FAQ Overview

All FAQ from the category Paradise Lifestyles

•  Do I need a Passport to come to Mexico?

  US Immigrations requires a Passport for all people traveling to the United States. If you don’t have a passport, they are fairly easy to acquire. Follow the instructions here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. Passports can be applied for and received in as little as a week on rush service.

•  Do I need to arrange for a Visa to come into Mexico by plane?

  No, when you are on your flight into Mexico, the flight attendants will pass our a Visa form. Bring a pen with you and fill it out on the plane before your arrival. This is essentially your tourist visa. Safeguard it and carry it with you during your stay, as you’ll need it when you leave the country and it is possible (though unlikely) that you could be asked for it during your stay.

•  How many people will attend the PV Discovery Week?

  We limit the number of attendees to 20 in order to give each participants sufficient access to our expert speakers and to ensure that we can be appropriately attendant to your needs.

•  How will we spend each day?

  Most days, we’ll start out with breakfast at the hotel and then start right into the morning seminar. We know that you are coming down here to both learn about a prospective life in Mexico AND to have fun. We’ve got plenty of both fun and education in the program. Each afternoon, we’ll go on a field trip to give you an opportunity to get a feel for the area. For those of you who are interested in looking at condos and homes for sale or rent, we’ve arranged for a knowledgeable local realtor to show you some properties which meet your criteria.

•  Are the program participants all couples or are there some singles as well?

  Most of the participants are couples, but there are always some singles who attend and by the end of the week, you will have made several new friends, whether you come with someone or you come alone. You’ll be happy to know that there is a sizeable singles population among the expats in PV and there are many opportunities to meet new friends in expat mixers, Art Walks, the many charitable fundraisers and club events.

•  What’s next after we make our reservation?

  After you make your reservations to attend a program, we will send you a detailed itinerary along with considerable information about what to expect, what to bring and what to do next.

•  What is included in the cost of the PV Discovery Week?

  Almost everything is included except for your airfare and certain incidentals while at the hotel. Your registration fee includes the cost of your hotel accommodations, all of the meals and beverages consumed at the hotel (except full bottles or wine or liquor), the daily seminars and the field-trips organized by Paradise Lifestyles. Not included are any of the side trips that you arrange through us or on your own for Saturday. Please consult our web page ‘What’s Included’ for details.

•  Does our hotel have wireless internet?

  Yes. If you are bringing a laptop, you can access a wireless internet signal in the lobby.

•  Is there anything that we should not bring with us back into the states or Canada?

  If you use your head, you should be fine. Don’t do anything risky or illegal. You should consult the US Immigrations website before traveling:
  
  http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#top
  
  You should know that if you bring alcoholic beverages back into the US, even if bought at a duty-free store, that they will likely be confiscated. Also please take note that in Mexico, you do not need a prescription for pharmaceuticals and the cost of pharmacy drugs are usually a bit cheaper than in the states. As a consequence, US Customs agents are routinely asking tourists coming into or even THROUGH the states if they are carrying pharmaceutical drugs, prescription or otherwise and they are CONFISCATING prescription drugs. Obviously, Homeland Security knows what’s best for you and is trying to protect you from yourself.

•  Is it safe to drink the water and eat the fruits and vegetables in the area?

  The hotel in which you are staying is in a designated tourist area with tap water which meet US and Canadian standards. Additionally, almost every restaurant in the PV area serves purified water and ice and takes great care in the food preparation.

•  How many people live in Puerto Vallarta?

  There are approximately 350,000 people living in the PV area. About 15,000 or 20,000 US and Canadian citizens are full time residents of Puerto Vallarta and during the winter, that number swells to 50-60,000 ‘gringos’.

•  Can we bring our pet to the PV Discovery Week?

  No, it is not advisable for you to bring your pet to the hotel. If you decide to move to Mexico, either full or part time, it is very easy to bring your pet animals into Mexico.

•  Will I need to bring much down with me in the way of cash or travelers checks?

  It’s not necessary to carry a great of cash with you when you come, and travelers checks are not necessary if you bring an ATM / debit card. With the exception of a meal or two, some snacks or souvenirs that you might choose to buy, everything is included in your program registration.

•  Should I buy pesos before I come or buy some from one of the cambio (change) houses in the airport?

  You can exchange some cash for pesos while you’re here from one of the banks with exchange rates more favorable than back home or at the airport. If you bring an ATM card, you can withdraw funds in the form of pesos from one of the many ATMs throughout the PV area. The ATMs charge a small fee, but are otherwise identical to what you’d expect in the states or Canada. It should be noted however, that very few businesses are set up to process a credit transaction. Mexico is a largely a cash society and everyone prefers pesos.

•  Is it necessary to know how to speak Spanish in order to come to the PV Discovery Week?

  No, the founders are Americans, and everyone associated with the program understands and speaks English very well. Almost everyone you’ll meet in your week here with us will speak some English, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn a few words in order to find a restroom or telephone, should you decide to extend your stay and wander off on your own for a day or two after the PV Discovery Week program.

•  Is is possible for us to stay on at the hotel for a couple more days at a favorable Paradise Lifestyles rate?

  Yes, we can help you handle that. Just contact us here and indicate what you’d like to do and the dates involved. We will make arrangements for you. The rate varies from one season to the next, and also upon availability, so we will get back with you and let you know what the rate would be for an extended stay or perhaps provide you with other attractive options.

•  Is there another way to pay for the PV Discovery Week besides through PayPal?

  Yes, although PayPal ( www.paypal.com ) is very easy and we can assist you with making a payment through PayPal, if you’d prefer, you can make a wire transfer deposit of the registration fee into our registration fees account. You can contact us here to make arrangements or to get other questions answered.

•  What is the cancellation policy for the PV Discovery Week?

  We understand that sometimes, things come up for all of us and we have to adjust. If you cannot attend the PV Discovery Week that you registered for, we hope that you can reschedule and attend the program during a different week, but in any event, you can read our cancellation policy here. If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re pretty easy to work with and will try to accommodate your requests as much as possible.

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•  What is the real estate market like in Puerto Vallarta?

  It is profoundly a buyer’s market right now. There has been a building boom going on the area for several years. All of a sudden, with the 1-2-3 punch that was laid on Mexico last year when the swine flu panic struck and the big Wall Street banks started failing, many condo and home developers found that there just weren’t as many buyers as there were before and many are scrambling to unload properties that they may have considerable capital tied up in. As a consequence, there are many, many homes for sale in every strata of the market in the Puerto Vallarta area and many of them are excellent investments. I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying that beachfront (or even beach-view) property is a great investment because they’re just not making it any more. The Realtors that assist us with showing our clients available properties have been tasked by us to round up the best cross-section of real estate bargains to show you. We’re pretty sure you’ll be surprised and pleased with the options available.