TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE CANCUN AIRPORT
Prior to your visit, you will be contacted by our property management company (NASPlaya) regarding your stay at the condo and they will provide you with a
set of directions and their transportation shuttle service they have available. You will need to make these arrangements for getting from the airport in Cancun
to our home in Playa del Carmen. NASPlaya can help you with that, or you can “do it yourself” by using the information provided here.
Your choices will vary depending on how many are in your party, and what time of day or night you are arriving, and your budget. The ride from the airport to the condo is generally about an hour, but can be longer depending on traffic, construction or the mode of transportation you choose. If you are thinking about renting a car, go to the bottom of this page where I discuss Getting Around Town and visit the links to learn more about renting cars.
TAXIS AND SHUTTLES
Taxis run somewhere around $80-115 US dollars from the airport to Playa del Carmen depending on who you select. There are many less expensive
options out there, but a taxi is an option, so I wanted to include it in here. They will take you straight to the condo, so they are one of the faster options. If
you choose to take a taxi and there are more than 2 of you with lots of luggage, be sure and tell them that you need a van when you purchase your ticket. Pay for your taxi at the counter/booth inside of the airport and they will give you a ticket/receipt. Take this and proceed all the way outside. Once you are outside, look for the area for taxi departures and proceed there. Tell them you are going to Playacar Fase 2 in Playa del Carmen and show them the directions we will provide to you. Don't pack these directions in your luggage, otherwise you will have to dig them out!
Before you get into a taxi at the airport
Our condo complex is small, and not well known by name by taxi drivers. We will provide you with instructions to use to direct the taxi to the condo
To take a taxi back to the airport, you can simply flag one down anywhere in town and negotiate a price. It is generally cheaper going back to the airport (about $50.00 to $70.00).
Airport shuttles
We are not big fans of the hotel shuttles that you purchase at the airport ticket counter – they are geared more towards the large hotels and may
or may not take you straight to the condo. They will most likely be more expensive and, with all of the stops that they make with other guests,
it can take 2-3X as long to reach your final destination. If you choose to take a shuttle, it is best to pre-arrange and pay for it before you leave home.
Pre-arranged shuttles
There are also quite a few shuttle companies who will pick you up and shuttle you straight to our place - these are a better option than the ones
at the airport counters. You should arrange for these before your trip. NASPlaya our managers, have some options you can consider.
They cost around $70-$90USD or you can just google "Playa del Carmen airport transportation" and several listings will show up (E-Transfers, CARM Transfers, USA Transfers, Canada Transfers, etc., etc.) When you book a private shuttle (about $50-$80 one way), you do not share the ride with others
and they will take you directly to the condo. This is probably the best option, other than the bus, especially for more than 3 people. You will still need the directions to the condo that we will send you before you leave home.
To find your pre-arranged shuttle at the airport, pass by the ticket counters and all of the other vendors, tour operators, time-share sales folks, etc., trying to stop you on your way outside. Once outside, look for someone with a sign of the shuttle company you have paid for. They will have your name on a list and
will want to verify your identy with proper ID.
TAKING THE ADO BUS
We take the bus often, as long as we don’t arrive too late at night and only have 2 or 3 in our party. The bus is called the ADO Bus. You can purchase
your tickets at the airport. Once you get through Customs, there are numerous Tour and Transportation Booths, just look for the one that says ADO Bus on it. Some of the terminals have two of these booths that sell these tickets. As of May of 2024, tickets were $250 pesos (approx $15 USD) per person. Be sure you ask for a ticket to Playa del Carmen (and not Cancun) and also ask for the departure time. Buses run about every 20-30 minutes, so its never too long of a wait. There is also a small ticket stand outside by the bus, where you can purchase your ticket at. Your ticket will have an assigned seat number (Asiento #). Look for it and sit in your assigned seat, as the bus may stop at other terminals and pick up passengers who also will be expecting to sit in their assigned seats.
This is not your average bus - they are newer, clean (for the most part), air conditioned and most of them show movies (in Spanish). They also have restrooms on them so that’s a nice option to have if you need it! Once you are outside the doors of the airport, just ask around for where the ADO buses are located at (they are located to the right at Terminals 3 and 4, just a short 100yd walk of so from the exit doors. Before getting on the bus, be sure that the front panel of the ADO bus says “Playa del Carmen”, and not “Cancun”!
The last bus leaves the airport around 10:00 - 10:30pm, so if you are coming in on a late flight, this may not be your best option.
The bus will take you into Playa del Carmen to the main bus terminal on Juarez and 5th Avenue (by the beach). Taxis are plentiful here and can take you to the condo for about $6-8 US, or you can walk the 12-15 minutes or so (which is what we do often), unless it is too hot or if we have a lot of luggage.
Bus back to the airport
If you want to take the bus back to the airport to go home, just go to the main bus station at 5th Avenue and Juarez (where you were dropped off) the day before you leave to inquire about the schedule and to buy your tickets. These buses are normally full, so don’t wait til the last minute to buy your ticket. You can also download the ADO App and buy your ticket online with a CC a few days before your trip. Allow at least 1.5 hours for travel to the airport (as the bus will drop off passengers at all 4 terminals, and in no particular order, so your terminal may be the last to be dropped off at). Also, plan to arrive at the airport 2+ hours prior to your flight. Don’t skimp on this - there has been a lot of construction issues in the past delaying buses (and shuttles and taxis) to the airport.
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR GETTING AROUND TOWN
Taxis are plentiful and very easy to find. You can hail one easily on most streets. Most taxi rides will cost you from $3 - $8 US. Check out our tab on taxi rates for more info. They are also available to take you outside of Playa del Carmen. There is some rate information on these side trips in the condo.
As you might imagine, this is the most expensive option for trips out of town.
Walking - We normally walk most everywhere, unless we buy lots of groceries and then we take a cab home from the store. We find that we enjoy walking in Playa, much more than at home. Plus, we need the exercise with all of the great food we eat while here! Our condo’s location means most everything we want to do is close by.
Colectivos are another great choice, but are not for everyone. These are generally white vans with turquoise markings that drive a route, similar to a city bus, and people get on and get off by flagging the driver down. They are great for exploring up and down the highway such as going to Tulum (the town, not the ruins), Akumal, Puerto Aventuras, etc. But they are often crowded and will stop many times. There are not normally many tourists on board. The cheap price, about $2-$3 US all the way to Tulum, is more than worth it for us. There are very specific instructions in the guidebook in the condo for using the colectivos. Read it before you try, as there are not usually many people on board who speak English. It’s an easy system to use, however, once you know the basics. To compare, our favorite side trip is Akumal, which is about $25 US one way by taxi. Good info here on colectivos: http://www.travelyucatan.com/collectivo.php
Taking the ADO bus is an easy and inexpensive way to see the Riviera Maya. The signs are all in Spanish, but you can walk into the bus station at the corner of Juarez and 5th Avenue and inquire at the ticket window the time and cost of any ticket (or explore options on their ADO App). We have always found someone who speaks English at the window. The buses are nice, air conditioned and very clean.
We often rented a car when we came to this area, but that was before we bought this lovely condo that is in the perfect location and close to everything! This is always an option if you plan to do lots of travel, but please research this carefully on the internet before you do. There are lots of things that you need to know before renting a car in Mexico, including several popular scams to be aware of. (Good info on www.travelyucatan.com, “Things to Know” http://www.travelyucatan.com/trans-1.htm).
