If you are heading to the Palenque ruins, it's definately worth spending at least two nights in El Panchan... a jungle community with incredible atmosphere just outside the main town.  We stayed 2 nights in the main town and 2 in El Panchan.. the town was dissapointing at best, but Panchan was awesome!

The Weary traveler, is a youth-hostel located close to the bus station. It's very cheap, they have free internet and breakfast included. (that you have to make yourself though). Always full of other backpackers.

In Morelia try to stay in one of the traditional hotels downtown. They have these beautifull patios, and are decorated in old mexican style.

Maya Bell Camp Site is the best in Palenque. The most expensive - but the pool is great to cool off because it gets soooooo hot. If you need a tattoo - sonya has a studio at one of the campsites. She does traditinonal tattoos. I got one. Great work.

If you go to Cancun, you HAVE to visit Playa del Carmen... Much more real, less plastic, no big buildings or need of driving to get around. People call it simply "Playa". You can stay at small hotels in town or at resorts in Playacar. I've done both and had fun both ways. I recommend Iberostar Tucan - Quetzal, really great infrastructure, gorgeous beach front and excellet SCUBA diving center (I actually got my PADI Open Water diver license there). However, no matter where you stay, make sure you walk or taxi a taxi (10 min. max. from Playacar) to 5a Avenida, Playa's main street. Great dinning and clubing, of course shopping too. Perfect to visit after sunset.

Vera Cruz is all about shrimp and fried food. I found the cheapest way to eat is at the Local Market in old town. Just 5 blocks to either side and a shrimp cocktail could cost up to $7 US, compared to $1.50 US and twice the size at the market. Lunch is always cheapest. Lodging is expensive but you can find clean room if you look around from $11 to $15 US. I stayed right around the corner from the Zocolo and the owners made a point to make sure where I was going and who I was going with. Most hotels in the area were $50US-$240US and I paid $15 with TV/Hotwater. I loved the old town, but pretty expensive compared to rest of Mexico because of the port. People are there to work and make money. One of the few places I really needed to speak spanish since it is not really advertised for foreign traveler and most people are there on business or holiday from DF. People would either be fluent in english or not speak anything. The pier and museums where great. It is also the location of the Mexican Navy and Airforce. Lots of history within short drives or bus trips of the city. A great jumping off point for checking out the Yucatan. Lots of free concerts and events with the big party being Carnival, which shows how many people can deal with anything just for a chance to party. Amazing! I walked or took the bus everywhere, as a women traveling alone, I never get into a taxi unless I have been where I am going or have no choice. Always sit in the front seat. I always have a pair of sunglasses, its the only way to look at everything without sending mixed signals to the local men. I have never had a real scary problem but have gotten uncomfortable. The glasses allow me to really check out the culture without causing problems.

We stayed at a little hole-in-the-wall dive resort called CoCo View. Rooms are simplistic: no TV/phone. Internet access was very limited when we went. Many rooms are built on stilts over the ocean and connected by narrow paths. Note: do not drink heavily or you WILL fall off the narrow boardwalk to your room... Food also very simplistic. Little to no vegetarian options. Limited menu; after 7 days you may get bored (well, after 4 or 5). No nearby stores/markets to get other food options. Bring your own snacks. Diving is fantastic and easy: you can get 4 dives in daily without even trying. 1 boat dive in the morning, followed by a drop-off/swim-in dive (get dropped off the boat and swim along the resort's wall back into the dive shop). Repeat in the afternoon. Some sundecks. No hammocks, hot tub, pool, or ocean beach. Snorkeling and diving are about all you can do at CoCo View. You can arrange transport to the main island to do other touristy things but those options are still limited.

The best known part of Cancun is the hotel strip which is a man made sand spit full of mostly 5 star hotels. There are precious few shops and restaurants and ATMs and the expectation is clearly to remain in your own resort for entertainment. There is a shuttle bus service into "town" - note that this isn't really Cancun town which is many more miles away and houses mostly the workforce in the tourist industry but another man-made town full of Hooters, KFCs etc Avoid anyone offering you legal or illegal drugs. The pimps are also rather blatant but I found more amusing with their catalogues than caused offence. In all Cancun is pretty convenient for popular excusrions into Chitchen Itza, Tulum, Merida etc. I hired a car and did my own sight-seeing which I highly recommend; plus it's cheaper, more flexible and completely easy and safe

Avoid the urge to stay in an all-inclusive resort in the hotel district if you want to discover Puerto Vallarta. Consider instead securing lodging in a hotel or suite in the Romantic District, from where you have ready access to the long beach, and to numerous restaurants in walking distance. Maximize your use of the bus!! It's very very cheap and can get you a decent overview of the main sights in the city. Avoid the expensive airport taxi.

If you stay in a hotel rather than a resort, prepare to see all kinds of people in the smaller part of town. Still a lovely play, restaurants were a little expensive but food was very cheap in corner stores, transportation consisted of getting a cab or taking the bus. There's lots to do, be it horse-back riding, swiming, dune-buggying, taquila tours, or just plane old relaxing on the beach.