Wondering what’s one of the best ways to get from Cancun to Playa del Carmen? In this text, we’re going to stroll you thru all of your transport choices. After residing in Playa del Carmen for over a yr, on this article, I’ll share with you all of the transport choices, together with our greatest ideas.
Offering among the greatest nightlife in all of Mexico and that unmistakable Caribbean Sea expertise, Cancun is likely one of the go-to spots within the Yucatan Peninsula. If you will have some further time in your arms, nonetheless, you could wish to contemplate sprucing up your seaside trip with a visit from Cancun to Playa del Carmen.
You can consider Playa del Carmen as Cancun’s quirky youthful brother who has his personal factor occurring however nonetheless takes after his sibling in the absolute best method.
The expertise of strolling down Playa’s famend Fifth Avenue is like few others alongside the Mexican shoreline, and also you’ll virtually all the time be a few blocks from the closest seashore.
If you’re already in Cancun, there’s just about no excuse to not take that further little bit of time to cease by Playa del Carmen – whether or not you’re trying to preserve your seashore get together streak going otherwise you wish to change over to one thing just a little extra on the quaint facet, you’re assured to search out your little pocket of heaven on this unbelievable metropolis.
Quick Answer: How to Get from Cancun to Playa del Carmen
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How far is Playa del Carmen from Cancun?
- Cancun International Airport to Playa del Carmen Distance: 35 miles (56 km)
- Cancun to Playa del Carmen Time: 1 hour in regular site visitors
The journey from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen comes out to about 40 miles, which is roughly 45 minutes of journey time in the event you’re going by automotive.
The catch right here is, as a lot as we’d like to take credit score for arising with this trip itinerary, you’ll discover that loads of Cancun guests contemplate Playa del Carmen to be the cherry on the Riviera Maya sundae.
In different phrases, you’ll be able to anticipate Route 307 to be pretty congested in your method out of Cancun, so obtain an app and attempt to plan across the site visitors. Obviously, this relies largely on the time of the yr however Playa is changing into fashionable amongst vacationers within the space.
Currently, there isn’t any Playa del Carmen Airport which implies all vacationers should fly to Cancun Airport earlier than going to Playa.
The occasions above are primarily based on in the event you’re coming instantly from Cancun International Airport. If you’re coming from Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) or the seashore, the space is a bit additional 45 miles (72 km), leaving your driving time to round 1 hour and quarter-hour.
Best Way to Get from Cancun to Playa del Carmen
It ought to come as no shock that the connectivity between these vacationer magnets is unbelievable – in the event you don’t have a automotive of your individual, these are one of the best methods to journey from Cancun to Playa del Carmen:
- Private Transfer: This is our really helpful possibility that does door-to-door service
- Rent a Car: If you’re snug driving abroad, we suggest renting a automotive from Cancun Airport so you can also make your approach to Playa del Carmen independently.
- Shuttle: The shuttle from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen is fairly straight ahead and may be booked prematurely.
- ADO bus: From the Ado bus station, you wait till the bus fills the bus goes straight to Playa del Carmen.
- Taxi
For getting a shuttle or a bus, there are two principal suppliers who you’ll be able to e-book prematurely with. We suggest testing Bookaway and 12go to get the absolute best deal. If you like to get your individual non-public switch (which we extremely suggest), right here is the corporate we personally use.
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Local Tour Highlights in Playa Del Carmen
Before I’m going into every transportation intimately, as talked about, I lived in Playa Del Carmen for over a yr and suggest doing these excursions beneath to take advantage of out of your expertise.
Editor’s Note: Wondering when the greatest time to go to Cancun is? Check out our full month-by-month information!
For your comfort, we’ve outlined all of your journey choices for getting from Cancun to Playa del Carmen. They all include their share of execs and cons, so use your greatest judgment and discover the choice that works greatest for you.
Private Transfer from Cancun to Playa
The first few hours after leaving the airport could make or break a trip, so there’s nothing like getting right into a non-public driver to get your journey from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen began on the precise foot. For a good worth of $70+, you and your journey buddies can relaxation assured an skilled and courteous driver will likely be sitting behind the wheel.
If you’re feeling significantly further, you’ll be able to even lease a limo for you and your mates, albeit at an understandably larger charge than the common SUV.
The least expensive non-public transportation is round $70 for as much as 3 folks. If you e-book a round-trip switch, the worth goes right down to solely $125 spherical journey! They even have bigger vehicles which match teams of pals or households which run from $120 one-way.
An apparent good thing about hiring a non-public driver is you could usually anticipate a snug, air-conditioned journey, and you’ll preselect no matter automobile you suppose is greatest suited to the quantity of bags / folks you will have.
The mounted costs can’t go unmentioned both – precisely how a lot you’re going to pay forward of time, so that you received’t have to fret about an sudden slowdown doubtlessly upping your price.
Honestly, we’ve everytime we land in Cancun Airport, having transportation booked prematurely simply makes it a lot simpler! We land, seize our luggage, search for our driver, and we’re quickly on our approach to Playa del Carmen.
Why We Recommend Booking Private Transport
By reserving a non-public driver prematurely, you additionally wouldn’t be relying on different folks being on time as you’d be in the event you had been going by bus or a shuttle. We as soon as took the shuttle and spent nearly 40 minutes ready for it to refill.
Most of the folks that may rent a non-public driver are travel-hungry foreigners resembling your self, so that you’re virtually assured an English-speaking driver.
This is nice information for anybody who’s slept via one too many Spanish courses since a driver is an ideal particular person to ask about fascinating spots and actions to take a look at on the town. The drivers are all bilingual and are capable of dish out good recommendations on one of the best issues round Playa.
ADO Bus from Cancun Airport to Playa
Book this prematurely utilizing Bookaway or 12go .
Budget touring is all the craze as of late, and there’s no cheaper different for the journey from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen than the ADO Bus, by far essentially the most respected bus firm in all the area.
Early birds can reap the benefits of the 9.30 bus (although there are many buses all through the day each half-hour or so) and get to Playa for a meager $10. The final bus departs at 11:45 PM. There are a number of buses scheduled in between they usually depart roughly each 2 hours.
The Playa del Carmen bus conveniently picks you up at Cancun International Airport, which is on the coronary heart of the Cancun vacationer space, and there’s an extra ado bus station downtown as nicely.
These aren’t your run-of-the-mill buses both – supplied that you simply don’t thoughts the crowds throughout peak season, you’ll be able to anticipate the inside to be spacious and air-conditioned.
The journey often takes round 1 hour and quarter-hour, so in the event you decide to take the ADO bus, you’re higher off touring earlier within the morning to get as a lot out of your day at Playa as attainable. The ADO bus is certainly the most affordable transportation on tips on how to get from Cancun Airport to Playa.
The greatest draw back to taking the bus is that it drops you off on the Playa del Carmen bus station situated on Fifth Avenue, that means it’s a must to make your approach to your lodge on foot or utilizing native transit.
This is hardly a problem for mild packers, nonetheless, and it offers you the right alternative to familiarize your self with the realm earlier than leaving your issues on the lodge and heading out once more.
As far as buses go, the ADO buses are an excellent possibility however for just a little bit extra, you may get a smaller shuttle which is much more snug.
Rent a Car from Cancun Airport
Often, the journey may be much more rewarding than the vacation spot, so that you may wish to contemplate making some elective detours on the way in which from Cancun to Playa del Carmen. The greatest method to do that is to lease your self a automotive on the Cancun International Airport.
Besides permitting you to take a look at among the area’s different notable spots (Chichen Itza and Tulum come to thoughts), one other profit is that you’ve got a ton of freedom and may see all one of the best spots across the space. Having a automotive rental means you’ll be able to go to locations like Merida, Cenotes round Tulum, and see the various Mayan ruins.
Car rental ranges from $35-60 a day, relying on the kind of automobile you choose. Considering most excursions are round $100+, getting your individual transport may be an effective way to get round Mexico. We’ve rented vehicles and have pushed throughout Mexico and every little thing is fairly straight ahead.
The principal draw back to renting a automotive in Cancun is that Playa can usually be full of guests. Just guarantee that your lodge has a devoted parking space for automotive leases which most do.
Do word that from expertise, Playa del Carmen, usually talking is a really walkable metropolis so other than just a few day journeys right here and there, you may not use your automotive rental very a lot across the metropolis.
Tips for Renting a Car in Cancun Airport
Sadly, it’s not unusual for automotive rental firms to try to pin any pre-existing injury on the automotive on you, so attempt to get nearly as good of a take a look at your scorching rod as you’ll be able to earlier than heading out. We suggest taking images and movies of your rental automotive to guarantee that they don’t cost you with something afterward.
We all the time suggest getting insurance coverage everytime you’re renting a automotive. Unless your bank card has a tried and examined insurance coverage supplier, spend the additional $ and shield your self from any undesirable hassles.
There have additionally been occasional studies of cops trying to bribe unsuspecting vacationers so simply ensure you take images of your automotive and take away any massive payments from you pockets!
Check out our full information on is Playa del Carmen Safe for extra ideas.
Read More: Best Hotels in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for Any Budget (2022 Guide)!
Cancun Airport Shuttle to Playa del Carmen
If you need the right center floor between luxurious and affordability in your journey from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, considered one of your choices can be to catch the Cancun Airport shuttle on the Cancun International Airport.
While it’s understandably not as low cost as taking the bus, you’ll be able to anticipate to achieve your vacation spot for about $25, relying on the dimensions of the shuttle and the variety of passengers.
Much like when hiring a non-public automobile, you’ll be able to fairly anticipate in your driver to be bilingual, so you may get some last-minute information on Playa on the way in which. The catch right here is that there can and will likely be different teams of vacationers within the Playa del Carmen shuttle with you.
In different phrases, the driving force will likely be making loads of stops alongside the way in which, making it more durable to foretell the precise time of your arrival.
The upside is that, not like the bus, the Playa del Carmen shuttle can drop you off at a extra handy cease so that you don’t must lug your belongings all the way in which to your lodge.
Generally, we might solely suggest this feature in the event you’re touring with sufficient folks to refill all the shuttle, as this is able to successfully offer you a non-public automobile for a fraction of the worth.
At the very least, you should not have any hassle discovering a web-based evaluation in your shuttle of selection, so there’s little room for shock within the consolation division.
Taxi
Anyone who’s seen their share of vacationer cities is aware of higher than to journey lengthy distances by taxi until there’s completely no different selection, and the journey from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen isn’t any exception.
We might go on about these cities’ finer factors ceaselessly, however the reality of the matter is, few taxi drivers will move up the chance to overcharge a foreigner that doesn’t know the realm and the native charges nicely.
If you occur upon a very intelligent driver, you could possibly find yourself paying upwards of $100+, particularly in the event you’re not the bartering sort. Better use of that cash can be to pay for the aforementioned non-public switch and journey stress-free and in model.
There aren’t any Ubers, Lyft, or every other ride-sharing platforms obtainable in Cancun Airport once you land.
One attainable exception to the no-taxi rule can be in the event you flew into Cancun and are solely utilizing it as a pivot level to get to Playa, which has no airport of its personal – planning across the takeoff occasions of different modes of transportation may not work together with your schedule, so you probably have a great feeling about that driver that’s attempting to get your consideration, there aren’t any scarcity of taxis simply exterior Cancun International Airport.
Two different issues to bear in mind listed below are the quantity of bags you will have on you and the dimensions of your group. While the drive isn’t the longest, your trip is all about you, so that you may not wish to spend forty-something minutes crammed inside a decent automotive with half a dozen of your mates.
FAQ about touring from Cancun to Playa del Carmen
You don’t wish to depart something as much as probability in the event you’re touring from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, and odds are you’ll discover the solutions to all of your questions down beneath:
Playa del Carmen is certainly not an unsafe metropolis, however as with every different fashionable vacationer spot, you should definitely use your greatest judgment, particularly after a protracted and eventful night at one of many metropolis’s many nightclubs.
We lived there for greater than a yr and by no means felt unsafe. Make positive you learn this text for Playa Del Carmen security ideas and extra!
May and November are among the greatest months to go to Playa del Carmen.
Despite the spectacular climate, you received’t discover as many vacationers throughout these months as you may anticipate, and the decrease costs positively assist. Our information on when to go to Cancun will show you how to additional with this query.
It must rely upon whether or not Playa del Carmen is the focus of your journey or simply one of many many stops you propose on making whereas exploring the Yucatan Peninsula. Check out our tried and examined seashore packing listing for extra recommendations on what to pack with you.
If your principal aim is to catch some sunshine and revel in a weekend by the ocean, you should not have any hassle discovering this within the comparatively small metropolis of Playa, regardless of the place your lodge is.
Yes, taxis in Mexico are usually secure.
Being the massive customer pullers that they’re, each Cancun and Playa del Carmen’s downtown areas are below fixed surveillance. In that sense, the taxies in every of those cities are each bit as secure as every other taxi you’ve ever taken, if not safer.
Either method, given how small town is, the greatest approach to get round Playa is on foot. If you’ll be able to take care of all of the distributors, fifth ave means that you can stroll up and down a lot of the metropolis. If you wish to attain the seashores by Playa 88th, there’s additionally a pleasant massive boardwalk sort resulting in the seashore!
As you might have guessed from our really helpful technique of transport for this route, there are only a few Ubers to be discovered all through most of Riviera Maya. It needs to be famous that Ubers are a little bit of a authorized grey space so far as this area is worried, so when you could often encounter one in Cancun, you may not wish to take your probabilities.
You are higher off discovering an sincere taxi man and getting their whatsapp quantity so you’ll be able to message them in the event you want a journey!
Playa del Carmen is outlined by its superb parks and unparalleled sandy seashores.
Some of the spots you don’t wish to miss out on are Parque Los Fundadores, the seashores in Playa Car, the various close by cenotes, and naturally the music and nightlife in fifth Ave.
A non-public shuttle will price round $70. This is nice for 3 folks and is one of the best ways to get from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen. A shared shuttle for 1.5-2 hours will price round $25 per particular person.
An airport taxi will price round $60-100+ and can take 45 minutes. We usually don’t suggest getting a taxi because the drivers are inclined to overcharge vacationers. We choose reserving our transport prematurely that method there aren’t any surprises.
Final Thoughts on How to Get from Cancun to Playa
And that concludes our information on tips on how to get from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, in addition to what you’ll be able to anticipate out of your journey.
Getting ripped off is a fast and simple approach to put a damper in your trip, so we hope we’ve helped you make an knowledgeable resolution on tips on how to strategy the journey. If you’re on the lookout for extra journey ideas from native expats like ourselves who’ve lived in numerous elements of Mexico, try our information beneath.
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