Travel Tips

Dear Guests and Friends, We look forward to your visit at Alba del Castillo in San Miguel de Allende. The following items are important for your travel preparation. Please go through them carefully and email us if you need us to arrange services for you.

Our address in San Miguel is

Alba del Castillo
Campanario #32
Los Frailes
San Miguel de Allende
GTO 37700
Mexico

Email:

albadelcastillobnb@hotmail.com

Web Address:

http://www.albadelcastillo.com

Phone:

011-52-415-152-8591

Fax:

011-52-415-152-8590

Transportation from Leon Airport

It takes an hour and 20 minutes from the Leon airport to Alba del Castillo. We will arrange for you to be met at the airport. If you are many people or have a lot of luggage, we will send a van. The bilingual driver will await you right at the customs exit. The charge is $60 USD per van/taxi via cash, personal or traveler's check. Please give us your airline and flight number, arrival date/time in advance, so we can make arrangements for you.

Visa, Passport and Customs

You need to have a valid passport to enter Mexico. Check with a travel agent or the Mexican embassy in your country to see if you need to obtain a visa. Start early so that you can enter Mexico without delay. You are required to fill out an immigration/entry form (name, passport number, flight number, etc.). You will be given from 30 to 90 days to stay. Once you clear the immigration, you can pick up the luggage. Then you will proceed to press a button on a traffic-light post. If you get a green light, you can clear the customs without inspection. If unfortunately you get a red light, you will have to open your luggage for inspection. Customs people are friendly, so do not worry.

Money

You do not need Mexican pesos before you arrive at Alba del Castillo. It's convenient to exchange money in San Miguel, but you get a better exchange rate if you have US cash or traveler's checks. Most restaurants and gift shops take credit cards, but local venders do business in cash only.

Weather

The weather is beautiful year around. In the summer-- the temperature ranges from the mid 60s to the mid 80s. There may be brief showers in the afternoon. So bring an umbrella. It can be cool in the mornings and evenings. In the winter--the temperature ranges from the mid 40s to the mid 80s. The humidity stays around 30%, so bring your skin lotion.

Skin protection

Sun tan lotion is a must.

Medical Needs

We have an excellent bilingual physician on call at Alba del Castillo. A house call runs about $40 USD. Bring your prescriptions along so that if needed you can refill them at local pharmacies recommended by us.

Mosquitoes

If you are an easy target for mosquitoes, bring the Avon skin-so-soft oil or mosquito repellent that suits you.

Clothing

Layered clothing is the norm. In the summer, bring lots of T-shirts, shorts, and comfy pants. And a sweater or a jacket for mornings and evenings. Bring a swimsuit if you want to use our fountain Jacuzzi. In the winter, T-shirts and shorts are good in the early and late afternoons. But also bring along some warmer ware. To sleep comfortably at night, flannel pajamas are recommended.

Footwear

San Miguel has cobble stone streets and difficult sidewalks. Bring at least a pair of comfy and sturdy walking shoes. Bring your hiking shoes if you want to enjoy walks and hikes around Alba del Castillo.

Wine

If you love wine, our Stone Room and wine cellar will be available for wine tasting and room service. We recommend that you reserve with us in advance for special occasions.

Other Activities

Horseback riding, tennis, golfing, hiking and swimming are available nearby.

Web Resources

We encourage you to visit two sites for San Miguel before your travel. INFO San Miguel (www.infosma.com) and Unisono (unisono.net.mx/)

Classes

San Miguel is famous for small/private classes in art, dance and language. Check them out on the web resources if you are interested in attending now or in the future.

Concerts

Contact our manager to find out about cultural events in advance. We can purchase tickets for you in advance for the Chamber Music Festival in August, Jazz Festival in November and Christmas Concerts in December.

We hope the above proves useful, and we look forward to seeing you at

An Inn by the Lake

Villa Del Lago, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico