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By Air

Mexico City's airport, Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (MEX), is the main gateway to the country. The airport has about a dozen banks and numerous currency exchange booths (casas de cambio); Cirrus and Plus ATMs that disburse pesos; places to rent cellular phones; an Internet room; and a food court, pharmacies, bookstores, and pricey shops. A multilevel parking garage charges $4.40 an hour for short-term parking.

Free carts are available in the baggage-retrieval areas but they do not fit through the grid once you have cleared customs, so you must either hire a porter or carry your luggage yourself. The Mexico City Tourist Office, Mexican Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), and Hotel Association have stands in the arrival areas that can provide information and find visitors a room for the night.

Major North American carriers, including Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, America West, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways-Air France fly nonstop between Houston and Mexico City.

Mexicana has scheduled service from Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, and San Jose, as well as direct or connecting service at 30 locations throughout Mexico. Aeroméxico serves Mexico City daily from Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, and Tucson (as well as Tijuana). Aeroméxico serves some 45 cities within Mexico. Aerolitoral, a subsidiary of Aeroméxico based in Monterrey, serves north-central cities as well as San Antonio, Texas, via Monterrey from Mexico City. AeroCalifornia serves about 20 Mexican cities. Líneas Aéreas Azteca, which started up in 2001, connects the capital with half a dozen other Mexican cities. Aviacsa operates out of 25 destinations in Mexico and has direct and connecting flights to Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, and Las Vegas.

Airport Transfers

If you're taking a taxi, be sure to purchase your ticket at an official airport taxi counter marked transportación terrestre (ground transportation), located just after the baggage area in national arrivals and in the concourse area in international arrivals. Under no circumstance take a pirata taxi (unofficial drivers offering their services). Government-controlled fares are based on which colonia you are going to and are usually $14-$16 (per car, not per person) to most hotels. A 10% tip is customary for airport drivers if they help with baggage. All major car-rental agencies have booths at both arrival areas.

Taxis are priced by zones; figure out your zone from the big map on the wall (if you're in the central part of the city, you'll probably need Zone 4 or 5, which will cost around $14). To get to the taxi rank, head left from the arrivals area and out of the building. Touts stand at the exit; if you don't have a ticket in your hand, they will attempt to charge you more for the same taxi ride. Do not hand your luggage to anyone offering to help, apart from your driver, unless you're prepared to pay them a tip. Take only the yellow-and-white airport taxis.

Reaching the city center takes 20 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. If you're leaving from the city center in the morning, going against traffic, you will reach the airport quickly. In the evening allow at least an hour; count on more time in the rainy season.

Going to the airport, your taxi driver will ask which terminal you want: "Nacional o Internacional?" This question refers to your airline, not your destination. Be careful: some flights have code-sharing between a Mexican and a foreign airline, and check-in could be in either terminal. (Note that you will not lose more than 10 minutes if you arrive at the wrong terminal, since both share the same building.)

Taking the metro between the airport and the city is an impractical option. Although there's a station relatively near the airport, it's in a dodgy neighborhood, and there's no transit service directly to the terminals. Also, heavy luggage is not allowed on the metro during rush hours.

Information

Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (55/5571-3600; 55/5784-0471 for information. www.asa.gob.mx).

Information

AeroCalifornia (55/5208-1457; 800/237-6225 in U.S. www.aerocalifornia.com). Aeroméxico (55/5133-4000. www.aeromexico.com.mx). Aviacsa (55/5482-8280. www.aviacsa.com.mx). Líneas Aéreas Azteca (55/5716-8989. www.aazteca.com). Mexicana (55/5448-0990. www.mexicana.com.mx).