Flying into CZM for Cancun vacation?

[M&M]

We're still trying to lock down airfare and I've found a flight coming into Cozumel but departing from CUN that would save me $150/person.
If we went this route, what would our options be for getting to our hotel in Cancun from the Cozumel airport?
Any ideas on cost?

 

[musictom]

In order to get to Cancun, you'd have to do the following:

1. Take a cab from the Cozumel airport to the ferry terminal (about $14, if I remember correctly)

2. Take the ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen (there is NO ferry from CZM to CUN). For rates, check http://www.granpuerto.com.mx/en/

3. Take ground transportation from Playa del Carmen to Cancun. A taxi will probably run around $50. If you're adventurous, you can take a collectivo (bus) for (I'm guessing) around $4-5 per person??

It's going to take 15 minutes to get to the ferry station. You'll want to allow some time to purchase your ticket, etc. Probably 30 minutes. The ferry is about 45 minutes. A taxi will take about an hour to get to Cancun. So it's probably close to three hours in total.

The upside is that you get to see a lot more of the Yucatan than if you just flew directly into Cancun. You probably won't save a ton of money, however.

 

[PigsDad]

Musictom gave good detailed information, but I would add just a couple notes.

1) At CZM there are no cabs, just shared vans. You buy a ticket at the counter in the airport and outside they will direct you to a van. Sometimes you will have to wait a bit for the van to fill up, and once you get going the van may make some other stops first. But overall a very easy experience.

2) On windy days, the ferry can get very rough. If you are prone to getting seasick, you might take that into consideration.

Kurt

 

[musictom]

Musictom gave good detailed information, but I would add just a couple notes.

1) At CZM there are no cabs, just shared vans. You buy a ticket at the counter in the airport and outside they will direct you to a van. Sometimes you will have to wait a bit for the van to fill up, and once you get going the van may make some other stops first. But overall a very easy experience.

2) On windy days, the ferry can get very rough. If you are prone to getting seasick, you might take that into consideration.

Kurt

Yes, both excellent points! We've been so jaded by sellers in airports masquerading as TS salespeople, we walked past the airport counter in CSM, figuring we'd get our own taxi. Of course, after talking to the van drivers out there, we sheepishly made our way back into the airport and bought our tickets.

 

[jlp879]

There are 3 ferry companies offering daily service to Cozumel/Playa del Carmen.
I believe Barcos Caribe is the lowest fare at 135 pesos one way.

Barcos Caribe
http://www.barcoscaribe.com/tarifas.html

Ultramar
http://www.granpuerto.com.mx/en/

Mexico Waterjets
mexicowaterjets.com

From the ferry pier, the ADO bus terminal is less than a five minute walk. From there, there are buses direct to downtown Cancun that run about every half hour. The cost is between 60 to 95 pesos depending on the level of service the bus offers. I think with the higher rate the bus is wifi enabled.
http://www.ado.com.mx/ado/index.jsp

The service is fast and direct, with just one very brief stop in Puerto Morales. From the downtown bus station you would either cab it to your hotel or hop on the local bus.

 

[M&M]

In order to get to Cancun, you'd have to do the following:

1. Take a cab from the Cozumel airport to the ferry terminal (about $14, if I remember correctly)

2. Take the ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen (there is NO ferry from CZM to CUN). For rates, check http://www.granpuerto.com.mx/en/

3. Take ground transportation from Playa del Carmen to Cancun. A taxi will probably run around $50. If you're adventurous, you can take a collectivo (bus) for (I'm guessing) around $4-5 per person??

It's going to take 15 minutes to get to the ferry station. You'll want to allow some time to purchase your ticket, etc. Probably 30 minutes. The ferry is about 45 minutes. A taxi will take about an hour to get to Cancun. So it's probably close to three hours in total.

The upside is that you get to see a lot more of the Yucatan than if you just flew directly into Cancun. You probably won't save a ton of money, however.

Thanks for this information. Still haven't settled on a flight yet.
I realize this is more complicated than flying straight to CUN, but with 5 people saving $150 each on airfare, I figure it is worth exploring the possibility. Even with the extra costs, I should be able to save at least $500 this way, and its a direct flight, so even with the extra time on the ground we'd arrive at our hotel about 5 hours earlier too.

 

[musictom]

Thanks for this information. Still haven't settled on a flight yet.
I realize this is more complicated than flying straight to CUN, but with 5 people saving $150 each on airfare, I figure it is worth exploring the possibility. Even with the extra costs, I should be able to save at least $500 this way, and its a direct flight, so even with the extra time on the ground we'd arrive at our hotel about 5 hours earlier too.

You might also save some time, as customs should be shorter in the CZM airport vs. CUN. With CUN, it's always a roll of the dice: sometimes we've breezed through in 15 minutes; other times, we stop at the top of the staircase and have waited 2 hours.

Assuming you're not exhausted and wanting to get to the hotel, you could also turn this into a bit of a sightseeing trip. Unfortunately, Playa del Carmen seems to be quickly losing its charm, as more and more space is being bought up by corporate developers (still sad my favorite gelato shop is no gone). But if you did take a taxi, you could ask your driver to take you through Puerto Morelos. It's a beautiful quiet little town, and from what others have told me, is what PDC was like 20 years ago. Or, once you're at the ferry terminal, you can hire a taxi to give you a quick tour of Cozumel itself. It's a beautiful island as well.

If you fly into CUN, you'll get into a taxi/hotel shuttle, and all you'll see is a metropolitan city. By going CZM-PDC-CUN, you get to see a lot more of what the Yucatan peninsula is really like.

Have fun, and please let us give us a report when you return!

 

[dioxide45]

From the ferry pier, the ADO bus terminal is less than a five minute walk. From there, there are buses direct to downtown Cancun that run about every half hour. The cost is between 60 to 95 pesos depending on the level of service the bus offers. I think with the higher rate the bus is wifi enabled.
http://www.ado.com.mx/ado/index.jsp

The service is fast and direct, with just one very brief stop in Puerto Morales. From the downtown bus station you would either cab it to your hotel or hop on the local bus.

ADO Bus is very efficient. They may or may not stop in Puerto Morelos on the way back. I think it depends if they have any tickets sold out of Puerto Morelos and/or no one to drop off there. On our return from Tulum to Cancun, after our stop in Playa del Carmen, we didn't stop in Puerto Morelos. I kept wondering when we would get there when we finally pulled in to the Cancun terminal.

Definitely efficient and comfortable service.