Mexico City has plenty to offer, whether you’re a first-time visitor, a returning traveler or are staying for an extended period for work or study.
The bus network is extensive and allows access to all the major, most famous visitor destinations, workplaces and places to study, such as the National University and many language schools.
People often ask where to visit on a day trip to Mexico City. It would take a few days at least to do this city justice, but if you only have time for a day trip, we recommend picking one or two locations. Mexico City is so large that it would be impossible to get close to seeing all the main attractions in such a short time. Our top pick would be the main square, known as the Zócalo, which gives a representative taste of the city’s history and culture. It’s here where the world-class Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace can both be seen and explored. Visitors to the National Palace need to register for a tour, so be sure to do so before arriving. Look out for the Instagram influencers and Facebook content creators finding new angles of this historic center.
For longer trips, we still recommend researching social media for either inspiration or to narrow down a long list to a shorter list. Grouping attractions by area rather than crossing the capital repeatedly remains a sensible approach, given the size of the city.
Mexico City is easy to include in a wider trip around the country (often as a first stop from one of the Airports) or as a base. See our Guide to the City of Palaces, which details some of the best attractions, districts and locations for sightseeing, culture eating and drinking by day and night for more.
Mexico City is arguably the country’s principal transport hub, with frequent long-distance buses and coaches linking it to destinations across Mexico. If flying into Mexico City, check your airport code carefully: Mexico City International Airport (AICM/MEX) is within the city, while Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA/NLU) is farther north within the State of Mexico. Fortunately, both Airports have frequent and direct bus links into the City and we recommend checking routes and schedules before traveling.
If traveling for work or business, or reliability is simply important to you, compare arrival points, journey times, onboard facilities and the distances from terminals or bus stops to your accommodation using our search tool. Journey times in Mexico City can vary dramatically depending on time of day and day of the week. Good, reputable operators allow for journey time variations in their schedules as far as possible, meaning that arrival times in published schedules are more likely to be reasonably accurate. Peak times are those you’d expect, so allowing a little extra contingency is sensible if you want to arrive on time for an event.
Services to Mexico City cover both short and long distances with some operating overnight, allowing budget travelers to arrive in the morning and save the cost of a night’s accommodation.
Modern buses and coaches often include reclining seats, Wi-Fi, entertainment and toilets. Facilities vary by operator and fare class and are detailed on our journey search results. Highly popular routes include:
Intercity buses use the four main terminals around Mexico City. These are:
1. Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte:
the Northern Bus Station in the north of the city, adjacent to the Metro Station on the road named Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas and close to the Hospital Juárez de México.
2. Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente (TAPO) or TAPO San Lázaro Bus Station:
in the east, directly in front of the Metro station also called San Lázaro.
3. Terminal Central de Autobuses del Sur or “Calz Taxqueña”:
in the south and adjacent to the Metro Taxqueña.
4. Terminal Central de Autobuses del Poniente, also know as Observatori:
Poniente Bus Station is in the Observatorio area towards the western side of the city. It is adjacent to the Observatorio Metro.
Operators and routes can differ, so check which terminal or stop will be on your ticket when you buy.
These terminals and other key city and airport terminals with popular destinations and links to maps are:
Cto. Cdad. Aeroportuaria, 55640
The bus stop is located on Cto. cdad. Aeroportuaria road.
The bus stop is located on Calzada Taxquena road close to Bus Station.
C. Fundidora Monterrey 97, 15520
Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza No.200 C.P.15390 VenustiaNo. Carranza.
Carr.Federal Pachuca MExico KM.42.5, Santa Lucia
Vasco de Quiroga 200-400, 01210
The bus stop is located at the intersection between Vasco de Quiroga and Manuel Sandoval, rear of Centro Comercial Patio Santa Fe.
Arriving by bus also puts you within reach of the city’s Metro, which is the second largest metro in North America and serves the major visitor areas with 12 lines and 195 stations. The Metro connects with Metrobús, which is the main bus rapid transit network (designed to allow more reliable and higher capacity vehicles than regular buses) and other public transport within the city.
Cycling is possible and the Ecobici scheme is worth a look for those comfortable on two wheels. This bike rental scheme has nearly 600 stations across a large area, including the historic center with around 9000 bicycles available. Walking is also possible, but the city is, on a global scale, very big, so walking works within neighborhoods, but not for getting from one side of the city to another.
As well as the City’s Metro, other trains also operate but are less extensive and tend to cater for commuters serving the Greater Mexico City area. Finally, there is Cablebús, which is a cable car network for the more mountainous areas of the city.
Public transport modes in Mexico City are well integrated. In other words, the various forms of public transport and especially the buses, connect to each other very well and usually accept an Integrated Mobility Card, which can be bought and topped up at ticket offices and machines. As with any payment card in any city, it is always worth checking that the card is valid for the journey you wish to make when making the purchase, then make sure you check the destination on the bus before boarding.
With bus and other public transport services running from early morning to late at night (frequencies tend to be highest during the day), it is entirely possible to get around without a car; the road network is also large, but driving in Mexico City is fraught with challenges, which start with navigation and other road users. If you’re not familiar with city driving, we suggest sticking with other modes.
Othe pros and cons to bear in mind are that on the Metro, you might shave a few minutes or seconds off a longer journey, but the Metrobús will let you see the city as you travel. Hop on Hop off Sightseeing Bus tours also exist, but as with just about every major global city, expect to pay a premium for these tours with audio commentary, though some get very good reviews. There are also authorized taxis and ride-hailing services if you have the budget and / or journeys in the middle of the night. Bear in mind that taxis and cabs can also get caught up in traffic congestion, so always allow some contingency time if, for example, you’re catching a flight.
