Getting there British Airways flies direct, otherwise a number of carriers offer one-stop services: Air France, via Paris; and Continental, via Houston.
Where to stay Try the Condesa df, part of a chain of slick design hotels, steadily expanding their way across the country. The top suite (around £200 per night) has its own terrace, but if you can't get in, try Habita, instead, which is equally flash.
Business climate Mexico City has the third largest economy in Central America, contributing over a quarter of Mexico's total GDP. This is sustained by an ever-growing supply of cheap labour, which floods in at a rate of over 1,000 people per day. The city manufactures and exports around £50bn of goods every year, from cars to toothpaste.
Ice breaker At over 2,000 metres above sea level, the city often leaves first-timers a little breathless.
Etiquette Bureaucracy is a daily hurdle, and a decent grasp of even basic Spanish goes down well.
Eat like a local Despite appearing in all the guidebooks, Cafe de Tacuba still packs the locals in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Mexican style. Conversation is tricky above the din of mandolin-wielding musicians, but the spinach enchiladas make up for all the chaos.
