's the best way to learn Spanish fast before getting to Mexico? Obviously immersing myself in the culture would be the best way. But I'm not there yet. And as cheap as I am, I will probably be willing to pay for it. Any ideas on that?


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## Jreboll (Nov 23, 2013)

Areas with high expat areas have towns nearby that are cheaper to live in. Try Michoacan. It has hills, mountains and valleys, very green and great weather.


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

Jreboll said:


> Areas with high expat areas have towns nearby that are cheaper to live in. Try Michoacan. It has hills, mountains and valleys, very green and great weather.


Although I wouldn’t rule out Michoacán entirely - Morelia and Patzcuaro might be worth considering - the level of cartel activity is unfortunately high. Same for most of Estado de Guanajuato, except for San Miguel de Allende (expensive because of all the expats) and the capital city, which is favored by many.

Querétaro, Puebla, and Tlaxcala have safer reputations (as does Merida, which is probably too hot for the OP). The first two of these strike a good balance as far as the number of expats and internationals go.

Aguascalientes was on my my list to check out at one time, but I never got there. Might be worth a look.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Hard to find a dual-sim phone here. I wanted one last time I bought a phone, and I ended up buying it off of Mercado Libre because none of the shops had that dual-sim version of the model I wanted (a Samsung A71 I think it is). 

When the phone arrived, it was pre-configured for Viet Nam, and had a Vietnamese electric plug charger, and a converter to Mexican/US prongs taped to the outside of the box. But it is dual sim. Since I have two phones, I haven't ever populated the second slot. Waste of effort tracking it down, so far.

Lots of cheap phones here, too. If anyone else reading this has to buy a phone in the US and wants dual-sim, the way to get it is to buy an unlocked model from Amazon that supports dual sim. From a carrier you won't have the option.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

PatrickMurtha said:


> Although I wouldn’t rule out Michoacán entirely - Morelia and Patzcuaro might be worth considering - the level of cartel activity is unfortunately high. Same for most of Estado de Guanajuato, except for San Miguel de Allende (expensive because of all the expats) and the capital city, which is favored by many.
> 
> Querétaro, Puebla, and Tlaxcala have safer reputations (as does Merida, which is probably too hot for the OP). The first two of these strike a good balance as far as the number of expats and internationals go.
> 
> Aguascalientes was on my my list to check out at one time, but I never got there. Might be worth a look.


How far from Morelia and Patzcuaro do you live? And assuming you don't live in that area, do others who live in Michoacan agree about those areas in Michocan being unsafe?


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

I lived in Querétaro for six years, about two hours away from Morelia and three hours from Patzcuaro. And for three years in Culiacán, one of the most dangerous cities on earth. So I know both the safe and unsafe sides of Mexico pretty intimately. 🙂

But that is not really the point. If you haven’t already, you should familiarize yourself with the US State Department’s frequently updated state-by-state Mexico warnings. For example:

*Michoacan state Do Not Travel*
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.

Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state. U.S. citizens and LPRs (Legal Permanent Residents) have been victims of kidnapping.

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:

*Federal Highway 15D:* U.S. government employees may travel on Federal Highway 15D to transit the state between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
*Morelia: *U.S. government employees may travel by air and by land using Federal Highways 43 or 48D from Federal Highway 15D.
*Lazaro Cardenas:* U.S. government employees must travel by air only and limit activities to the city center or port areas.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Michoacan, including the portions of the *Monarch Butterfly Reserve* located in Michoacan.


*Guanajuato state Reconsider Travel*
Reconsider travel due to crime and kidnapping.

Gang violence, often associated with the theft of petroleum and natural gas from the state oil company and other suppliers, occurs in Guanajuato, primarily in the south and central areas of the state. Of particular concern is the high number of murders in the southern region of the state associated with cartel-related violence. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

U.S. government employees must adhere to the following travel restrictions:

*Areas south of Federal Highway 45D:* U.S. government employees may not travel to the area south of and including Federal Highway 45D, Celaya, Salamanca, and Irapuato.
There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Guanajuato state, which includes tourist areas in: *San Miguel de Allende*, *Guanajuato City*, and *surrounding areas.*

—————

Get on the mailing list for this! It makes fascinating and generally quite accurate reading, although there occasionally is a lag in reporting; for example, Estado de Guanajuato was getting way dangerous before the warnings caught up with that. But this is still an essential resource for anyone who is going to travel around Mexico, and anyone who is going to live here.

Michoacan is one the six states (out of 32) that the State Department advises against traveling to AT ALL. I think Morelia is a livable city and Patzcuaro a charming town, but getting in and out of them is not and never will be particularly safe.

In Estado de Guanajuato, Highway 45 from Querétaro to Léon, which passes by Celaya and Irapuato, is a horror show and I would never risk it. I have stories for days from my students in Querétaro (I had 175 adult students over a six-year period, I heard it all).


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

I am really valuing your input, and it sounds like you do know where the unsafe areas are. So please do not take it personally if I say I don't ignore US governement general travel warnings. but I rarely take them seriously. All countries' travel warnings are too conservative. Just read the Canadian government's travel warnings for the United States. But I still do register travel plans with the US governement STEP program. So I do see the warnings. 
I rely much more on people who live in the area of interest.
With all that said, maybe you are not talking about the STEP program. Maybe there is another site that really does give up to date and accurate safety info. Or maybe, due to being so close to the US, the STEP program is more reliable than it is with other countries I have traveled in. So please give me a bit more on what link I should use to register for these warnings. And I promise to attempt to keep an open mind - for now. Haha.
In the Philippines, the STEP program basically copies and pastes the same warnings they have been issuing for the last 10 years. East Africa is a bit better but not much. Again, it is more work but the opinions of those who live there is best by far.


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

The Mexico STEP warnings are updated fairly frequently, although there can be a bit of a lag in catching up to the situation on the ground. I have never found them overstated in relation to my own experiences. Mexico can be dangerous - I have been lucky (and also careful).


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Personally - I think the State Dept advisories, which may be released often but are seldom updated, need to be taken with a pound of salt. For the advisories to be more useful to me - they would need to only make mention of events that involved American citizens (say). That approach would likely put them out of business (they would have little if anything to publish). 

In my humble opinion - perhaps a more worthwhile exercise would be to a) search for the noticias / periodicos for an area you have an interest and then b) have a look at the seguridad / policia page for some of the newspapers.

A search on "periodicos guanajuato" turns up... (among others)
Inicio Correo
And the seguridad tab offers
Seguridad Archivos

This technique would seem to work ok in most regions of Mexico EXCEPT for those which choose to not highlight these sorts of things.


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

MangoTango said:


> Personally - I think the State Dept advisories, which may be released often but are seldom updated, need to be taken with a pound of salt. For the advisories to be more useful to me - they would need to only make mention of events that involved American citizens (say). That approach would likely put them out of business (they would have little if anything to publish).


Stupidest thing I have read this month (and unfortunately characteristic), but hey, it is only the 7th.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

PatrickMurtha said:


> Stupidest thing I have read this month (and unfortunately characteristic), but hey, it is only the 7th.


And it is this sort of contribution which has led to the unfortunate decline in the participation of this forum (imho). 
Turn the lights out when you leave Pat.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

MangoTango said:


> Personally - I think the State Dept advisories, which may be released often but are seldom updated, need to be taken with a pound of salt. For the advisories to be more useful to me - they would need to only make mention of events that involved American citizens (say). That approach would likely put them out of business (they would have little if anything to publish).
> 
> In my humble opinion - perhaps a more worthwhile exercise would be to a) search for the noticias / periodicos for an area you have an interest and then b) have a look at the seguridad / policia page for some of the newspapers.
> 
> ...


In Inicio Correo I got to Seguridad but I did not find a link for Seguridad Archivos. But now I think you are referring to the articles found under the Seguridad tab?
The good news for me - google was able to translate the page. I also want to ask, is this one of the better Mexican newspapers? What are the most popular ones?


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

It's always the animals on the outside edge of the herd that get taken down by the lions. I like having a buffer between me and the herd edge, and I'm always happy when I hear about people not taking security warnings seriously.


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## Mexstan (Nov 20, 2009)

I have happily lived in Queretaro (Jurica) for 19 years with no problems. Not in an ex-pat community and don't know any ex-pats here. The weather is nice and prices not too bad, although lately property values have skyrocketed. Traffic lately is becoming too 'big city' and not so nice at times. Also have an off-grid cottage up in the mountains an hours drive from Queretaro. It is in the middle of nowhere and love it there.

There is a large bus station here with modern luxury buses that can take you most places in Mexico relatively cheaply. The seats in the buses rivel business class on the airlines. I still drive almost everywhere, but for some places like Mexico City it is far cheaper and less hastle to go by bus and use taxis or Uber at my destination. 

For a translation app try https://www.deepl.com

Suggest that you buy a dumb phone from Telmex. They cost about 200 pesos and have much better reception in bad areas than a smart phone. It is easy and fast to add time to the phone from many places.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

Mexstanost: 15352571 said:


> I have happily lived in Queretaro (Jurica) for 19 years with no problems. Not in an ex-pat community and don't know any ex-pats here. The weather is nice and prices not too bad, although lately property values have skyrocketed. Traffic lately is becoming too 'big city' and not so nice at times. Also have an off-grid cottage up in the mountains an hours drive from Queretaro. It is in the middle of nowhere and love it there.
> 
> There is a large bus station here with modern luxury buses that can take you most places in Mexico relatively cheaply. The seats in the buses rivel business class on the airlines. I still drive almost everywhere, but for some places like Mexico City it is far cheaper and less hastle to go by bus and use taxis or Uber at my destination.
> 
> ...


How bizarre - a cheap phone that gets better reception than a 5G smartphone. And use Telmex for that phone. Or in your opinion is Telmex also better in general? Others have said Telcel and AT&T
Sounds like a good option in case reception is not good. 
I seem to keep falling over Queretaro during my research. But with over a million people, I think it would be a ways down my list. But far from off the list. Bigger cities usually have better medical and other advantages - and maybe there is suburb or in some cities, an old city area that keeps the old charm. Does Jurica fit that possibly? 
The busses there sound nice. But the research I just started on busses came up with surprisingly confusing findings. To the point where I may start a different post on that.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I think the smart phone features are the part that you want. I don't even answer my voice calls because of limited spanish (and they're all sales calls anyway). People who know me use whatsapp or email. With whatsapp I can copy the text, drop it in to the translator, type a response in the translator, and send it back in spanish. Everyone likes that. 

Google maps, google translate, whatsapp and the web. Plus games for waiting (in Mexico there's a lot of waiting).

So for me, a 200 peso voice-only phone would be useless. YMMV.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

eastwind said:


> I think the smart phone features are the part that you want. I don't even answer my voice calls because of limited spanish (and they're all sales calls anyway). People who know me use whatsapp or email. With whatsapp I can copy the text, drop it in to the translator, type a response in the translator, and send it back in spanish. Everyone likes that.
> 
> Google maps, google translate, whatsapp and the web. Plus games for waiting (in Mexico there's a lot of waiting).
> 
> So for me, a 200 peso voice-only phone would be useless. YMMV.


I am sure using my smartphone for online usage would be a smart thing to do. But as stupid as this may sound, 90% of my internet work is on my laptop. I have never purchased data for my phone - wifi connection only. My main reason for having a smartphone is because the audio, typing, and other things are better, clearer, etc. But I have promised myself to segue at least a bit to doing internet stuff on my phone. Which is why laptop internet usage is not 100%. If it weren't for this upcoming Mexico trip it would be 100% laptop. 
So a cheap phone, if this theory of Mextan is true, makes more sense for me than most people. 
And like you, I would never talk to anyone on my cell in Mexico unless they speak fluent English. Any other contact in Mexico would be via text messages. And let's not forget the best benefit of a cheap phone - no one wants to steal it. In my traveling in other countries I am always very careful about where I am when I pull out my phone. I would not have to be careful with a cheap phone. 
Of course now all that will change as soon as you guys tell me all the apps I should have at my beck and call constantly while in Mexico.


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## GirlDownunder (Mar 28, 2015)

It's considered respectful to learn the language of the country you live in. Ask ANY American.

Try Duolingo.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

GirlDownunder said:


> It's considered respectful to learn the language of the country you live in. Ask ANY American.
> 
> Try Duolingo.





GirlDownunder said:


> It's considered respectful to learn the language of the country you live in. Ask ANY American.
> 
> Try Duolingo.


If you have read any of my past posts then you know that is indeed my plan to learn the language. In fact I am the OP on the thread Expat communites and learning Spanish. So I am assuming your post is a general point you made to the forum. And I agree with it 100%. And thanks for the referral to Duolingo. You and maesonna have both suggested that. And talk about good timing on your part - I just started with that site yesterday. So far so good.


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## Mexstan (Nov 20, 2009)

One day when I was out in the country talking to one of the local farmers I tried to call someone and had no signal. This is very common in that area. The farmer told me due to the spotty service in that area, many locals have both a smart phone and a dumb phone. Out in the fields where they have no phone service the dumb phone always works. I bought a cheap dumb (flip) phone just for phone calls and text messages and lo and behold, it works much better than my expensive smart phone in bad signal areas. Did some research about this and apparantly the dumb phones have a better antenna than the smart phones. Go figure!

Yes, the smart phone services and WhatsApp is useful on a smart phone, but when push comes to shove and you just 'have' to make a phone call, the dumb phone will probably get you out of a jam.


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## Mexstan (Nov 20, 2009)

I used to use Duolingo, but was not that happy with it. Have just switched to Spanish Uncovered and so far it is a superior way of learning Mexican Spanish.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mexstan said:


> I used to use Duolingo, but was not that happy with it. Have just switched to Spanish Uncovered and so far it is a superior way of learning Mexican Spanish.





Mexstan said:


> I used to use Duolingo, but was not that happy with it. Have just switched to Spanish Uncovered and so far it is a superior way of learning Mexican Spanish.


I've never used any online language-learning websites. Speaking as a former Spanish/ESL teacher, I'm curious as to what you didn't like about Duolingo and do like about SU.


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## Mexstan (Nov 20, 2009)

For me the way SU is presented and the interesting use of normal situations in conversation combined with simultaneous learning of grammar makes it easier to grasp and remember. His daily followups with additional info is a plus too. Yes, Duolingo is free, but in my case chose to pay for the lessons. Each to his own.


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

I had great success with Pimsleur, which has paid subscriptions. It is almost entirely audio, listen and repeat, which forces you to actually listen. (I tend to veg out when lot looking at a printed text and just _think _I am absorbing the content.) The material is presented in a very logical manner, each lesson building on the one before. You learn the grammar by using it, not by having it explained. I found Duolingo to be a useful supplement once I had some basic conversations under my belt. 
My favorite online translator is SpanishDict.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mexstan said:


> For me the way SU is presented and the interesting use of normal situations in conversation combined with simultaneous learning of grammar makes it easier to grasp and remember. His daily followups with additional info is a plus too. Yes, Duolingo is free, but in my case chose to pay for the lessons. Each to his own.


The SU format sounds a lot the way I teach private English lessons, a combination of natural conversation with the teaching of grammar when necessary.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

Mexstan said:


> I used to use Duolingo, but was not that happy with it. Have just switched to Spanish Uncovered and so far it is a superior way of learning Mexican Spanish.





AnneLM said:


> I had great success with Pimsleur, which has paid subscriptions. It is almost entirely audio, listen and repeat, which forces you to actually listen. (I tend to veg out when lot looking at a printed text and just _think _I am absorbing the content.) The material is presented in a very logical manner, each lesson building on the one before. You learn the grammar by using it, not by having it explained. I found Duolingo to be a useful supplement once I had some basic conversations under my belt.
> My favorite online translator is SpanishDict.





AnneLM said:


> I had great success with Pimsleur, which has paid subscriptions. It is almost entirely audio, listen and repeat, which forces you to actually listen. (I tend to veg out when lot looking at a printed text and just _think _I am absorbing the content.) The material is presented in a very logical manner, each lesson building on the one before. You learn the grammar by using it, not by having it explained. I found Duolingo to be a useful supplement once I had some basic conversations under my belt.
> My favorite online translator is SpanishDict.


Pimsleur and Spanish Uncovered. I hope they would be better than Duolingo since they are paid. If I have it right, Spanish Uncovered - $297 for the entire course. Pimsleur - $15 per month. Please correct me if I am wrong. 
So Mexstan, how far are you in the course. I don't mean time because we would all take it at our own pace. Like if 1 is the beginning and 10 you completed it, where are you now? And AnneLM, how many months have you been using Pimsleur? And do you expect to continue? Or if you are finished, how many months did you use it? And did either of you check other pay sites before making your choice?


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

I first used Pimsleur years ago in cassettes and CDs from the library. I got through all 90 lessons before our first trip to Mexico. It served us very well in many trips in Latin America and was a good base before we moved to Mexico for 4 years. I recently used the online subscription through 60 French lessons for a trip to Quebec.


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

I really liked the online version and thought it was a good value.


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

The only difference I can see from the old CD version to the online version is that some of the conversation situations have been updated to include references to technology, etc. The audio only approach worked much better for Spanish than for French, because French has many more words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Spanish pronunciation is almost completely consistent with the written language.


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## Jerry01 (2 mo ago)

Has anyone else used pay websites?


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## kalman_rettenthetetlen (14 d ago)

PatrickMurtha said:


> In Estado de Guanajuato, Highway 45 from Querétaro to Léon, which passes by Celaya and Irapuato, is a horror show and I would never risk it. I have stories for days from my students in Querétaro (I had 175 adult students over a six-year period, I heard it all).


I plan to drive from Guadalajara to Dolores Hidalgo via Guanajuato on 80D / 45D. Is this a safe route? Any advice please? Thank you.


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