3 extra hours in Mexico City airport, any shopping malls nearby?
 

On our way back to the US from Oaxaca, husband and I have a 5 hour layover in Mexico City from 9:25 AM to 2:45 PM giving us 3 too many hours to hang out at the airport. We'd like to take a taxi to a nearby mall or movie theater, are there any close to the airport where we can go to and return in 3 hours? We'd appreciate any info...

That's a tough one, I was just through there and that airport is really boring and doesn't have many good shops itself, nor places to eat.

But the east side of Mexico City isn't the greatest area, I think there are a lot of bad neighborhoods over that way, so I don't think a lot of great shopping or malls. Shopping malls and big stores are more on the west side of town, Polanco, or the center, as far as I know, but I'm definitely not an expert. The airport isn't that far out, actually, you could probably just go into the center and back in that time frame by taxi, but I wouldn't be the one to say you should definitely do that.

I am not sure of u can store you'd baggage at the DF airport. Probably not. So you will be hauling your luggage too. With 3 hrs u could go to the Zocalo area of the DF. There you could see the cathedral, the natl bldg where the residents resides and where the Diego Rivera murals are, and the Templo Mejor ruins next to the cathedrAl. Those are all right next to each other and they are 15 minutes by taxi from the airport.

That should say where the president resides. Sorry, I am on a bumpy train ride as I am posting .

Hi Rosaga,

I agree with Christina, Mexico City's Airport is somewhat boring and doesn't have many good shops/restaurants. One of the best areas for shopping and eating is Polanco but it is totally opposite to the airport and as you'll arrive in the middle of the afternoon there might be traffic congestion. I used to leave in Polanco for many years and going to the airport sometimes took me 50 minutes and sometimes 20 minutes, so it is very difficult to say. I think going to the Zocalo, even if closer to the airport, take about the same time than Polanco because Zocalo it is a much more crowded area.

I think with 3 hours you have enough time left to eat or shop (probably not both, and certainly not visiting all the sites emd3 just said above) in Polanco/Zocalo but be careful to keep enough time to return to the airport. By the way, you'll find left-luggage lockers available in both airport's terminals. Also, you could ask at your airport's taxi to wait for you and take you back to the airport once you have finished what you've planned to do so you won't be worried to seek for a taxi in huge Mexico city.

Hope that helps!

Laurent

sorry I meant *middle of the morning*

We stayed at a hotel at the airport for one short night and took a taxi to the Zocalo on a Sunday afternoon. The trip there took about 20 minutes. The return trip took an hour because of heavy traffic. Fortunately, we weren't in a hurry! I don't know what traffic will be like mid-morning for you... and yes, I am sad to agree that the Mexico City airport is no fun.

Our hotel was inside the terminal, one of a few like that--perhaps you could check in for a few hours and rest?? Or just sit in the lobby, have lunch??

Check with toursbylocals.com. They have an "airport layover" tour. Friends used them recently and were very pleased.

Thank you all for all your responses, they were very helpful. It definitely appears that three hours are not enough to comfortably leave and tour any part of the city. It seems it'd be best to stay in Mexico City for the night and fly out the next morning; next time...

I wonder if you could go to one of the airport hotels--as I recall, there are a couple linked to the terminals by short walkways--and ask at the front desk about a nearby mall where you can kill a few hours? Maybe there is someplace you could go that we don't know about because it's not frequented by tourists? Not as much fun perhaps as touring the Zocalo, but a lot better than lurking in that airport...

There is apparently some good eating inside the airport; I'll be there in a couple of months and have asked around, as this will be first trip back in a number of years. I will post more info when I find it again, but in the meantime, here is the airport link to the food offerings:



http://www.aicm.com.mx/pasajeros/compras/alimentos

I think good eating in any airport is a matter of opinion, but I hate spending the money in airports as they are so overpriced and I don't usually plan to be there for meals. Most of the stuff there was very overpriced and bad foodwise in terms of snacks, but I didn't want to eat in a regular restaurant, so they might have been okay. It would kill some time, anyway.

Here is the option in Tours by Locals
http://www.toursbylocals.com/Mexico-...t-layover-tour

It seems to me that airports have improved their food options considerably in the past several years, so I can believe there are good places to eat at the Mexico City airport.

Trvlmaven, that is a great link to Tours by Locals. Thanks for posting it. I have seen many posts here looking for guides in Mexico City, and I see there are local guides profiled in several Mexican cities and town! not to mention all the other countries covered.

Tours by local is great. . .so glad I discovered them. Great personalized service.

Unless you love paying taxi fare, in each terminal is a MetroBus machine. $30 pesos (US$2) to the Zocalo. It takes 30 minutes. Bus stop outside door closest to that machine. About a 5-minute wait. Enjoy!