Getting to Chichen Itsa
 

Will be in Cancun in mid-January and looking to visit CI. From the forum it looks like there 4 ways to do it: group tour bus day trip (seems short on site); rental car (sporting!); local bus (slow and uncomfortable); hire car and driver (expensive).

Can anyone provide the best means (cost/time) of traveling to CI from Cancun to optimize the one day experience? Anything to definitely avoid?

Your inputs appreciated, thanks, Richard58

I do not like group traveling but in this case it was ok. We stopped for luch in some kind of a colonial place I took my bathing suit and swan a little. Good luck.

I did a flight tour of Chichen Itza. It costs about $300 vs $55 for a bus tour but it is worth the extra money in my opinion.
You arrive in Chichen Itza a couple of hours before the many tour buses do from Cancun. Thus you see the ruins without it being swarmed with tourists (and when its still relatively cool in the morning).

The flight tour includes a private guide and a stop at a cenote to swim on the way back.

You might consider renting a car and driving to Chichen Itza directly to view the ruins. Then, drive to Valladolid and spend the night, enjoy the square and colonial ambience, have a great Yucatecan meal, and in the morning visit the cenote in town and then head back to Cancun. You can read more about Valladolid at http://www.yucatantoday.com/destinat...valladolid.htm

Road to Chichen Itza is toll road all the way if you want to drive-get there early and get good parking and beat the crowds...very doable.

Renting a car is the best way to go. And get an early start.

The toll road can really add up - what the guesstimate of the tolls? I have only driven part of the road. I'd plan on about $20-30usd for the tolls.

And order the Chichen Itza map asap from cancunmap.com.

Thanks to all for your input, appreciate your taking the time to respond. Looks like rental car is the way to go. Richard58

I also took the tour including plane ride and was very happy to have done so. Would not have been happy spending that many hours in a car or bus and found the flight well worth the cost.

This a follow-up to my original post. We did rent a car to get to the ruins, Chichen Itza and Tulum. Driving wasn't much of a problem except for the speed bumps which populate all the roads in the region, some of which aren't marked.

Although we had a hotel in Cancun for the week, decided to drive up the afternoon before our visit to Chichen Itza, get rested up and be there at the opening at 0800. Had a reservation through Expedia at the Hotel Chichen Itza in Piste at a reasonable price, < $100 US before taxes, less than 5 minutes from the entrance. We found our one-night stay quite pleasant, including the bar and restaurant, although I have read some critical reviews from other travelers after we got back.

We were leaving C.I. as the busloads of tourists were arriving, also had better light from the morning sun. Would recommend that approach to anyone considering a visit to C.I. Richard58