Nepheline

Last year we took the ADO bus from Cancun airport to Merida. It was okay, not great; it swayed quite a bit from side to side, plus we had to wait more than 2 hours after our plane landed for the next bus from the airport. This coming January we are returning to Merida. Our plane lands in Cancun about 2 pm and I believe the next ADO bus is at 4:15 (please correct me if I'm wrong). I've tried to find any other type of transport to Merida without luck. We don't really want to go into central Cancun to that bus station. Are there any other options that Fodorites know of?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Nepheline

cybor

ADO did get rid of a the afternoon bus.
We usually go by ADO and find them to be very comfortable. I've heard that Uber now runs from CUN to Merida. I also heard that it's something like 130. Not sure if that's true but you can punch it in to see what you get.
There are also a few pick up services but they run much more 300.
If interest, I'll give you the names of a few.

Rohelio

We have taken the ADO bus on many occasions from Playa del Carmen to Merida and have never had a problem with the Schedule or even less with the quality of service. You also have a choice of type of service. You can choose the regular bus service, the platinum or the signature series. Of course the price and the Schedule are not the same. Plus, the new highway reduces travel time by about one hour. The regular service (red bus) similar to Greyhound is top notch and has a washroom on board and I must say that I have never experienced or seen a bus sway from side to side.

Nepheline

Thanks, Cybor and Rohelio -
Unless I misunderstand (now and also a year ago), there is no choice of service from Cancun airport to Merida in the afternoon. If our plane lands at 2, it appears to me that the first bus we can get is 4:15 and there isn't a choice of service. Is that incorrect? That is the same bus we took in January of this year. It certainly wasn't terrible, but my partner noticed the swaying also and he isn't the delicate type. We'd be happy to pay for a Platinum bus if we could take it from the airport.
But mostly I'd be interested in just getting going sooner. After about 12 hours on the road by the time we arrive in Cancun, hanging around the airport for a couple of hours waiting for the bus seems interminable, that's why I was looking for some means of leaving the airport, say, closer to 2:30.
We don't use Uber.
I appreciate your responses.
Nepheline

Nepheline

Actually, I just looked at the ADO website in Spanish and I think I was wrong about the time -- it now appears that the first time we could get a bus from the airport isn't until 7 p.m.! I think we might have to take a bus into central Cancun after all....

Rohelio

You cannot take the bus from the Cancun airport to Merida, but you can take the regular service (red bus) to the main bus station in Cancun. In the high season, there is a bus that leaves for Cancun every half hour, same as Playa, every half hour. As you exit the airport, keep to your right and walk (about 100 yards) over to the ADO kioske to purchase your ticket to Cancun. You will see the red buses in the parking lot. The bus will leave the airport wether it is full or not.

Nepheline

Thank you, Rohelio -
About how long do you think it takes to get to the Cancun central bus station?
Can you explain to me how the taxi system works in Yucatan? We know a taxi driver in PdC and wanted to have him pick us up at the airport and drive us to Merida, but the rules seem to prohibit that. I don't understand Spanish well enough (and he doesn't seem to be able to explain) how things work.
Muchas gracias por su ayuda,
Neph

Rohelio

The logistics involved with your needs are simple as the infrastructure with ADO is reliable and constant. They are sometimes late but for 5 or 10 minutes only. You are looking at a half hour to get to Cancun central from the airport or 15 minutes if you choose to take a taxi. Many tourist make arrangements (private or otherwise) to get to Merida privately and as you will notice, there are dozens upon dozens of people at the airport exit just waiting to give you what you seek at an agreed price. In our case, we always ignore them and walk straight over to the outside ADO bus ticket kioske. I f you choose a taxi always ask how much before getting into a cab... and in Mexico , tipping (propina) is not necessary for taxis once you have come to a price.
Taxis in Quintana Roo work off a preset price grid, wether they abide by that is up to the driver. They all have a card showing the prices for different destinations (set up by the union). Every driver has this card in the car wether he shows it you or not.

emd3

I was at CUN airport last week. I took the ADO bus to Playa del Carmen as I do 8-10 times a yr. When I bought my ticket at the outdoor ADO counter I saw the signs posted for destinations and times buses were leaving. Merida only had "14:00" next to it. I asked the ADO clerk in Spanish when the buses are to Merida from CUN airport and she said there is only one bus each day and it is at 2 p.m. I asked because next time we go to CUN we are planning on going from the airport or from the downtown Cancun bus station straight to Merida.

Just reporting on what I saw and was told a week ago at the ADO stand there.

emd3

BTW, I don't know what your issue is with not wanting to go from the airport to the Cancun downtown bus station. It is an easy taxi ride, the station is not overwhelming by any means for Mexico, it is easy to buy tickets and get on an ADO bus, and the buses I have taken are nice to and from Merida.

Nepheline

Rohelio, Thank you for the explanation. It just seemed to me that our friend/former taxista was unable to provide a service from the airport. I was trying to read between the lines and it seemed that perhaps only certain drivers are allowed to pick up fares at the airport itself.
EMD3, thanks for recounting your recent experience. Since our plane is supposed to arrive at 2 pm, the bus from the airport is clearly not a possibility. My "issue" with not wanting to go to the Cancun downtown bus station is based on my inability to understand rapidly spoken Spanish. This past January, when we landed in Cancun and were trying to find out the next bus to Merida, the clerk at the information counter only spoke Spanish. I was tired and admittedly nervous and couldn't understand what she was trying to tell us. I'm apprehensive about getting on a bus where the bus driver probably doesn't speak English and going into what I imagined would be a large, busy bus station, trying to find the place to buy tickets and wait for the Merida bus. It now seems, based on information supplied by you and Rohelio, that it might be more manageable. Especially, if we take a taxi from the airport to the bus station. I have no fears about the buses, have done much research and they have a great reputation. It's just the transition to the bus that makes me nervous.
I really appreciate the information that you've given me.
Thanks again.
Nepheline

dopss

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