Depending on the length of your stay you will have the following options to choose from: 

Visiting for a day or week 

Hotel Quinta Real is a well-known alternative for OSU Faculty and Staff who have been visiting Puebla. It is located in the heart of Puebla's downtown and is only 10 minutes away from UPAEP by car. 
 You can reach directly to Ms. Liliana Campos and ask for discount through the agreement they have with UPAEP. 

Other hotels with discount available are: 

Hotel Real de Puebla 
Location 
Contact

 

Hotel JF Grand  

Location 

Contact

Hotel NH Centro 
Location 
Contact
 

Staying for a month 
When your stays are longer and your planning on a budget, Airbnb is a safe option to find a place to stay that is fully furnished and ready to use.  
 
If you will be working in UPAEP buildings located in Barrio de Santiago, the suggested neighborhoods to live are: 
Barrio de Santiago 
Puebla City downtown south east side

El Carmen 

La Paz 

Las Ánimas 
Gabriel Pastor 
Huexotitla 
 

Staying for a whole term 
When staying for more than a month it will be cost effective to find a furnished apartment or bedroom to rent depending on your budget and personal need. 
 
At OSU Mexico we will be able to advise you on the cost, procedures and best neighborhoods to live during your stay. 

  

If OSU policy allows you, we recommend that you flight to Mexico City International Airport AICM. You can find alternatives from Stillwater to Dallas/Houston with Mexico City as your final destination. 

Arrival instructions to Puebla when traveling to Mexico City International Airport AICM 

• Shuttle 
   When arriving to Mexico City International Airport (AICM) you need to take a shuttle bus to Puebla City. There are various shuttle bus services available at Mexico City International Airport, two of them are Autobuses Estrella Roja (ER) and Autobuses de Oriente (ADO). Both offer regular departures from both airport terminals to Puebla City's Paseo Destino Terrapuerto, the terminal we suggest you to arrive in. 
   
  To identify where in the airport are the shuttle terminals just follow the buses brands signals. You will be able to identify them once you exit the arrivals door.  
   Terminal 1 
   AICM's Terminal 1 is located on the top floor, in front of the vehicle ramp of the international arrivals, at the beginning of the fast food area.  
  Terminal 2 
  AICM's Terminal 2 is located in hall D, between gate 4 and the exit for domestic arrivals passengers. 
  
  The trip from Mexico City's airport to Puebla City is approximately 2 to 3 hours (depending on traffic conditions, the time and day you take the shuttle, etc). The fare is around $380 Mexican pesos depending on when and how (online/onsite) the ticket is bought. Once in Paseo Destino Terrapuerto you can either take an official cab or an Uber to your final destination in Puebla. 
  
  
• Driver 
  OSU Faculty and Staff have also used a safe driver service to travel from Mexico International Airport to Puebla. If you wish to use this service please contact OSU Mexico. 
   
  Arrival instructions to Puebla when traveling to Aeropuerto International Hermanos Serdán PBC 
   Puebla State has its airport located in Huejotzingo, at around 23 miles (37 km) from Puebla. If you decide to arrive in this airport you need to schedule an Uber or use the private driver service OSU Mexico knows. 
  Even when PBC is closer to Puebla, the availability of incoming flights from Dallas is scarce and highly demanded. Also, its operations compromise very often when the volcano popocatépetl activity increases. 

When visiting or living in Mexico and Puebla, finding yourself your way around mobility can offer you the following alternatives: 

• Renting a car
• Using transportation mobility services such as Uber
• Using public transportation  

As it all comes to your budget, the recommended approach will be to assess how often you will need to use transportation, depending on how long you plan to stay in Mexico. Short visits or stays are easy to assess as choosing a hotel nearby you host will decrease your expenses, which means you will be able to walk to your host facilities or, at least, saving when using a transportation service. 
 
For longer stays it is advisable to learn to use public transportation in your host city. When it comes to Puebla, OSU Mexico will be able to provide guidance on the best neighborhoods to live and the public transportation that is safest and available.  
 
Suggested tools: Moovit is an app that will guide you around the different routes available to a given destination in various cities in Mexico. Please note that routes may have variants, so make sure to identify the right one! 

Taxi cabs 
When it comes to taxi cabs in Mexico it is highly recommended to use official cabs. For example, those whose central is linked to a given institution or company because they can be identified. UPAEP has a taxi cab central where all drivers can be identified and often provide services to the university community. It is not a business owned by UPAEP, rather it is a service that is allowed to be provided by a group of well-known drivers that helps UPAEP community feel and keep safe. 
 
Safe and registered taxi cabs can also be organized by your hotel. 

Internet access 
 
Wi-fi is widely available in various public spaces, in hotels and your host facilities. When it comes to stays longer than a couple of weeks the housing services you decide to take will most certainly provide wi-fi services. 
 
If you want to connect directly to an ethernet connection be prepared to bring or buy an USB-Ethernet adapter. 
 
Mobile communication services 
 
When traveling to Mexico verify with your mobile communications provider what is included in the monthly plan you have in terms of Roaming services. As the commercial ties between Mexico and the USA are very dynamic, it may be that you have Roaming services to Mexico included. 
 
If not, the best financial-wise approach -mostly for long stays- is that you buy a prepaid chip and activate it monthly by buying packages that include megas and calls according to your needs. The most popular providers are: Telcel, Movistar and AT&T. 
 
You can buy chips almost anywhere, like Oxxo, 7-11, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. Pre-paid packages go from $10 MXP (Less than 1 USD) to $500 MXP (30 USD app)  

When traveling to Mexico it is important that you become familiar an informed about OSU policy on international travel. Having and knowing that information will make your stay easy and friendly. 

Medical services available in Puebla 
 UPAEP has a clinic where you can schedule an appointment for common illness such as colds and stomach infections. In case you need to receive more complex treatments, UPAEP has a hospital and nearby the neighborhood there are other two hospitals where you can receive emergency attention. 
 
Hospital UPAEP Christus Muguerza 
Hospital Betania Christus Muguerza 

Other hospitals where you can receive outpatient and emergency care are: 
Hospital Ángeles 
Hospital Puebla 

It is suggested that you take a look at your insurance to understand how the emergency services will be provided as some may work with reimbursement. 

US Embassy STEP 

It is suggested to use the resources available and to register in the US Embassy STEP program when traveling to Mexico. 

The official Mexican exchange rate is defined by Banco de Mexico and you can find it here for reference. Look for the Fix Exchange Rate to learn the estimate price of USD exchange. We recommend to use this source as it is the official information (Banco de Mexico), as well as the one banks and financial services providers use to fix their own selling and buying rates. 
 
In the airports you will find plenty of places to sell your dollars (or buy Mexican pesos). Exchange rate may vary. You can also find a couple of places nearby UPAEP main campus: Asecorp and Eurodolar. 
 

Using ATM's is another alternative. We suggest that you ask your financial services provider to know what are the charges/surcharges so you know how to go about your budget. There are financial services providers that belong to networks where there are no fees related to withdrawals.  
 

At UPAEP main campus, and some UPAEP buildings, there are Santander Bank ATM's available. You can ask your financial service provider if you will be paying fees for using Santander ATM's or which would be the provider in the network to avoid them. 
 

Please know that you will be able to use USD cash in very few places like the airport and your hotel. 

You can be advised by the international coordinator in your college or from the advisors in the Study Abroad office. 

The most important thing to consider to cover this part of your stay in Mexico is that you will require a visa if your stay is longer than 180 days. Less than that, you can inform the immigration officer that you will be doing business in Mexico for the length of your stay (weeks/days) and you should be fine.  
 
You will be instructed to fill the FMM, Forma Migratoria Múltiple. This will be accessible through a QR link. So, be prepared to have internet and battery in your mobile phone. 
 
If your stay is longer you can find more information on the process to follow here. 

As you probably know, the volcano's activity is part of everyday life in Puebla and it is a good idea to track its activity when making your traveling plans, as well as during your stay. Here you will find some useful official sources for you to try and become well informed on what's happening with Don Goyo. 
 

• https://proteccioncivil.puebla.gob.mx/ 
• https://www.gob.mx/cenapred  
• Official sources of info about the state of the volcano 
• @AICM_mx (Intnal MX Airport Twitter account) 
• @AeropuertosASA (Twitter account to monitor Puebla's Airport operations) 
• @PC_Estatal (Twitter) Protección Civil Puebla is in charge of executing safety and security protocols  

Depending on how intense the ashes during the day, it is suggest to carry a simple mask. 

For any emergency during your stay in Mexico, please remember you can reach out to our official contacts and OSU Mexico Executive Director. 
 

OSU Mexico Executive Director: osu-mexico@okstate.edu

OSU Emergency contacts: itravel@okstate.edu