MEX to Polanco hotel? Taxi?

Old Oct 1st, 2014, 05:20 AM
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MEX to Polanco hotel? Taxi?

It has been many years since I took the trip from the airport to the city, so I need a refresher course!

Should I get an official taxi (is t here a taxi line?) or book a car service ahead of time. If car service, can you all recommend any particular ones, and give me an estimated price?
Does not have to be the absolute cheapest, just the most reliable.

Any other information on arrival procedures will be welcome. I speak Spanish and will be arriving on AeroMexico in the afternoon.
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Old Oct 1st, 2014, 06:09 AM
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Take a taxi.

http://www.worldairportguides.com/me...sportation.php

I took a taxi from MEX to the Four Seasons a couple of months ago and don't remember the exact cost but think it was about $20-$25 USD.
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Old Oct 1st, 2014, 06:12 AM
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Ok, thanks...did you just get a taxi from the line outside?

Metered?
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Old Oct 1st, 2014, 06:30 AM
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No.

This is from the above captioned:

"The official airport cabs are available after exiting the baggage claim area near the far end of Lounge A and E, right next to the arrival gates, in special booths marked TAXI / TRANSPORTACION TERRESTRE (ground transportation). They are staffed by personnel wearing bright-yellow jackets emblazoned with TAXI AUTORIZADO (authorized taxi). These cabs should be yellow with a white taxi light on the roof and an airport symbol painted on the doors.

Buy your ticket from the clearly marked taxi counters inside the terminal and tell the ticket seller your hotel or destination. Ticket prices are fixed, based on a zone system and depending on the number of passengers. After purchasing your ticket, go outside to the line of taxis where an official taxi "chief" will direct you to the next taxi in line. Present your ticket to the driver. Travel time to downtown Mexico City is about 35 minutes."
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Old Oct 1st, 2014, 08:35 AM
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I have always used the official taxi, paying at the counter inside the airport (getting a voucher). They usually will sell you the more expensive "ejecutivo" vehicle (typically a SUV or van), but if you prefer you can specify a "sedan" which is smaller and less expensive of course.

Last time we were 4 with luggage so took the ejecutivo - flat rate to our Polanco hotel was I believe $350 pesos (in 2013).
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Old Oct 8th, 2014, 01:52 AM
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As said Weekender, the Taxis Autorizados are available after exiting the baggage claim area, or even just before leaving the terminal (so you don't really need to book anything). But please, do never take a taxi from outside, buy the ticket inside the airport. From the terminal there are several taxi lines, and I always had such a great service with Excelencia and Sitio 300, but I think the best was Nueva Imagen - I lived in Mexico (Nuevo Polanco) for 12 years and used to go to the airport quite often. The average price was about $240 pesos, so for Polanco's hotels area should be the same or a even little less! And for a SUV I think it was about 380 pesos.

Since I left Mexico last summer, I don't know if prices increased, but it shouldn't be that much.

Laurent
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Old Oct 12th, 2014, 04:41 AM
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Thanks, all. Seems very easy.
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Old Oct 13th, 2014, 04:30 PM
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Laurent, thanks again.

I have another question, about buses:

After a week in the DF, we will take the bus to Puebla on a Tuesday. I want to take the most luxuious service, which I believe is the ADO Gran Lujo, of which there appear to be several during morningn hours. Do I need to book this in advance and if so, is there any way except going to the bus station to buy the ticket?

Same question applies to the PUE-OAX bus, on a Thursday. Wait to arrive in Puebla to do this, perhaps at the station of arrival?


Many thanks!!
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Old Oct 14th, 2014, 07:08 AM
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On a weekday that is not a public holiday, just show up at the TAPO station and purchase on the spot for immediate (almost) travel. That is what we did and there were really no problems, we got on to the next ADO Gran Lujo bus (which was not completely full - maybe 80% full). Even if one happens to be sold out, there are frequent departures so it's not a long wait in any case. No te preocupes! (There is (free) internet on the buses by the way.)

There is airline style security prior to boarding, then usually a physical "pat down" of the body at the foot of the bus, and once on board everyone gets photographed in their seats before the bus is allowed to leave.

You are probably already aware that Puebla has 2 bus stations. The ADO from MEX arrives at the larger one on the outskirts of town (CAPU). I am not sure where the PUE-OAX one leaves from - you will need to double check that. I do know that the ADO buses going from PUE to MEX Benito Juarez airport DIRECT leave from the smaller station near the town centre (4 poniente).
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Old Oct 14th, 2014, 07:15 AM
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I forgot to add, we did purchase our return ADO ticket from PUE to MEX airport at the TAPO in MEX upon leaving for Puebla. Since we had a flight to catch at the end of our trip, we did not want to take a chance on NOT being able to get on the bus required for a timely arrival at the airport terminal.

All this to say that you may want to consider purchasing your ongoing ticket to OAX at the same time at the TAPO. Besides, with 2 days in advance, you will have better seat selection options
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 04:18 AM
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Thank you so much for the info….will buy the PUE-OAX ticket in DF, along with the MEX-PUE ticket.

Very excited about this trip!
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 04:40 AM
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To answer my original query about the taxis, there are, as mentioned above, several booths inside the airport where you can but tix for official taxis. Price is about 250 MP or so to Polanco, less to the Centro.
Then proceed to the outdoor taxi stand that corresponds to the ticket you bought. Easy to find just through the exit door.

Very important tip: Have the hotel, or destination address accessible. If possible, look at the city map beforehand. We never rode in a taxi with a GPS and never rode with a driver who offered to use a cellphone for directions. You can waste a lot of time, with meter running, circling around looking for your intended hotel or sight. One driver had never heard of Frida Kahlo House in Coyoacan. But after our taxi accident with him, we switched to a second driver who found it, after I assisted in navigation with my map!


So it is all an adventure, but make sure to allow time for traffic jams and confusion!

This was our experience during a recent week in the DF. My comments would apply doubly for those who speak little or no Spanish. If that is the case, make sure to bring a card with the address of the hotel, and ask hotel to call one of two types of sitio cabs; when we did this, we rode in the "economico"
taxis, which begin at 27 pesos, instead of the approximately 8 pesos at flag fall for most street hailed taxis. The second type are the white "hotel" sitio taxis.

There is a new law that mandates all street taxis to be painted fuschia and white. We saw both thst color, and the older gold and red cruising and sitio cabs. Airport taxis are yellow, and some hotel sitio taxis, which charge a flat rate by city zone and are much more pricey, are often white. For those, you can pay the driver and, as in our case, you can have the hotel charge your room for the trip.

Hope that helps!
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 04:51 AM
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One further comment: Never assume that your driver from MEX, or any other driver, will have heard of, or know the location of, your hotel. We drove around Polanco for about 30 minutes trying to locate Las Alcobas, even though I had the exact street and number. Try to learn the cross streets, and relax!
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 08:11 AM
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Shame on you! Subway and a walk through the Viveros to get to Frida's Blue House!

Will you be writing up the trip?
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 10:33 AM
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Why shame? for taking a taxi?
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 12:55 PM
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I am not ashamed for mostly using taxis to get around. Metro was a 20 minute walk from our hotel and we would need to make at least one change to get to most of our destinations that week. And taxi prices are quite reasonable....as low as 50 MP for a 20-minute ride, or about $4 US.
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 02:39 PM
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NoFlyZone = Humor impaired.

eks -- O.K., objection withdrawn. The Viveros is quite beautiful, though.
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 03:39 PM
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Thanks for the first hand feedback.

I am interested in knowing your general impressions of MEX, PUE and OAX. Up to expectations? Notable changes since your last visit (long time ago?).

Salud!
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Old Nov 9th, 2014, 04:05 PM
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Me too!
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Old Nov 10th, 2014, 04:12 AM
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Just wrote up a long post and hotel wifi dropped connection....annoying! Will try later, but will surely write about trip once we return....we have four more days in Oaxaca. Glorious. Biggest change in center are the reams of stalls selling low quality handcrafts that line the now-pedestrian stretch of C/M.Alcala north of Zocalo. And once Zocalo was for strolling and mingling, but now it is almost all covered by protestors' tents, more junky handcrafts, and food stands. We had seen manifestaciones about the 43 missing students, apparently missing no longer, but here the protest is on another topic, and not even sure it has to do with the teachers here in Oaxaca..will walk down later and investigate.

Teotitlan DV Now has paved streets, and some weavers have more elaborate showrooms along the road entering village.

LOVE Oaxaca. Puebla was big surprise and should not be missed!
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