If you are traveling to Cancun or the Mayan Riviera, you’ll need to get yourself from the Cancun International Airport to your Resort, Hotel, villa, or rental casa. There are several modes of transportation to choose from and I’ll outline the pros and cons of each one here.
Transportation included in your vacation package. Check with your Travel Agent or, if you booked it yourself, check your travel documents. Many vacation packages are sold with shared transportation to the hotel included. This is handy, but be prepared for possibly longer wait times at the airport. Also, you’ll have no say-so in the pickup time at the resort so you may end up at the airport 3+ hours before flight time.
Buses. The bus company is called ADO. Plan on extended wait times for the bus to arrive and then to fill to maximum capacity. This option is better suited for more seasoned travelers. The bus will take you to the Downtown Bus depot. From there, you’ll need a taxi to your hotel. As of the date of this post, the Bus costs about $4 to the depot, then a taxi will cost you about $10 to the Cancun Hotel Zone for $3 to Downtown Cancun hotels. This is a great option if you are staying in a downtown Cancun hotel.
Shared Transportation. This is a great option if you are traveling by yourself or if you are looking to save some money. The vehicles are 10 passenger vans with luggage space. Keep in mind the total cost for your airport transfers and make sure to compare the total cost for shared vs. private transportation, especially if you have more than 2 people in your group.
Taxis at the Cancun Airport. There are taxis at the Cancun Airport available for you, but this is our least recommended transportation. First, the cost is usually the same for ONE WAY as private transfer is for ROUND TRIP. Plan on spending $80-$120 USD for one way to Cancun hotels. Second, these drivers are not as secure and trustworthy as private drivers. For instance, you forget your cell phone, purse, backpack or other item in the taxi (happens ALL THE TIME), well, you are just out of luck.
Renting a car. This can be handy if you are staying in the Riviera Maya and you are a good driver. Be prepared for extremely aggressive driving in Cancun. This is not an option I recommend at all. Traffic is a mess, police purposely pull over rental cars for bribes, parking (especially in Cancun and Playa del Carmen) is a real bugger, and if you are in an accident the process here is MUCH DIFFERENT than back home and will surely eat up a lot of your vacation time.
If you do decide to rent a car, be sure to get the full-coverage insurance. There are many car rental agencies at the airport. It’s best to book online in advance and go with an internationally known company. You can read more about car rentals here.
Private Airport Transfers. I have saved the best for last. Of course, this is the transportation that I recommend not just because it’s what I do, but also because it is the best and I firmly believe that. CARM Tours & Transfers offers safe and reliable transportation from the airport to all hotels, villas, and rental properties in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Our door-to-door service is fast and hassle-free. I love selling a service I can stand behind 100%.
Prices per VEHICLE in US Dollars (one way / round trip) |
||||
| Transfer Location | 1-2 ppl | 3-5 ppl | 6-10 ppl | Click to Book |
| Cancun Hotel Zone or Downtown | $45 / $79 | $49 / $89 | $54 / $99 | Book Here |
| Gran Puerto Juarez Ferry Dock | $45 / $79 | $49 / $89 | $54 / $99 | Book Here |
| Playa Mujeres | $45 / $79 | $49 / $89 | $55 / $99 | Book Here |
| Bahia Petempich | $45 / $79 | $49 / $89 | $55 / $99 | Book Here |
| Puerto Morelos | $49 / $89 | $55 / $99 | $59 / $109 | Book Here |
| Playa Paraiso | $59 / $109 | $65 / $119 | $69 / $129 | Book Here |
| Playa del Carmen & Playacar | $69 / $129 | $75 / $139 | $79 / $149 | Book Here |
| Puerto Aventuras & Xpu Ha | $75 / $139 | $79 / $149 | $85 / $159 | Book Here |
| Akumal | $85 / $159 | $89 / $169 | $95 / $179 | Book Here |
| Bahia Principe, Soliman Bay, Tankah | $80 / $140 | $90 / $165 | $95 / $170 | Book Here |
| Tulum | $119 / $199 | $119 / $209 | $149 / $229 | Book Here |
Not sure which location your hotel is in? Just start typing in your hotel name here, click the hotel name and it will take you to the right location to book your airport transfers.
CARM Tours & Transfers also offers transportation to areas further out. We can take you to Merida, Chichen Itza or Valladolid, Chiquila ferry dock (the ferry that takes you to Isla Holbox), Mahahual or Bacalar, Sian Ka’an Biosphere or Punta Allen.
We will track your flight and we’ll be waiting outside the airport terminal with your name on the sign. Here I am after arriving to terminal 2 from JFK last year.
You can watch the video of getting through the Cancun Airport, however I have to apologize for the screaming child in the background. Life Happens ♥.
If you have any questions about which option is right for you, just give me a call, shoot me an email or hop on live chat. I’m happy to answer all of your questions.
About CARM
My name is Trina. I moved to Cancun in 2005 from the United States. It was not an easy move and I had to overcome many challenges, but along the way I met some awesome people. I worked for many years for a travel agent here in Mexico before I decided to go out on my own and offer travelers the best service and advice about Cancun that I had learned over the years. This is my dream come true.