Mexico Transport

Get in

Air

There are 1834 airports in Mexico, the largest airports are: Mexico City International Airport, Cancún International Airport, Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (Guadalajara), General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (Monterrey), General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport (Tijuana), General Juan N. Álvarez International Airport (Acapulco), and Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (Puerto Vallarta).

Fly from the United States will have to clear both immigration and customs at your first point of entry in Mexico, even though that airport may not be your final destination. Fly from Australia or New Zealand direct to Los Angeles, and LA has many airlines to Mexico. Many commercial airlines link Mexico directly to Europe, and the flight duration is always approximately 11 hours.

Train

There are no options for taking an Amtrak train across the border into any Mexican cities.

Bus

The Mexican intercity bus system is reportedly the most efficient in the world. There are many different independent companies severs between US and Mexico such as Omnibus Mexicanos, El Expresso, El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express, Turimex Internacional, TUFESA Bus Lines, Greyhound Lines and Grupo Estrella Blanca.

Other bus companies offering transborder service from Guatemala to Tapachula or Comitan in Chiapas state and from Belize to Chetumal, include ADO/OCC, Linea Dorada, Tica Bus and Trans Galgos Inter.

Car

Foreign-plated vehicles must obtain the necessary permits before being allowed into the interior of Mexico. This can be done at the border checkpoints by showing your vehicle title or registration, as well as immigration documents and a valid credit card, or you can apply it on-line. Vehicle permits will only be issued to the registered owner of the vehicle, so the papers will have to be in the name of the applicant. If you decide to drive to Mexico, the Transport and Communications Secretariat website has free downloadable road maps.

Due to the high volume of drugs and illegal immigration and drug money and weapons crossing the US-Mexico border, expect long delays and thorough searches of vehicles when crossing the border, so please be patient.

Get around

Air

There are more than 70 domestic airline companies in Mexico, and the major player in the industry is Aeroméxico. Other small airlines include Aeroméxico Connect, Click Mexicana, Aviacsa, Volaris, Interjet, Aeromar, VivaAerobus, Magnicharters and Republicair. VivaAerobus offers some particularly low fares, you can buy through a travel agent without local credit or bank cards.

Train

Travel by trains are very limited in Mexico with only a few lines in operation in places like the Copper Canyon in the northern state of Chihuahua. This route travels between Chihuahua city, Los Mochis and Topolobampo in Sinaloa state trough the Copper Canyon.

In the state of Jalisco there is also a Tequila Express line which travels from the state capital city of Guadalajara to the tequila distilleries north of Amititlan.

Bus

Travel by bus can be efficient, economical and comfortable. There are several different classes of bus service: First class (Primera Clase) buses are the best option for most. These buses are comfortable, have washrooms and will generally show movies, which may or may not be English with Spanish subtitles. Executive and Luxury lines (De Lujo or Ejecutivo) cost about 60% more than first class, it is a good option for elderly or business travellers. Second class (Segunda Clase) buses may be very similar to First class just making more stops or in rural areas they may be essentially chicken buses.

The major bus companies include ABC, ADO, Autovias, Grupo Estrella Blanca, Estrella de Oro, Estrella Roja, Grupo Flecha Roja, FYPSA, ETN and Grupo Senda. Schedules for all Mexico are available at horariodebuses.

Boat

Mexico has 76 seaports and 10 river ports. The four major seaports are followed in traffic by Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Guaymas, Tampico, Topolobambo, Mazatlán and Tuxpan.

Car

The roadway network in Mexico is extensive and all areas in the country are covered by it. The highway network in Mexico is classified by number of lanes and type of access – carreteras and autopistas. The speed limit in multi-lane freeways or expressways is on average 110 km/h (70 mph) for automobiles and 95 km/h (60 mph) for buses and trucks. Mexican highways are assigned a one to three-digit number. North-south highways are assigned odd numbers whereas east-west highways are assigned even numbers. Toll expressways are assigned the same number with the letter "D" added.

Car Rental Companies in Mexico are everywhere in the big cities and airports making it easy to get a rental car while travelling through Mexico. Some of the biggest car rental companies in Mexico are Sixt rent a car, Avis, Hertz, and several other big brand car rental companies. The legal driving age in Mexico is 16 with parental supervision and 18 without supervision.