Mexico: Getting there & around

Getting There

• bus

  From Belize there are 20 bus services that travel to Chetumal, Mexico. Plentiful buses also run from Guatemala City and nearby cities within Guatemala to Tapachula, Chiapas and Chetumal.

  Cross-border bus services, mainly used by Mexicans working in the US, link many US cities with northern Mexican cities. They're not very well publicized: Spanish-language newspapers in the US have the most ads. You can also, often in little or no extra time, make your way to the border on one bus (or train), cross it on foot or by local bus, and then catch an onward bus on the other side.

• boat

  If you'd like to combine snatches of Mexico with a life of ease on the high seas, take a cruise! Ever more popular, cruises from the US now bring over seven million passengers a year to Mexican ports, enabling people to enjoy activities and attractions on and near Mexico's coasts without having to worry about the logistics of accommodation, eating or transport. Caribbean Mexico is the most popular cruise destination, usually in combination with other Caribbean stops and/or Key West, Florida. On the Pacific route (the Mexican Riviera in cruise parlance), the main ports of call are Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, each with more than 100 cruisers a year (over 200 at Puerto Vallarta). Some cruises also call at Manzanillo, Zihuatanejo and Bahías de Huatulco, and a new cruise port is opening at Puerto Chiapas, near Tapachula.

• car

  The rules for taking a vehicle into Mexico change from time to time. You can check with a Mexican consulate or, in the USA and Canada, the Mexican tourist information services (tel: 800 446 39 42, 800 482 98 32).

  It is very foolish to drive in Mexico without Mexican liability insurance. If you are involved in an accident, you can be jailed and have your vehicle impounded while responsibility is assessed. You will need a permiso de importación temporal de vehículos (temporary vehicle import permit) if you want to take a vehicle beyond Baja California, beyond Puerto Peñasco in Sonora state, or beyond the border zone that extends 20km (12.4mi) to 30km (18.6mi) into Mexico along the rest of the US frontier. Officials at posts of the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM; National Immigration Institute) in the border zones, and at the Baja California ports for ferries to mainland Mexico, will want to see your permit. The permits are issued at offices at border crossings.

  You have the option to take the vehicle in and out of Mexico for the period shown on your tourist card. Ask for a tarjetón de internación , a document which you will exchange for a comprobante de retorno each time you leave Mexico; when you return to Mexico, you swap the comprobante for another tarjetón . When you leave Mexico for the last time, you must have the import permit canceled by the Mexican authorities. Otherwise the authorities may assume you've left the vehicle in the country illegally and decide to keep your deposit, charge a fine to your credit card, or deny you permission to bring a vehicle into the country on your next trip.

• train

  Though there are no regular passenger trains on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border, it's quite possible to reach the US side of the border by rail. Trains can be quicker and cheaper than buses, or slower and more expensive, depending on the route.

• air

  The following Mexican airports receive direct international flights from the US: Acapulco, Cancún, La Paz, Mexico City, Tijuana, as well as most other Mexican cities. Only Mexico City and Cancún receive direct scheduled flights from Europe, Canada or Central or South America. Flights from Havana, Cuba, go to Cancún, Mérida, Villahermosa, Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Oaxaca. Toluca and Puebla are starting to be used as alternatives to Mexico City.

  Mexico's two flagship airlines are Mexicana and Aeroméxico. Their safety records are comparable to major US and European airlines.

  A departure tax is levied on international flights from Mexico. It's usually included in your ticket cost, but if it isn't, you must pay in cash during airport check-in. Ask your travel agent in advance.

  The cost of flying to Mexico is usually higher around Christmas and New Year, and during July and August. Weekends can be more costly than weekdays. In addition to websites and ticket agents, it's often worth checking airlines' own websites for special deals.

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Getting Around

• bus

  Mexico has a good road and bus network, and comfortable, frequent, reasonably priced bus services connect all cities. Most cities and towns have one main bus terminal where all long-distance buses arrive and depart. It may be called the Terminal de Autobuses, Central de Autobuses, Central Camionera or simply La Central (not to be confused with el centro , the city center!) If there is no single main terminal, different bus companies will have separate terminals scattered around town.

  Baggage is safe if stowed in the bus's baggage hold, but get a receipt for it when you hand it over. Keep your most valuable documents (passport, money etc) in the cabin with you, and keep them closely protected. Highway robbery happens very occasionally. The risk is higher at night, on isolated stretches of highway far from cities, and in second-class buses.

• car

  Driving in Mexico is not as easy as it is north of the border, and rentals are more expensive, but having your own vehicle gives you maximum flexibility and freedom.

  Drivers should know some Spanish and have basic mechanical knowledge, reserves of patience and access to extra cash for emergencies. Good makes of car to take to Mexico are Volkswagen, Nissan, General Motors and Ford, which have plants in Mexico and dealers in most big towns. Very big cars are unwieldy on narrow roads and use a lot of gasoline.

• taxi

  Taxis are common in towns and cities, and surprisingly economical. If a taxi has a meter, ask the driver if it's working: ¿Funciona el taxímetro? . If it's not, or if the taxi doesn't have a meter, establish the price of the ride before getting in (this may involve a bit of haggling).

• ferry

  Vehicle and passenger ferries connecting Baja California with the Mexican mainland sail between Santa Rosalía and Guaymas, La Paz and Mazatlán, and La Paz and Topolobampo.

• bicycle

  Except for Baja California, cycling is not a common way to tour Mexico. The size of the country, reports of highway robbery, poor road surfaces, careless motorists and pedestrians, and other road hazards are deterrents. However, biking around is certainly possible if you're prepared for the challenges. You should be fit, use the best equipment, and be fully able to handle your own repairs. Take the mountainous topography and hot climate into account when planning your route. Bike lanes are very rare.

• shuttle bus

  In some areas a variety of small vehicles provide alternatives to buses. Colectivo (collective) taxis, Volkswagen minibuses ( combis ) and more comfortable passenger-carrying vans, such as Chevrolet Suburbans, operate shuttle services between some towns, usually leaving whenever they have a full load of passengers. More primitive are passenger-carrying camionetas (pickups) and camiones (trucks). Standing in the back of a lurching truck with a couple of dozen campesinos (land workers) and their machetes and animals is an experience to remember!

• train

  The spectacular Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico between Los Mochis and Chihuahua, known in English as the Copper Canyon Railway, is one of the highlights of Mexico travel. But the rest of Mexico's regular passenger train system effectively ceased to exist after the railroads were privatized in the 1990s. The very few services remaining are either on routes of no interest to travelers or are special tourist excursion services.

• air

  All large and many smaller cities in Mexico have airports and passenger services. Depending on the fare you get, flying can be good value on longer journeys, especially considering the long bus trip that is probably the alternative. Domestic flights within Mexico are sometimes cheaper if you book them before you go to Mexico, in conjunction with an international round-trip ticket.

• underground rail

  Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey all have metro (subway, underground railway) systems. Mexico City's, in particular, is a quick, cheap and useful way of getting around. Used by nearly four million people every weekday, with 175 stations, it's the world's third-busiest subway.

• motorcycle

  Motorcycling in Mexico is not for the fainthearted. Roads and traffic can be rough, and parts and mechanics hard to come by. The parts you'll most easily find will be for Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki bikes.

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