• Beloved of seasoned travellers for its diverse attractions from deserts to volcanoes, historic sites, wildlife, Mexico is also emerging as a child-friendly destination with many hotels offering great facilities for families.
• Great mix of contemporary and traditional
• Some of the top hotels recommended for families enjoy great settings on some of the best, whitest beaches on Mexico's celebrated West Coast
• Vibrant and exhuberant culture: most months feature a major national holiday or fiesta, and every other day is a local saint's day or town fair celebration.
• Guaranteed sunshine

Things to think about:

• If you venture much beyond your hotel, be vigilant: it's worth noting that crime in Mexico is a problem, particularly in Mexico City
• While there are no mandatory vaccinations, you will probably want to check the situation re malaria and typhoid
• Air pollution in Mexico City extremely high November to February

Visas: Not required by UK passport holders. However, if you're staying longer than 72 hours, or are travelling beyond the Border Zone or certain exempted areas, you must obtain a 180-day Mexican government tourist card (tarjeta de turista), available from embassies or at border crossings (US$18).

Vaccinations: No mandatory vaccinations

Best time to go: Year-round destination but October to May is preferable (less humid).

Flight time: 12hrs to Mexico City from UK

Time: Most of Mexico is on Central Standard Time (six hours behind GMT).