Craig Bradshaw
@expatcraig
American expat in Mexico
Forum posts
66
Contacts
20
About me
American
Lives in Cancun
Speaks English
Registration: 09 December 2009
Driving in Mexico by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Mexico? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excessÂ… what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
I have lived in Cancun for the last 6 years and personally dont drive here because in my opinion people here are not the best drivers. Seems to be a lot of single car accidents. The main difference I have noticed between driving here and driving ... Read More
Expat Help
Cancun is very expensive to live in by Mexican standards. I am not familar with the job situation as I work from home for an American company. Most of the jobs here revolve around tourism. There is not really any industry here outside of ... Read More
British food in Cancun by Jo Cope
Hi Everyone, Anyone know where I can get food such as Bisto gravy etc in Cancun or atleast where I can order it from at a reasonable price. Cheers, Jo
I would check La Europa or Chedauri. They both tend to have a decent international section. Craig Read More
Is Cancun city safe to live in? by only1chellem
I'm considering moving to Cancun city but want to know if it's safe. Also, what area or zone of Cancun is nice but affordable?
we love Playa Del Carmen. I think the beaches are nicer in Cancun. Not as accessible but prettier. Everyone I know that lives in the Riviera seems to make their shopping trips to Cancun anyway. Much less of a selection for shopping in Playa and ... Read More
Is Cancun city safe to live in? by only1chellem
I'm considering moving to Cancun city but want to know if it's safe. Also, what area or zone of Cancun is nice but affordable?
Always glad to help. My wife and I are both still working. We could have done the beach front living but that would just mean that we would be commuting through traffic to go to the grocery store, take the kids to school, get a hair cut, etc. ... Read More
Is Cancun city safe to live in? by only1chellem
I'm considering moving to Cancun city but want to know if it's safe. Also, what area or zone of Cancun is nice but affordable?
yes it is safe. The two most popular places to live are going to be either Cancun or Playa Del Carmen. The short answer may be that Playa is safer, but only becuase it is smaller. Cancun is a bigger city, has more people living here so of course ... Read More
Cancun living
ton of places to rent. like anywhere just got to hit the ground running. the main thing is consider where you want to live. Ultimatly most people either live in Centro where the shopping, schools and services are or in the hotel zone where the ... Read More
Living in Cancun by kelfish
Hi. I am live in the UK and am looking to move to Mexico. I would like assistsance from Ex-Pats living in Mexico, particularly the Cancun/Yukatan area. I would be grateful for your input in particular a) Is crime a particular problem in Cancun ...
we have been living in Cancun for almost 4 years and have to say that crime seems to be at a low minimum. Not saying it does not happen, but it seems to be not very bad at all compared to the last 16 years I spent in Southern California. We are ... Read More
Telephone service in Cancun
there are a lot of great options, We use axtel and pay about 65 dollars a month which covers internet and unlimited calls to the usa. There is also telmex which is similar pricing but not as consistent in service in my opinion. Obviously you ... Read More
Help Needed!! Planning on moving to Cancun! by ViktoriaUK
Hi everyone! I am looking for imformation on living and finding a job in Cancun. Any input will be appreciated! I am 25, from Slovakia, currently living in London. I am well-travelled and experienced with the positives and negatives of living ...
hi Viktoria, To answer your question yes it is possible for a foreigner to get a job here. The immigration laws are changing soon so you want to look into that, but the way it works right now is that when you fly here from the UK your ticket ... Read More
Moving to cancun by Baldybainfitball1
I am thinking of moving to cancun and would like some information on living costs and job opportunities.in the construction industry ie, building ,maintenance,or similar. Very adaptable. I live in California but I am originally from Scotland united ...
Yes you can drive to Cancun in about 15-20 minutes. I am not sure what part of the US you are coming from but people here cant drive worth a damn. I personally dont have a car here out of choice but I live in central Cancun and can walk anywhere ... Read More
Moving to cancun by Baldybainfitball1
I am thinking of moving to cancun and would like some information on living costs and job opportunities.in the construction industry ie, building ,maintenance,or similar. Very adaptable. I live in California but I am originally from Scotland united ...
hey Kerry! Puerto Morelos is my fav spot in all of Cancun. It is really the perfect spot. I love it because it is right in the middle of Playa Del Carmen and Cancun but probably closer to Cancun. Great places to eat, close to the beach, real ... Read More
Moving to cancun by Baldybainfitball1
I am thinking of moving to cancun and would like some information on living costs and job opportunities.in the construction industry ie, building ,maintenance,or similar. Very adaptable. I live in California but I am originally from Scotland united ...
Cost of living here is very reasonable compared to California which is where i am from originally. If you fly down here you will get a 6 month tourist visa attached to your plane ticket, which would give you time to find work and get a more ... Read More
Moving to Cancun area around Oct 2012
you should be able to find a place for 300 bucks a month. there are a few decent apartment complexes downtown that have inside parking or at least gated. Craig Read More
Weight Gyms in Cancun
There are 3 I know right off the top of my head. I work out at Flex Gym off of La Luna. They have just about all the equipment you can ever need. Then there s Sport City which is by Las Americas mall which I hear is a pretty nice gym. There is ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
Hey Nemo. My son just moved back to the states for college but comes home to Cancun every chance he can break away. I will have to ask my son for some ideas. My son made a lot of friends here when he went to high school here. There are a lot of ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
Isla Mujeres is very nice. It is not to big. You can circle the island in a golf cart in aobut 20 minutes. There are schools there, but I am not too familar. My wife cousin is from there and the next time we see him I will ask him what he can ... Read More
Cancun expats?
Katie, We have a small expat group here in Cancun made up of folks from all over. Some here for a couple years all the way up to 30 years. Anyway we get together about once a month. if interested send me a private message and I would be happy ... Read More
Cost of living in Cancun by jameesolathe
Hola: Trying to get an idea of the cost of living in Cancun. Want to rent/lease 1 bedroom or studio in a condo/hotel on the beach. If not included in the rent/lease, what would utilities run? Electricity inluding AC= Water (Can you drink Cancun ...
Hola, A lot depends on where you are moving here from. I moved here from Southern California so I think it is cheap as could be, but some of my friends from the mid west say it is not that cheap. It is known to be one of the most expensive ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
wow. another de la salle family. go figure. We would love to meet your family. Our 18 year old graduated last july from de la salle prep and is now in college in Virginia. Our 12 and 13 yr old are at de la salle secondaria now. Read More
Work Visa for Telecommuting by Page1
Hi all! Sorry if this has been addressed a million times over, but I keep receiving conflicting information. I will be permanently relocating to Playa del Carmen within nine months or so. I am a freelance journalist who contracts with U.S.-based ...
as long as you have a us address and nothing changes with the irs then they have nothing to worry about. I am not sure why the company would have an issue. the only issue my company had with me is that they did not want me to become a mexican ... Read More
new member looking to move back to Mexico by evan reagen
I am from long Island but currently live in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina,a beautiful place to live but like long Island it is very expensive.Besides that, I really miss living in Mexico. back in 2002 I moved to Aguas Calientes for my ...
come on down. We lived here back in 2002 and then moved back to the states in 2003. Just came back in 2009. I prefer southern Mexico. We live in Cancun but we are toying with the idea of moving out to Merida . We are partial to the ... Read More
Receiving mail from the US
yes fed ex does deliver in Mexico. so does ups. I have had the best results with dhl. DHL seems to do more biz in Mexico than anyone else. Craig Read More
Work Visa for Telecommuting by Page1
Hi all! Sorry if this has been addressed a million times over, but I keep receiving conflicting information. I will be permanently relocating to Playa del Carmen within nine months or so. I am a freelance journalist who contracts with U.S.-based ...
I have been working as a w2 employee in Mexico for my us company for the last 2.5 years. I do not pay Mexico taxes. on paper it appears that I work and live in the usa but spend my time in Mexico. essentially the way I work it is I maintain both ... Read More
Cancun expats?
Welcome to Cancun!!!!! If you need anything or info on Cancun, feel free to give me a call. My wife, kids and I have been here for 2 years and love it. Over that time, we have made a lot of contacts for handymen, plumbers, computer repair, ... Read More
applying for an visa by sunsail
Hello, I am Sunsail and I am from Germany. I have lived 3 years in Brazil and I am now moving to Mexico. Now is the time for applying for an visa. I wan't to work in Mexico-City in my area infrastructure and project management. It would be great ...
so true. It is not that hard at all. Just requires some patience. Joaquin is right. Just go in there and ask them what you need. They will give you a list. You can usually get bank statements online. there are a ton of places that take ... Read More
applying for an visa by sunsail
Hello, I am Sunsail and I am from Germany. I have lived 3 years in Brazil and I am now moving to Mexico. Now is the time for applying for an visa. I wan't to work in Mexico-City in my area infrastructure and project management. It would be great ...
I am living in the wrong place. Here in Cancun they want like 6000 pesos to do the fm3 for you and the fm3 is only 1300 pesos. For that kind of money I would stand in line to. Maybe because Cancun is such a tourist place. Read More
Hola from Playa del Carmen! by Michele in Playa
Any other Expat.comgers living on the Riviera Maya?
Different Craig. LOL. Funny. Take care. Read More
Hola from Playa del Carmen! by Michele in Playa
Any other Expat.comgers living on the Riviera Maya?
Hey Michele. We love it. This is actually our second time living here. We moved here back in 2002 but it ended up going back to California after only a year down here. Moved back in 2009. We absolutely love it. I am not a writer and not a ... Read More
Hola from Playa del Carmen! by Michele in Playa
Any other Expat.comgers living on the Riviera Maya?
Welcome to the Riviera Maya and Expat.com. We were a family of 5 that moved to Cancun 2 years ago. Recently our oldest moved back to the usa to go to university. So now we are 4. I am looking forward to hearing about your experiences in the ... Read More
We are expats from California, now living in San Miguel de Allende by kathymachir
After many years in the interior design industry, retirement at the end of 2010 was welcome. Selling house, auto and many household furnishings, we moved south to San Miguel de Allende with a highly condensed list of possessions. Immediately ...
Welcome to Mexico Kathy. My wife, kids and I moved to Cancun from San Diego 2 years ago and I would agree with you that there is nothing we miss about living in the US. I go back a couple times a year either to visit or for business. Each trip ... Read More
Work Visa for Telecommuting by Page1
Hi all! Sorry if this has been addressed a million times over, but I keep receiving conflicting information. I will be permanently relocating to Playa del Carmen within nine months or so. I am a freelance journalist who contracts with U.S.-based ...
Great advice Ted! I work for a US based company and relocated permanently down to Cancun 2 years ago. You are correct you dont need to get a visa, you can just use the tourist visa and go in and out every 6 months. Really a visa is not a big ... Read More
May be moving to Mexico
Getting a visa in Mexico is pretty straight forward. If you get a job offer from a company they will usually sponsor you, meaning that they will assist you int he legal documents. When you fly here you will get a tourist visa with your plane ... Read More
Possible move to Cancun by tree6199
Hello all. My husband and I vacation frequently in Cancun. We are considering it for retirement living and are wondering if there are communities where we "gringos" would fit in. In other words, we are looking for a smaller home where a majority ...
I love Puerto Morelos. My fav place to go on the weekends. very safe pretty much everywhere here. I have driven across country here in Mexico in both car and on motorcycle. My personal rule is I try to stay off the road at night fall when I am ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
I love Merida, but I love being close to the Caribbean sea more. My wife and I are toying with the idea of going to Merida when the kids are all grown up. By Mexican standards, Cancun is the most expensive. You can get an apt here for about ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
I am not sure if there is a special arrangment with Greece. Your plane ticket her will come with a 6 month tourist visa. In Mexico your children will need legal status through what they call a FM3 in order to get in to any of the schools. The FM3 ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
Our children are in private schools. I understand that the public or gov schools are good but I do not think they are avaialble to expat children. We send our children to Del La Salle which is a Catholic school. Spanish is a must ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
if you need anything at all just let me know. We have a 12 and 13 year old. Our 18 yr old just moved back to the usa for university. We have learned a lot about schools. The schools here are very good. Take care Read More
Internet service in Cancun ? by McJennifer
Hello- I am considering moving to Cancun and I have many questions, of course, but I suppose this would be first and foremost! I work as a scopist, which involves receiving files over the internet, editing them, and returning them over the internet ...
my entire job depends 100% on internet reliability. I have gone through 3 different internet providers in the last 2 years that I have lived in Cancun and I finally found one that is pretty darn reliable. Cablemas which provides both TV and ... Read More
Public transportation in Cancun by Armand
Hi all, What do you think about the means of transportation in Cancun ? Is the network of means of transportation well developed? What modes of transport are available? Do you use them? How much is a fare? Are they relatively ...
Great topic suggestion. 2 years ago today when we moved to Cancun we sold our 2 cars and my motorcycle that we used to own in California. Being that this is our second time living in Mexico we found it to be a pain to bring our vehicles to the ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends by expatcraig
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ...
Great to meet you. The medical here is decent. I know there is a medical insurance here but I do not personally use it. They have small medical clinics here open to the public that we will use from time to time. Basically an ear, nose / throat ... Read More
Possible move to Cancun by tree6199
Hello all. My husband and I vacation frequently in Cancun. We are considering it for retirement living and are wondering if there are communities where we "gringos" would fit in. In other words, we are looking for a smaller home where a majority ...
Yes Pok D Pok can be expensive. You can get a place in the hotel zone for around 1500 USD a month from what I hear. The problem we had with it is that everything you need in terms of services, shopping and dining is downtown. So when you live in ... Read More
Possible move to Cancun by tree6199
Hello all. My husband and I vacation frequently in Cancun. We are considering it for retirement living and are wondering if there are communities where we "gringos" would fit in. In other words, we are looking for a smaller home where a majority ...
Hey there Theresa. My wife and i moved down here with our kids about 2 years ago. There are a lot of English speakers here. For the most part we are all spread out. You will want to look over at the hotel zone to live. There tend to be a lot ... Read More
New Ex Pats living in Cancun Looking for friends
Welcome to Cancun!!! Our family moved here from San Diego 2 years ago and we love it so far. If there is anything we can do or help with. Please let us know. All the best, Craig Read More
hearing that there are changes going to happen with the FM visas
I have not heard this. We are going to renew our FM3's this week. So I imagine if there has been any changes we will find out soon enough. I doubt that will be the case. Mexico needs us foreigners to spend our money here so I doubt they would do ... Read More
applying for an visa by sunsail
Hello, I am Sunsail and I am from Germany. I have lived 3 years in Brazil and I am now moving to Mexico. Now is the time for applying for an visa. I wan't to work in Mexico-City in my area infrastructure and project management. It would be great ...
When you arrive to Mexico your plane ticket will come with a FMT or tourist visa. That is actually gives you legal permission to be in Mexico for up to 6 months. Then you are going to need to go to the immigration office and apply for a FM3. ... Read More
Church
Just an FYI, if there are any Catholic expats in Cancun there are a couple of great places to go to Mass in English. The Church of the Risen Christ has a 9am mass, which is the most popular. They are towards the front end of the hotel zone, ... Read More
Moving to Cancun by ElORH
Hello!!! I'm mexican, married to a french guy. We have been living in Spain for over 10 years and are now thinking we want to try our luck in Mexico. Im from DF but he doesn't think he can cope with that life style, hence we are thinking about ...
Yes we have 3 kids: 18,13 and 12. My 18 yr old just graduated from prepatoria and is headed off to University next week back in the states. My other two are in Seciondaria. There are a lot of great schools here. My only point of reference is ... Read More
Teaching in Cancun by andyross
My name is Andy Ross, i am British, i have just arrived in Cancun from Toluca/Mexico City. I am looking for work as a teacher (or anything else) I have a BSc (Hons) degree in Bio-chemistry and a masters in Secondary Teaching. I have experience ...
Andy, Sounds great! Yes he is very excited. He will be studying Engineering at Virginia Tech. He just graduated from La Salle prepatoria here in Cancun. Our other 2 are 13 and 12 going to La Salle Secondaria. I will be sure to connect with ... Read More
Teaching in Cancun by andyross
My name is Andy Ross, i am British, i have just arrived in Cancun from Toluca/Mexico City. I am looking for work as a teacher (or anything else) I have a BSc (Hons) degree in Bio-chemistry and a masters in Secondary Teaching. I have experience ...
Sounds good Andy. I agree. Always nice to meet other English speakers. I dont know to many and dont speak very good Spanish myself. All my clients are either in the US or UK, so I get my English from my work but it would be nice to have a non ... Read More
Moving to Cancun by ElORH
Hello!!! I'm mexican, married to a french guy. We have been living in Spain for over 10 years and are now thinking we want to try our luck in Mexico. Im from DF but he doesn't think he can cope with that life style, hence we are thinking about ...
Hi there. we moved here from San Diego, Ca and we love it. By Mexico standards the cost of living is high, but being from California it has been quite a bit cheaper than what we are used to. Cancun seems to be divided into 2 parts in terms of ... Read More
Family from California looking for friends
Greetings, We are a family of 5 from San Diego, Ca. We relocated to Cancun, Mexico 2 years ago. Living our little dream. Our kids are 18, 13 and 12. We are looking to meet other expat families and couples. Feel free to contact us. Craig ... Read More
Teaching in Cancun by andyross
My name is Andy Ross, i am British, i have just arrived in Cancun from Toluca/Mexico City. I am looking for work as a teacher (or anything else) I have a BSc (Hons) degree in Bio-chemistry and a masters in Secondary Teaching. I have experience ...
Welcome to Cancun. We moved here from the states 2 years ago. Loving it so far. Craig Read More
changing US state of residency
Hello all, I was wondering what would be involved in changing my state of residency from California to a no income tax state like Texas or Washington. Craig Read More
the real Mexico, not what is seen or heard on the news in the states
Looking forward to checking out your blog. I am in Cancun as well for about 2 years now and we love it. Be well, Craig Read More
Telecommunications in Mexico
I live in Cancun. We have used Cablemas and Telmex for internet and so far have not had the best experience. In either case we paid about 60 usd per month and the service was fine for about 6 months each time and then dropped regularly. I am ... Read More
FM3
Thanks. I talked to an immigration official and they said there was no restrictions. The only thing that they said was you must have your FM3 stamped and return that receipt they give you. I guess there is a 3 strikes rule for not having your fm3 ... Read More
FM3
Thanks Carlos. On my last trip to the US, I ask the immigration officials and they said no travwel restriction on the FM3 but there were some on the FM2. Read More
FM3
Is there travel restrictions for foreign residents in Mexico that have an FM3 can only travel outside of Mexico for 60 days in a 5 year period. Any one know anything about this? Read More
~~~> Apartments
make sure you ask for proof of ownership, like a water bill or phone bill so the name and address match their id. Read More
Private Schools in San Miguel de Allende, PV or Cancun? by cactusdulce
Hello. I am new to the forum and have a question. My family and I are expats from Canada currently living in Belize. We are considering a move to Mexico next year (narrowed down to San Miguel first, then a toss-up between PV or Cancun area ...
Hey there. We are expats fro the US and live in Cancun. I am very impressed witht he schools here. My highschool age son goes to La Salle. It is a bilingual school, so they do part of the day in spanish and the other in english. The tution is ... Read More