Mexico City Travel Forum

My wife, daughter and I will be in the city for 3 days on the first week of May, after which we proceed to Merida. Since we'll fly Volaris, we'd have to get to the Sante Fe bus terminal to avail of the airline's free shuttle service to bring us to the Tolusa airport. May I know how much taxi fare and tip it would cost to get to the terminal from the zocalo? I know we shouldn't use the green VW ones (the 3 of us plus our bags won't fit anyway) so is there any particular taxi we should get? I read that there are 'sitio' taxis and 'turista' taxis...any difference?

Finally, I read that Volaris is a fairly new airline. Anything about it that I should know, good or bad?

Thanks for your comments!

whatever you do, do not hail a taxi in the street. either get it at the sitio or get the hotel to call a taxi for you. it may cost you a little bit more (perhaps about 250 mxp) but it is safer. this is one time you should not be budget conscious..
there are lots of things to do in Mexico city and with a little bit of care, nothing bad will happen to you

I've taken the bus in/out of Mexico City several times. Be VERY careful to keep track of your bags and yourselves. Before handing your bags over to just anyone, be 110% sure that they are authorized representatives of the company you're dealing with!

It's not a bus terminal you're heading for, but, rather, the office of the airline in Santa Fe where the van/bus will take you from to the airport in Toluca. From the Zocalo, a secure taxi will probably cost in the range of MX$100 - or less than US$10 (for the car-full of you). Ask the clerk in your hotel to get you a safe taxi to travel in.

I haven't traveled with Volaris myself but do know a lot of people who have (mainly for business trips) and they all have given me positive feedback about the airline. It's a 2 year old company which was founded by a group of very powerful businessmen (our biggest TV company is involved with it) and the planes are all new, so no concerns on the safety department. They say that flying from Toluca is very efficient too because the airport is very small and you don't waste a lot of time there or to come in/out. I even think that by the time you reach the Toluca airport your check-in is already completed (you do it before boarding the shuttle).

About the taxi service: yes, get a cab from a sitio (I'm not quite sure about the "turista taxi" thing but I think those are the ones you hire for a whole day or several hours at least to show you around the city.... so that's not what you need to go to Santa Fe) and expect to pay around $200 MXP for the ride. Mind you, this will depend a lot on the time of the day when you have to be at the shuttle terminal. If it's after 10 PM / before 6 AM they will charge you extra ("night shift"), but I don't think that's the case. Also, getting to Santa Fe takes A LOT of time especially during rush hours, let's say between 7-10 AM and 1-3 PM (lunch time), and the rest of the day there's still a lot of traffic (but less than at rush hours). There are only 2 ways/roads to get there so it gets pretty packed. You should allow probably some 90 minutes to get there from the zocalo, or MORE if it's during rush hours. And of course this will also impact the final taxi fare you will have to pay.... that's why it's difficult to tell you exactly how much you will have to pay. So I agree with cochinjew: be ready to pay 200-250 MXP and for a 90-min ride at least.

Hope you enjoy your trip...... cheers from Mexico City!

I use Volaris often traveling with my Son to visit family, and I recommend the airline is not only cheaper than others, but also a good one. there's no lunch included, they will only give you something to drink (soda or juice), chips (not too good) and cookies. So if hungry, plan ahead.
Taxi to Santa fe terminal should be around 200 pesos or less, request a taxi at your Hotel or ask for a "sitio" nearby. Make sure you arrive at Santa Fe terminal 2hr earlier than the departing time of your plane in the ticket.
In Santa Fe terminal you will do the check-in, it takes around 45-55 min. from Santa fe terminal to Toluca airport, once you arrive at the airport just go through security to wait for departure, is not necessary to pick up luggage or stop by volaris desk again, because you already did the check-in.