First time traveler to PV , need some advice!!!!

I will be traveling to PV this September 15th-19th during the Indepence Day celebration. We are staying at the Riu Jalisco. I have read many warnings about not heading into town for the celebrations unless you are with a local, is that true? Any suggestions of things to do or places to go? It will just be my husband and I

unbelievable... that is totally unbelievable that somebody would tell you such a thing... i have to agree with Jennybean as well, OMG, that person needs to be rapped across the knuckles by a stern Sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary and put in the corner until they know what they are talking about... being at the Riu Jalisco you will be about 45 minutes NORTH of downtown Vallarta... yes you can take a taxi in and out of Vallarta... it can get quite expensive if you want to spend much time in the wonderful City of Vallarta... You will love Puerto Vallarta as well as Nuevo Vallarta... I have heard many good things about your resort, but the only draw back is that it is so far from town...

any other questions feel free to ask a way...

Thanks for your advice! I think we will head in to PV for the celebrations, I guess I will know better next time. When I booked on line w/ the travel agency I put PV as my destination and Riu Jalisco was one of the offered resorts in the package so I guess I just assumed it was in PV. That just means I need to for sure make a second trip there and stay right in PV next time :)

Actually Nuevo Vallarta is not even in the same State!
Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco, Nuevo Vallarta is in Nayarit and while even in a different time zone, they keep the same time as Vallarta so people are not totally confused!

Be sure to hit the Malecon on the 15th - loads of fun, and yes, safe:)

Thank you everyone for your advice. Decided to call the travel agent and see what they would do for me. I had my resort changed and we now will be staying at the Golden Crown Paradise in an oceanfront room. I feel much better now to know I will be right in the city and able to enjoy everything. I am so glad I found this bulletin board.

Cat (Aug 31, 2005 10:24 a.m.):
Thank you everyone for your advice. Decided to call the travel agent and see what they would do for me. I had my resort changed and we now will be staying at the Golden Crown Paradise in an oceanfront room. I feel much better now to know I will be right in the city and able to enjoy everything. I am so glad I found this bulletin board.

well then... i guess i best be doing some of my magic for your 10th wedding anniversary what do you think? Welcome to our home a way from home... as nine time repeat guests there, and having our nicknames that we do, you will have a good time there Cat... let me see what i can do for your anniversary ... special dinner, champagne, flowers, you just let me know... and we will take care of it... and i got the first round of cocktails too...

thank you for coming to our home... mi casa su casa....

Ok I have stayed in Nuevo Vallarta twice old town once and the hotel zone once. I do not believe Nuevo is 45 minutes away. I think when I was staying at PBV was about 25 mins on the bus. A cab would be much faster but the bus was only a $1 or something like that. I am not sure where the RUI is but from PBV no way was it 45 mins. The beaches in Nuevo are very different than the hotel zone and old town. The beach is much nicer in Nuevo as far as the sand and using it for beach activities. I think the beaches in the hotel zone are a waste. Old town by far has the best character and people watching/activity. So really depends on what you are looking for whether or not you made the right choice.

Jennybean (Aug 29, 2005 01:21 p.m.):
OMG...whomever gave you that information should have their knuckles rapped for spreading rumour and paranoia. Vallarta is not Mexico City,

Actually neither is Mexico City or at least the Mexico City portrayed in so many over blown stories. True as in any huge city one should take precautions. I have been there 7 or 8 times NEVER having any problems. I was there during the Student University strife in December 1997. As we came up out of the subway one day onto the Zocalo we were surrounded by literally thousands of students peacefully marching. As we made our way through the crowd I gave the students a thumbs up along with a Via Mexico & was immediately cheered with the crowd parting to let my wife & I pass through to the Majestic Hotel where we were staying. In 20 years & over 40 trips to Mexico I have never felt threaten following but a few simple rules in that I do not drink, I am polite to everybody, speaking Spanish as best I can & I Never flash Money or go where I am not welcome! As far as PV goes I have never felt safer in my home town in rural Iowa then I do in PV>

Just got bk ladt night and went to the festival with my mexican fiancee. it was fun although there were three men that appeared to be looking to rob someone they each had wakie takies and walkied seperatly. It was really weird so I took my purse back to my villa just to be safe. The police officer said that during big events sometimes people from other parts of Mexico come to BVallarta to take the opportunity to jake someone although it is rare

Yep, there are people I work with that when they hear someting about troubles in Mexico, they assume all of Mexico is having troubles. I tell them that PV especially relys on tourism and assure them the place is as safe or safer than most places they go in the good old US.