All I wish to do is join a package tour of Mexico, that is:
Heathrow - Mexico City - Aztec and Mayan pyramides - Cancun - Heathrow.
Everyone used to offer this as standard now few do.
(1) Tucan is orientated to land trips from USA and I can see all sorts of problems given the variablity of flights in connecting up with the others.
(2) Page and Moy. I have had great difficulities with this company. All they wish to do is get your credit card number over the phone or on line and that's it. Considering we are talking about a potential all up cost of £3000 for a miserable 2 weeks booked more than 3 months in advance you would expect some sort of service. But if you start asking them questions via email or asking for some sort of flexibility in payment ie checks (heard of them?) you are dropped like a hot potato.
(3) Virgin. I can't even get a reply from them, although they like page and Moy they love shoving their literature through the post box.
Can anyone help?
You can easily do the pyramids, museum, churches and galleries in Mexico City yourself. There are a number of good one day tours available from travel agents in Mexico City.
Then fly to Cancun from where you can book a number of tours, or take the buses like I did.
Try kayak for a cheapish flight.
I haven't travelled with either company, but have heard good things about both.
http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/QVRM#overview
http://www.caravan.com/tour/mexico-ancient
A day trip from Mexico City to Teotihuacan is easily arranged from any hotel in Mexico City. The pyramids are only about 30 miles northeast of town and tours that go there generally travel to the Shrine of Guadalupe on the way.
In 500 AD, Teotihuacan had a larger population than Rome--so as you can tell, it was a busy city during its heyday.
Just fly from Mexico City to Cancun--then you can arrange tours from there to either Chichen Itza or to Tulum. Chichen Itza is considered Mexico's best pyramid city and was named both a UNESCO site and one of the seven "New Wonders of the World". It is a very large structure (approximately 5 square kilometers). It has a lot of special structures--El Castillo (a religious pyramid with 365 steps on each side), the pyramid of the warriors, an center dedicated to astronomy with an observatory, two major water wells (reservoirs), a center of 1000 columns, 13 ball courts--the largest which is right next to the major pyramid and has amazing acoustics (you can stand at one end of a 480 foot long court and hear anything someone whispers at the other end (it has 27 foot high walls), and a lot of special gardens and growing areas. It also has caves very close by. Over 1.2 million visitors go there each year. It is 70 miles west of Cancun.
South of Cancun is Tulum, much smaller, but an interesting spot on the beach.
Hope you enjoy your trip to these fantastic places.
P.S. Be sure to visit the archaeological museum when in Mexico City, as well as Chapultepec Castle.
One other thing to mention. Chichen Itza, but not so much Teotihuacan, is in a very humid and tropical area. Thus, I would suggest arriving early to the pyramid--because the afternoon sun and humidity can be fairly opressive. Also, if you do get quite hot and sweaty, you might consider visiting the local caves (just southeast of Chichen Itza) in addition to returning to the Cancun resort pools and beaches. Also, in Cancun, just northeast of town is the island called "Isla Mujeres", which is a good day trip also (for shopping, restaurants, and for visiting the local turtle sanctuary). This island is so small that you don't need to rent a car--just rent a golf cart and you'll do just fine.
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