Walking: Safety and tips when venturing on foot

Mexico City is a lot bigger than Google Maps leads you to believe.

Walking within your neighborhood like Condesa is fine, but you'll find that walking from place to place, neighborhood to neighborhood, can be quite daunting. Don’t even think about trying to walk from Condesa to Polanco, even though they look so close together!

There are a lot of hazards on the sidewalk when you're walking which will slow you down. It is very important to pay attention to the sidewalks and streets, as tripping hazards are frequent. No matter what the estimated walking time Google Map says a trip will be, expect to take about 20% longer because of hazards.

Expect holes in the sidewalks, branches down, and areas where there's not a crosswalk. Much of Mexico City is not pedestrian oriented, and can feel like every many for himself. When you are walking with someone older, like my mom, stay within an arm’s reach of them. If they trip or stumble, you can catch them before they fall.

If you're going within your neighborhood, it's completely fine to walk around. But if you're going any sort of distance more than a mile, or if you are going to another neighborhood… take an Uber! You'll be much happier that way.