Mexico has around 80 airports; 66 offering international flights and a further 14 for domestic trips only. Read our handy guide to airports in Mexico and the best ways to travel from each airport to your final destination.
Mexico is home to six large international airports that also act as domestic and international transit hubs and gateways.
The larger airports offer direct transatlantic flights to large European cities such as London, Amsterdam (Schipol), Madrid, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Munich, Rome, Milan and Paris, and to many major Canadian and US cities including Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, New York, Orlando and San Francisco. The airports also link directly to much of South America via Buenos Aires, Sau Paolo, El Dorado and more, also Asia via Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo.
Mexico’s larger international airports include:
The main capital city hub and usually the busiest airport in the country, this is a popular and well-used airport with excellent bus links to the City Center. Buses take from 20 minutes to San Lázaro Bus Station and are around every 25 minutes. Transfers are available to Mexico City’s other airport, Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA / NLU), which takes around 55 minutes. See our Guide to the City of Palaces for more on Mexico City.
Search buses to and from Mexico City International Airport (MEX).
This is Mexico City’s second, newer airport, which boasts frequent bus services direct to Mexico City’s center, taking around 1hour 20 minutes to get to or from San Lazaro Bus Station, 40 minutes to connect with the City’s Indios Verdes Terminal and 1 hour 10 minutes for connections the Northern Bus Station. Connections are also direct and convenient with Mexico City International Airport (MEX), taking around 55 minutes. For more on Mexico City’s vast range of attractions, places to eat, drink and getting around see our Guide to the City of Palaces.
Search bus routes to and from Mexico City Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA / NLU).
A top spot for tourists seeking out the famous, white sand Caribbean beaches and leisure activity, Cancun International Airport also acts as a gateway to the wider Yucatán Peninsula, famous for underground water sinkholes called cenotes, Maya ruins like UNESCO World Heritage Site Chichén Itzá and incredible wildlife. Favourite destinations in the area available from the airport include Merida, Playa Del Carmen and Tulum.
Merida’s Bus Station or very central “Calle 60” street is around 4 to 5 hours from Cancún Airport terminal 2 or 3. Merida has a historic center and is within easy reach of the famous Flamingos at Celestún (eco-boat tours are well reviewed), and less well-known ruins of Uxmal and Kabah. For culture, impressive artwork and history is on display within the Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Yucatan, while there are festivals almost every month, from Mérida Fest in January (music, dance, theatre, literature and food) to the impressive Cuidad Carnaval with its parades, fireworks, shows and music stages.
Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 15 and 16 with music, food and a parade featuring military, students and other groups to celebrate the start of Mexico’s fight for independence in 1810. Head to Mérida’s main square, the Plaza Grande, which is just off Calle 60 and dates to 1542 and is bordered by key landmarks such as the Palacio de Gobierno and Catedral de San Ildefonso.
Playa Del Carmen from Cancún Airport’s terminals 2, 3 or 4 is between 55 minutes to 1 hour 20 and is a great base for getting to Xcaret’s famous natural water park, Chichén Itzá’s astonishing pyramids and temples and boat tours to the idyllic Playa del Carmen.
Tulum from Cancún Airport’s terminals 2, 3 or 4 ranges from between 2 hours 20 to 2 hours 40. Tulum offers a fantastic based for snorkelling (see turtles and astonishingly coloured fish and sea life), Maya ruins and jungle walks around cenotes (cave waters).
Search bus routes to and from Cancún International Airport (CUN).
A major connection in the western state of Jalisco, Guadalajara is Mexico’s second largest city in terms of population size with around 5.4 million people. Guadalajara has been called the “Silicon Valley of Latin America” as well as being a major cultural and historical center, so don’t be surprised to see a mix of tourists and business travellers on those airport connections. Getting from the airport can take as little as 15 minutes on the light rail network or slightly longer in a taxi or very frequent buses. For more on this very popular city, see Guadalajara.
Search bus routes to and from Guadalajara International Airport (GDL).
Monterrey City is a key northern industrial city that boasts numerous corporate headquarters and wealth, with almost as many inhabitants (around 5.1 million) as Guadalajara (around 5.4 million).
The airport acts as a hub for airlines and is one of the main entry points to Mexico’s third largest metropolitan areas, which includes the country’s northern economic area and regional tourist attractions and landmarks. These include the Macroplaza, known as La Gran Plaza, an enormous and the largest public square in Mexico which, as a cultural hub, features the Faro del Comercia (Commercial Lighthouse) and many municipal buildings and historic institutions.
Also worth a visit, is the 1.5 mile long Lucia Riverwalk, known as the Paseo Santa Lucia, which links to the Fundidora Park (a 140 hectare public park) to the city’s historic center.
Search bus routes to and from Monterrey International Airport (MTY).
Tijuana is famous for being on the border with the USA and for the Cross Border Xpress border crossing that connects with San Diego. Airport buses to and from San Diego are fast and frequent, as are buses to different parts of San Diego (such as University Avenue, Ysidro Bus Station) from Tijuana City (such as Tijuana Central Bus Station, Boulevard de los Insugentes).
Search bus routes to and from Tijuana International Airport (TIJ).
As well as its six largest international airport hubs, Mexico has several other commonly used airports that could be a better choice for your destination. Those that are relatively large include Mérida International Airport (MID) for business and tourism in the Yucatán, and Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR), which is the leading Pacific coast gateway for the Riviera Nayarit and Jalisco resorts.
Acapulco International Airport (ACA) also ranks highly, having historically been a globally dominant beach destination. These days it is more of a budget friendly weekend getaway and is only a few hours overland from Mexico City, so has strong competition from car and bus.
The common theme with these three international airports is that they benefit from internal traffic as they are domestic tourist destinations, hence, they connect the larger Mexican cities with beach resorts.
Wikipedia keeps an updated list of airports across the country here. Remember to always check bus routes and connections as journey times, frequency, comfort and cost often make travelling by bus a better choice than air travel in Mexico.
The busiest internal route within Mexico is Mexico City (MEX) to Cancún International Airport (CUN), according to the Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil (AFAC), with over 4.8 million passengers per year. Understandably, tourism and international connections are a significant driver of demand.
Unsurprisingly, as it has around 23 million residents in the wider metropolitan area, Mexico City is the start and end point for most of the busiest domestic corridors. As well as Cancún, Mexico City’s routes with Monterrey (MTY), Guadalajara (GLD) and Tijuana (TIJ) all carry at least two million passengers per year. Tijuana (TIJ) to and from Guadalajara (GDL) is also a high demand corridor, with demand that connects the US border with Jalisco’s employment base.
Read our Mexico City by Bus guide for more inspiration.
The most popular airlines in Mexico are Aeroméxico, which tends to offer frequent schedules and a full service, such as free onboard snacks, entertainment and hot meals, and Volaris, which is a lower cost, budget carrier. Viva Aerobus is also known for being relatively low cost and is one of the busiest, if not the busiest domestic carrier.
Is taking a bus within Mexico better than flying? That depends…The answer is always determined by exactly where you want to go to and from and at what time.
Typically, traveling by bus in Mexico is going to win on cost and usually on frequency and extent of network. For longer distance routes, where there is a direct bus vs air comparison, consider how you’ll get to and from an airport (which is often easiest by bus, so you might end up using both modes), flight time and relative convenience. A bus will allow you to avoid those airport queues, eliminate the need to arrive hours before departure and leave you with cash in your bank account to enjoy once you’re at your destination. Modern, luxurious buses with lots of amenities mean buses are becoming increasingly popular even for long distance and overnight trips in Mexico.
A flight may appear quicker in terms of time in the air and tends to become more attractive the longer the distance. However, bus is almost always going to be a significantly cheaper way to travel in Mexico. Compare wisely and enjoy your trip!
Book your tickets now to explore Mexico by bus on megabus.mx. Bus service across the American continent has never been easier.
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