Pre-trip + match day

✅ Guadalajara Checklist

Use this as a single sanity-check before flying to GDL and on Akron match day. The Mi Tren + Autotrén pod transfer is brand-new for 2026 — first purpose-built fan-transit at any 2026 venue — so build extra buffer time. Pack for 30–34°C heat, daily afternoon storms, and Centro cobblestones. Don't drink the tap water.

FMM permit
180 days
At GDL airport
Plug type
A / B
Same as US
Power bank
Required
Stadium signal collapse
Stadium buffer
2 hours
Mi Tren + Autotrén

Before you fly

Documents & Apps

📄
FMM 180-day visitor permit
Issued at GDL airport on arrival — fill out the form on the plane or kiosk. Keep the stub: you'll surrender it when leaving Mexico. Lost FMM = MX$640 fine.
💉
Vaccines + insurance
Hep A + Typhoid recommended (foodborne risk via street food); routine vaccines current. Travel insurance with medical evacuation. Print confirmation + carry digital.
📱
eSIM + FIFA ID
Airalo Movistar Mexico eSIM pre-loaded but not activated. FIFA ID created + match tickets linked in FIFA Mobile app. Test boarding pass + ticket QR before leaving home.
💳
Banking
Notify bank of Mexico travel dates. Bring at least one chip-and-PIN credit card + one debit. Memorize PINs. Pull MX$3,000–5,000 from a bank ATM in your first 24h.
📲
Apps to install
Uber, DiDi, Mi Tren / SITEUR, Citymapper (limited GDL coverage), Google Translate Spanish offline pack, FIFA Mobile, WhatsApp, your bank app.
📷
Document copies
Passport photo on phone + cloud. Hotel reservations printed for immigration if asked. Insurance card photo. Embassy phone number saved.

Pack

For Heat + Storms + Cobblestones

👕
Light cotton/linen
Daytime 30–34°C. Quick-dry shirts beat heavy cotton if you sweat. Layers for cool 18–20°C evenings.
🧥
Compact rain shell
June afternoon storms most days. Packable into a daypack. Stadium-policy compliant (umbrellas typically restricted).
👟
Walking shoes
Centro cobblestones eat heels and flimsy sandals. Bring a real walking shoe or sneaker.
🧴
Sun hat + SPF 30+
UV 6-7 in June — high. Akron upper levels open-air. Hat + sunscreen non-optional.
💧
Refillable water bottle (city use only)
Use around Guadalajara — hotel dispensers have purified water. Do not bring to Estadio Akron; water bottles are banned inside all 2026 World Cup stadiums (FIFA confirmed, June 2026). Free water at hydration stations inside.
💊
Hand sanitizer + Imodium
Street food + new bacteria = day-2 stomach. Imodium for 24h relief; ORS sachets for hydration recovery.
👜
Cash belt or crossbody
Front-pocket only at Mercado San Juan de Dios. Crossbody zipped in front in crowds.
🔌
Type-A/B plugs
Same as US — no adapter needed for US travelers. EU/UK travelers bring an adapter.

On arrival

First 3 Hours

📶
Activate eSIM
Once through immigration, switch your eSIM line on. Let it register on Movistar before leaving the airport.
🚖
Airport → city
Pre-paid taxi from terminal booth (~MX$350–500 to Centro) or Uber from designated zone (Level Departures). Uber has been legal at GDL since 2025.
🥖
First meal
Torta ahogada from a Centro stand — a torta drowned in spicy chile de árbol salsa. The GDL signature you must try.
💧
Hydrate aggressively
Altitude + heat + travel = day-1 dehydration. Drink water continuously. Alcohol kicks harder at 1,566 m — go easy on day 1.
🚱
No tap water
Bottled or filtered only. Hotels have dispensers labeled "agua purificada." Restaurants serve purified ice.

Match day

Estadio Akron

🔋
Phone + power bank
Charge to 100% leaving the hotel. Bring a power bank — stadium signal congestion routinely collapses around kickoff.
🎫
FIFA Mobile Ticket
In your wallet. Screenshot fallback on cloud + phone. Photo ID + passport copy on phone.
👜
Clear stadium bag
FIFA bag policy — clear plastic only. No water bottles permitted inside — sealed or empty (FIFA confirmed, June 2026). Pre-hydrate before entering; free water at hydration stations inside.
🧴
Sun hat + SPF
Akron has open seating in upper rings. June UV 6-7. Reapply at half time.
💵
Cash MX$500–1,000
For return transport, snacks, post-match food. Some stadium vendors cash-only.
⏰
Allow 2 hours transit
Mi Tren + Autotrén — first World Cup with PRT pod fan transport. Expect commissioning hiccups. Leave early.
🚗
Pre-arrange Uber pickup
Walk 10 min from the stadium to a quiet pickup spot to dodge surge. Pre-set the Glorieta Minerva as your group "lost a friend" anchor.
Water bottles banned inside stadiums (FIFA confirmed, June 2026): All water bottles — sealed or empty — are prohibited at 2026 World Cup venues. Free water is available at hydration stations inside. Pre-hydrate before entering; do not bring a bottle to the stadium.
Akron-specific: The "open volcano" stadium has 2 seating levels below ground and 3 above. Upper rings are sun-exposed and rain-exposed. June 11 + 18 evening kickoffs are post-storm windows — much more comfortable than afternoon.