Mexico City Airport (MEX) to the city
Use only the prepaid taxi booths inside the terminal; the Metrobus is MXN 30 but needs a card you must buy first.
- Buy your taxi at an authorised desk inside the terminal. Look for Taxi Autorizado or Sitio 300; you pay at the booth, get a ticket, and hand it to the driver outside.
- Do not accept a ride from anyone who approaches you in the hall or on the pavement. This is the one rule that matters at MEX.
- Fares are zone-based, commonly around MXN 300 to 450 depending on where you are going. The zone is on the board at the desk.
- Metrobus line 4 runs to the historic centre for MXN 30, taking 40 to 60 minutes - but you need a rechargeable card, and it is not sold on board.
- Uber and Didi both operate and are widely used; pick-up is from designated areas rather than the arrivals kerb.
The taxi rule
This is the part to internalise before you land, because it happens in the first two minutes.
- The official taxis are sold from booths inside the terminal. The names to look for are Taxi Autorizado and Sitio 300.
- You pay at the booth and receive a ticket. The driver takes the ticket; no money changes hands outside.
- Fares are set by zone, typically around MXN 300 to 450 into the city depending on the neighbourhood. The zone map is displayed at the desk.
- Ignore anybody who offers you a ride in the arrivals hall, at the door or in the car park. The authorised service does not tout for business, and this is where visitors get into trouble.
Metrobus line 4
- MXN 30 from either terminal to the historic centre, via Paseo de la Reforma and Bellas Artes.
- 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic.
- You need a rechargeable Metrobus card. It is not sold on board - buy it from the machine at the station before you queue. This is the step that strands people who arrive expecting to pay cash.
- It is comfortable and it is a fraction of the taxi. With modest luggage it is a perfectly reasonable choice.
The metro
- Terminal 1 sits next to Terminal Aerea station on line 5.
- The metro is extremely cheap and extremely crowded.
- Large luggage is a problem - the system is not built for it and at busy times you will not get on. Treat the metro as an option for a backpack and not for suitcases.
Two terminals
- Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are far apart and connected by an inter-terminal train (Aerotren, for passengers with a boarding pass) or by road.
- Check which terminal your flight uses. Allow real time to move between them.
- A second airport, Felipe Angeles (NLU), now takes some traffic and is well outside the city - it is not interchangeable with MEX.
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