Travel
Preferred: Fly directly to Merida (MID). Take a 10 minute taxi ride to your centro hotel.
Budget Options:
Purchase airfare to Cancún (airport code: CUN). Upon arrival at Cancún airport, use an ATM to get pesos.
Option 1: Van from Cancun Airport directly to Merida: The airport van seats 12 persons and leaves the Cancun airport at 3pm daily, except Wednesdays (approx 4 1/4 hrs to Merida). It is 370 pesos per person (approx $28 USD one way). Buy a ticket at the ADO counter inside the terminal (after customs, but before leaving the secure area. (In terminal 3 it will be on your left hand side). It is quite comfortable with lots of leg room. It drops you off in Merida at Alta Brisa or at Plaza Bonita, beside the Fiesta Americana hotel. (Taxi's are available to your hotel, approx $3). Note: No bathroom, however they will make 1 or 2 stops if requested.
Option 2: Take a taxi or white shuttle van to the Cancún bus station ($10 or less). The Cancún bus station is clean, modern and bright.
At the Cancún bus station, buy a ticket for an ADO-GL or Linea Uno bus (express trips-bring drinks & snacks for ADO-GL--clean, modern, w/bathrooms, air conditioning & t.v.'s) to Merida (approx. 4 1/4 hours- $25 or $250 pesos-one way for ADO-GL and $41 or $410 pesos one way for Linea UNO). The Linea UNO bus includes drinks, m/f restrooms. Linea Uno's schedule is less frequent than ADO-GL. When you arrive in Mérida, a cab from the CAME bus station to your hotel will cost approx. $4 or less. **This route, though longer, if you arrive in Cancún around 10am-Noon, can get you into Mérida 1-3 hours earlier than most regular U.S. flights to Mérida. The Cancún to Mérida ADO-GL bus generally departs every hour during the daytime from the Cancún bus station. (Note: The regular "ADO" bus takes longer, stopping at towns and villages along the way. The ADO-GL is an Express First Class bus, as is Linea UNO.)
On your return, you would be leaving Mérida very early on Saturday, January 9th (ie: 5:15am or so) on the ADO-GL bus to the Cancún bus station. This should enable you to make a noon flight from Cancún to the U.S. (taking the ADO shuttle bus from the Cancún bus station to the Cancún airport-buy shuttle ticket there, again, shuttle bus takes 1/2 hr or take a cab, approx $10). It would be best to buy the ADO-GL or Linea UNO return bus ticket to Cancún at the Mérida CAME station a day before your departure from Mérida -- and reserve a good seat, if you have not purchased a r/t ticket.
Mexico bus ticket and schedule information: here
ADO-GL bus from Cancun, Qroo to Mérida, Yuc. CAME
General bus travel information for Mexico: here
January is the "high season" in Mérida and we suggest that you make flight and hotel arrangements well in advance, especially since the City Festival and Annual International Arts Festivals will be occurring during this time.
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