Greetings, fellow adventurers! The prospect of exploring two distinct nations with diverse cultures, languages, ethnicities, laws, and people is indeed enticing.
Did you know that only 16 miles separate San Diego from Mexico City? For U.S. citizens, accessing Mexico City is typically straightforward, although they may encounter extended wait times at customs upon their return journey.
Planning a day trip from San Diego to Mexico City? Look no further! This article will provide you with all the details you need to make your journey seamless and memorable.
Day Trip To Mexico City From San Diego
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Wondering about the most budget-friendly way to travel from San Diego to Mexico City? Believe it or not, walking could be the cheapest option.
Surprised? It’s not as far as you might think. The distance between the two cities is just 16 miles, or approximately 26 kilometers. However, walking directly to Mexico City isn’t feasible. Let’s explore other transportation options!
How To Reach Mexico From San Diego
Walking, your first stop will be Tijuana. There is a total of four pedestrian points where visitors can cross the border from San Deigo County, into the main metro area- Ped West. All you need to do is park your vehicle in the U.S. and the best way to do that would be to park it at some free public lots next to Trolley Stations from 8th street to Beyer Boulevard.
The fare for which would be $2.50 unless you qualify for some exemptions like senior/ disability/ medical rate-you will be charged $1.25.
Well, after you reach there just use the footbridge and if use a car to reach there it is just a matter of time but on the way back customs consume time.
Well once you enter Mexico (the country), you can reach Mexico City via flight, bus or car.
Mexico To San Diego By Flights
Flight will be the fastest way to reach. As it takes it takes 5 to 7 hours to reach there. Surprisingly it is also the cheapest way.
Plus, for your information there is no direct bus from Tijuana to Mexico City. Also, it consumes more time like 28 to 31 hours. Which I’m sure, is not an option for a day trip.
How far is it from (the distance between) Tijuana to Mexico City?
It is 2297 km generally and by road it is 2767.5 km.
FARE of Flight Tickets from Tijuana to Mexico City?
927 Mexican Pesos to 4912 Mexican Peso
THING TO NOTE: there is a time difference of 2 hours between Tijuana and Mexico City.
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Day Trip Mexico City
Now, let’s talk about the CITY OF PALACES. Mexico City is also the Capital city of Mexico Country. The city is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world. The city is built upon the ruins of the AZTEC capital. It is the largest city in North America and it is also world’s largest Spanish Speaking city.
FARE, ROUTES, and TIMINGS of DIFFERENT MODES of TRANSPORTATION FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER IN THE MEXICO CITY: PLACES TO VISIT (INCLUDED)
It is a huge place, and driving is not an option here to see it because of people and drivers here not following traffic rules or laws. And especially if you do not understand Spanish or speak it, it is going to be hard. And the fact that the tourist places are scattered throughout the city. But don’t worry, the city’s map on the metros and buses are aided with the colored maps keeping the huge number of illiterate populations here.
The city has number of public transport alternatives. The government operates the Metro and Metro-buses which are cheap and reliable. The only drawback to these is the CROWD during rush hours.
The city government also operates light rail line, RTP bus system and electronic trolleybuses. The private buses, vans and minibuses are also available at fair prices, which I am gonna discuss in the following paragraphs, stick to the end, I assure you to provide you with every possible important detail and information.
These are comparatively less reliable and safe but take you to a greater number of destinations. Most of the routes are only accessible via mexi-buses or vans.
How to identify the official taxis in Mexico?
The official taxis are painted in white and magenta and have a red box in the center lower area of the license plate that read TAXI in bold letters.
You are advised to use only these kinds of taxis or sitio taxis or to avoid any kind of difficulty have a hotel call you a taxi. In this era of internet and smartphones you can also take help of ridesharing services of Uber and Cabify, this can be more helpful given the fact that you can put your destination in advance and pay with credit card. There are two websites which can help you plan the trip within the city.
Metro in Mexico
It is one of the largest subways in the world, with 12 lines and measures around 120 miles and carries 4.4 million people everybody. Line 1, 2 and 3 are the busiest lines during the rush hours on weekdays like 7 AM – 9 AM in during the morning and 5 PM – 7 PM during the evening. Despite this it is relatively quick and efficient.
As if you miss a train you need to wait until another comes but Metro can be the quickest solution to this. The food stalls are available in and outside the station. So, you need not to worry about your appetite for a day trip, you can catch up with it. Some state-sponsored artwork and exhibits are also on display to look around.
The operating time of Metro In Mexico are:
- 5 AM – Midnight (On weekdays)
- 6 AM – Midnight (On Saturdays)
- 7 AM – Midnight (On Sundays)
Line 1: It is pink in color so that you can identify it easily. It runs through many tourist spots like Centro Historico, the
Chapultepec Forest, Condesa, etc. These covers places like Salto Del, Agua, Isabel la Catolica, Pino Suarez, Sevilla, Observatorio and San Lazaro.
Line 2: It is blue in color. It runs through Centro Historico covering places like Allende, Zocalo and Bellas Artes.
Line 3: It is green in color. It runs through Coyoacan covering Miguel Angel de Quevedo and University City – Copilco and Ciudad Universitario.
Line 5: It is yellow in color. As you are going to travel to and from airport, you will want to use it. It connects you to the international airport.
What is the fare?
The fare to most of the stations is not more than M$5 (Spanish dollar).
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Buses In Mexico
Generally, there are two kinds of buses. The first is RTP operated by the government as I mentioned earlier in this article. The other one is Ecobus. RTP buses are orange and green in color. Ecobus buses as the name suggests, is green in color.
What is the bus fare to any station/ route/ stop in Mexico?
Well, surprisingly it is just M$2 anywhere you go (RTP).
And Ecobus costs you m$4 to M$5.
Well, the second category of buses are known as Microbuses and peseros.
These are private and come in different sizes and routes and fares.
What is the Fare of Microbuses and peseros?
For smaller size buses-It is M$4 for shorter trips. M$4.50 for 6-12 km. It is M$5 for more than 12 km.
For full-sized buses it is M$5 for shorter and M$6 for longer trips.
If you travel by microbuses there is a benefit that it stops anywhere as long as it is not under the vigilance of police and all the buses are supposed to stop at every bus stop. The smaller buses are just willing to stop at any big intersection. So, a trip is not that hard here if you are planning that.
RTP buses are much safer and reliable than microbuses due to safety issues and the latter is prone to robbery too.
All the buses show signs on windshields of stoppages which it is going to cover so if you wanna catch up metro, wait for the bus showing capital bold M followed by the station name.
Buses can also be crowded during rush hours so be just more careful. There is usually a button just above or near the rear door in case you miss your stop or you can just shout BAJAN pronouncing it (BAH-han)- it works.
Metrobus In Mexico
It is a BRT system operates through seven lanes/ routes, covering Condesa/ Roma area (Line 1), Del Valle and Centro Historico (Line 3), Line 4 runs to and from airport (terminals 1 and 2) which also passes through Centro Historico. It is safe and as usual can be crowded.
What is the fare?
Most of the routes’ costs around M$6, while the route to and from airport costs around M$30.
You will require a smart card which can be refilled if you wanna ride on this. These cards can also be used in Metro, Tren and Ligero. The cards can be bought from convenience stores. You can buy the card at 7-Eleven shop (both terminals) if you have just arrived and want to take bus from airport.
Metrobuses usually stops every 500 m (except on Line 1, due to the rush hours). Otherwise, this can be the fastest mode to cover the city in a day trip.
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Mexibus In Mexico
It is mostly similar to the above kind. There are 3 lines that costs you around M$ 6. But this requires a different kind of smart cards. It is reasonably safe (except occasional robbery and pickpocketing).
Light Rail In Mexico
It is operated by ETS. Line 1, runs to Xochimilco from Tasquen Metro station. For tourists as me and you it is useful if you plan to visit Xochimilco, the Dolres Olmedo Museum, the Anahuacalli Museum and/ or the Azteca Stadium.
Wha is the Fare?
It costs you M$ 3 for every single ride. The ticket system is similar to Metro but it on booth.
Trolley Bus In Mexico
It is also operated by ETS. There are 15 trolley bus lines covering around 400 km. These are not usually as crowded as other modes and are comfortable plus reliable. The only drawback is that it can be a little slower than other regular bus services.
What is the fare?
The fare may vary from M$ 2 to MS4.
Taxi In Mexico
There are 2.50 lac registered cabs in the
city alone. It is one of the most efficient ways/ modes.
What is the price/ fare?
It is fixed and affordable. To get into the taxi it costs you M$ 8.6 and M$ 1.14 every 45 seconds thereafter.
The point to keep in mind is that if you get into the taxi in nights the costs are usually high. It goes on a 20% hike directly. It is safe and you have multiple options if one taxi’s fare becomes unaffordable for you. Beware of robberies.
How to identify a registered taxi in Mexico?
Look for the license and match the photograph with your driver. It is usually somewhere above the windshield. Look up for the meter. The best taxi service would be sitio, these are bit expensive but more reliable and safer than others.
You can also consider radio taxi. This is much expensive but available all night. owing to the night risks this is recommended during nights as it is a day trip and you will want to return in a day.
While mentioning address to the driver do mention the district or Neiborhood names as there can be many streets of same name. Carry a map with you and be prepared if you are unable to speak Spanish.
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Double-Decker Tourist Bus In Mexico
This is one of the best options if you don’t have much time to visit all the places and just want to look at the city, consider this sightseeing hop-in hop-off bus.
What is the fare?
It will cost M$ 140 if visiting Monday to Friday. And M$ 165 on Saturdays and Sundays. There is a provision of half price for children. The ticket is valid for all routes.
Consider planning your trip on weekends to avoid rush hours in morning and evening. And if want to avoid rush on weekends, visit it between Monday to Friday after rush hours.
The main route covers places like- Zona Rosa, Polanco, Roma, Historic Center, Condesa, Chapultepec Park.
The other route runs through south, north and west., covering Fuente de le Cibeles (Condesa), Coyoacan, Xochimilco, Circuitos Polanco, Chapultepec, Circuitos Basilica, Tlatelolco and Basilica de Guadalupe.
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Car, Bike and on Foot Travel in Mexico
These are not recommended due to the lack of knowledge of routes and language. Totally on your own rationale.
MUST-SEE SITES in Mexico Centro Historico, Chapultec Park, Xochimilco. The city has a lot more to offer but then one day trip cannot include everything on the list. You will sure wanna come again here to this captivating beauty. Well, that is it. This is all. There are the routes, prices/costs/ fare and places it covers along with the timing.
To conclude, Mexico is the second-largest city in the world, so you better visit the most attractive places. It has something to offer to everyone for every budget. There are no beaches in the city though. But if you are fond of history, art and culture, this is going to be a perfect trip with lifetime memories.
Hope this helps you plan a hassle-free under budget one day trip to Mexico City from San Diego with all the routes, fare, and transportation modes details.
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