Arriving to Mexico by plane

How to manage at your arrival to the airport in Mexico.

Once you are out of the plane, just follow the directions to where the migration officers are, if you had not previously filled thru internet a Migration Tourist card and submitted it prior your flight, there will be some staff giving you a format FMM, you must fill it up and make the line for migration control where they will stamp your passport and receive the FMM format completed, and they will give you a part of this document that you shall keep until you leave the country at your departure. Keep this document safe because if you lose it, you will need to complete another format at your departure and will need to pay an extra fee that may be from $ 20 to $ 40 USD

Then go pick up your luggage and go thru customs where you will be asked if you have something to declare, do it so, and if not, you will press a button of a semaphore, that may turn green which means you will pass without any inspection, though if it lights red, they will check on your luggage.

Afterwards you can go out of the airport.

In Mexico City there is only one exit.

You will find a lot of persons trying to pull you to their own businesses claiming to be official providers trying to sell you transportation, tours and other services.

If you want to get a taxi from the airport, go directly to the official ground transportation located inside the airport in a fixed location.

Get rid of the Share-time vendors, fake representants and other scams by ignoring them or just by telling them you already have a booked transfer or any other arranged transportation, you don’t have to show them anything or give them more information. Usually by ignoring them and keep walking they will desist.

Just continue to the proper exit and look for the banner with your name or follow the instructions given by your hired transportation company.

If you want to hire a transfer from the airport, there are 2 modalities: private transfer or shared transfer. 

My recommendation is to have a pre-arranged shuttle service as this finally results cheaper than getting the service hired at the airport.

There is also a Metro station at Mexico City airport.

In Cancun airport there are 2 exits:

One for Families and Friends. You use this exit if there is a family or friend member that you know is waiting for you.

The other exit says: Hired ground transportation. You use this exit if you have hired a transportation service to take you to your hotel.

There is also public transportation from the airport:

Cancun airport:

There is an ADO big bus that leaves the airport around every hour to Cancun city or Playa del Carmen bus terminals.

This is the cheapest way to go from the airport to either Cancun or Playa del Carmen downtowns.

If you go to Tulum, you will have to take a bus to Playa del Carmen and from there, take a colectivo (this is a van) that will take you to Tulum downtown. And from there you will need to take a cab to your hotel.