Public transport in Mexico City
How to get around in CDMX
Finding your way around a public transport system can be overwhelming, especially in a metropolis like Mexico City. While Google Maps is a good guide, the different types of transportation are confusing. There’s the metro, but there are also several bus lines and the cable cars. The system works well and can be navigated easily once you’ve familiarised yourself with it.
The different public transport lines in CDMX
Metro stations in Mexico City are marked with a logo that looks like an M on orange background. There is a separate area for women which is clearly signposted along the platforms. Above ground, there are several bus lines, for example the RTP (lime green), Metrobus (red), Corredores (purple) and Trolebús (dark blue).
The cable cars, or cablebús as they say in the city, are official transportation for the locals, not a tourist attraction. They are mostly in the outer areas of the city to reach the neighbourhoods in higher altitude.
If you’re taking the bus during rush hour, bring patience as traffic gets heavy. You can also expect a queue at the bus stop and the locals will point it out if you’re waiting in any other place than the end of the queue.
How to pay for public transport in Mexico City
For most of the busses, the metro and the cable cars, the fare is paid with the colourful plastic card, called Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada, that you can get at any metro station. The card costs 15 pesos (approximately GBP 0.65) plus the amount you want to top up to pay for the ride. The fares change depending on the means of transport: a metro journey costs 5 pesos (approximately GBP 0.20), the metrobús 6 pesos (approximately GBP 0.25,) and the cablebús 7 pesos. Some bus routes charge as little as 2 pesos. With the metro card, you only need to tap in when you enter the station. There is no need to tap out at the end of your journey.
Tapping a contactless card does not work. Charlie tried that on her first day in Mexico City and was lucky that the bus driver allowed her to get on for free. Once she had bought the public transport card, the first bus she boarded only accepted cash in exact change. If you’re moving around the city by public transport, it is good to always have some small change.
Uber in Mexico City
Uber is available in Mexico City and has worked well for Charlie. Depending on the time of day, there might be a longer wait time and car journeys take a while due to congestion. If you are taking an Uber from the airport, the driver will likely ask you to walk to a nearby hotel as they are not allowed to pick up passengers within the airport. For Charlie it was a short walk over a pedestrian bridge to the agreed meeting point.
