In this post I will explain all the possibilities that transport in the Riviera Maya offers you, analyzing the pros and cons of each means of transport. Traveling through this area of Mexico is not complicated, so it is usually not worth paying for the excursions offered by hotels to go to places like Cozumel or the Bacalar Lagoon.
If you are concerned about safety, I think that in this area of southern Mexico you will have a hard time getting into trouble. It is an area that lives off tourism so you can move around relatively easily without forgetting that as a general rule Mexico is a country where you have to be more careful than usual. Personally, I can tell you that my companions and I rented a car to tour the Riviera Maya for a month and we didn’t have any problems.
Transportation in the Riviera Maya
Keep in mind that in Mexico language is not a problem and you can talk to anyone about it. So I encourage you to venture out and get to know the area on your own and interact with the Mexicans, it will always be much more interesting and of course cheaper. I’ll tell you all the transports that you have at your disposal, you can book transport in Mexico here.
Car rental the best transport in Riviera Maya
The rental car is always our first option as it gives you total freedom to move around any destination and that for us is very important. In Riviera Maya there are good roads and you don’t drive fast so from my point of view the car is an option that you should value.
By car in Mexico
It solves the problem of transportation completely since you rent it from the Cancun international airport. I recommend you to use this price comparison to look for rental cars in Cancun, you can save a lot of money.
The only thing you have to be clear is if you prefer to pay a little more for a full insurance or it is enough with a third party insurance with an excess with which you will pay at most the amount if they cause damage to the car.
Bus
In Mexico there is no train so over the years an extensive network of buses has been created that make intercity travel. The most important routes are quite frequent and there are several types of buses in which the comfort increases with the price. There is a night schedule on many lines and on some you can even go lying down so they are a very good option to save a night’s accommodation.
Its operation at first may seem a little complicated since there are many different companies and some of them do the same line. The best way not to lose too much time is to book them online, so you can compare schedules and prices of different companies.
The Collective: a different means of transport
Vans are widely used to move around Mexico, both on urban and interurban routes. They are known as collectives and are an authentic and very cheap form of transportation, in fact they are mostly used by Mexicans in their daily lives. For the visitor it can be a very confusing transport through the cities since there are no maps to indicate the routes and you have to ask constantly. On the other hand, they are very practical for short trips between different locations.
Collective Bus in Tulum
There is a line that runs along Highway 307 that you can use to travel anywhere between Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. It stops in front of all hotels and in fact is the transport used by most hotel workers.
The stops are often not signposted so it is best to ask where you should wait. They happen very often, so when you arrive, get on quickly and keep in mind that you normally pay when you get off. We in Mexico always ask another traveler the price of the trip, it is the best way not to overpay.
Taxi, private transportation or similar services
Private transportation in Mexico is not expensive so it is an option that you will appreciate more than in any other part of the world. In fact I guarantee that it is what you will use most to move around the cities, especially if you are traveling with three or four people, since it is very comfortable, safe and easy to book.
You can stop a cab or a tuk tuk and get in it although even Mexicans don’t use cabs and if they do, they do so with care especially in big cities. You don’t know who is driving and sometimes there are robberies by cab drivers. We use the company Cancun Airport Transportation and feel quite safe at all times (if there is this service is for a reason) that for a little more money guarantees you total peace of mind in this regard.
You can also trust applications like Uber since the driver is fully identified and also require a criminal certificate to register on the platform, but currently Uber is not available in Cancun, so you’ll have to wait.
By the way, I recommend you the private transportation service to go and return from the airport loaded with luggage and even for some intercity journeys that are not many kilometers. Nothing expensive even between two people is very comfortable.
Ferry
The last transport in Riviera Maya that you should value is the Ferry. There are several islands in the area worth spending at least one day on, such as Cozumel, Holbox and Isla Mujeres. You can choose between making an excursion or spending the night in them, we recommend that you make at least one night to discover them a little better, to get to the ferry stations, we recommend you to arrive through a Cancun airport transfers, since it is not very practical to leave your rental car waiting for you or to pay to take your car through the ferry.
Ferry to Cozumel
There are many ferry services connecting the three islands to the mainland every day.
You can buy the tickets before taking the boat or online in the links above, be careful when you arrive because they will try to trick you with tickets for Mexicans, which are cheaper but not good for travel. Our advice is to buy them online or at the office of the shipping company itself.
And with this I think we have already analyzed all the transports you can take in the Riviera Maya. Now it’s up to you to decide if you want to venture out on your own or prefer the peace of mind of an excursion that picks you up at your hotel without any complications.
