Transport from Cancun Airport

[ezmac]

Hi everyone,


It's been 12 years since I've been back to Tulum, but I got an amazing free flight to cancun for five days this march. Even though it's last minute, it seems like Nueva Vida has availability, which everyone on this site seems to like.

Here's a question for all you experienced folk: my flight gets in at 8:30 pm. How hard to you think it would be to drive that same night to Nueva Vida (or any other Tulum location, depending on what I book)? I'm wondering if it might be worth just staying somewhere in playa del carmen since it is such a quick and spur-of-the-moment trip.

Thanks-
Evan

[Gale in KY]

Welcome Evan! Driving at night is not a good idea..I know alot of people do it, but you never know what you will encounter in the dark on Hwy 307. Pedestrians in dark clothing are a real hazard, animals..and they have been doing construction too..I think you would be wise to spend the night and get a fresh start the next day. I know that is what I would do. You might want to consider Puerto Morelos..it is closer to Cancun than Playa and parking is much easier to find. Playa can be a real bear to find parking. There are several reasonable hotels in PM that would be suitable for a single night stayover and many great restaurants around the town square and on the beach for a good meal before you head down to Tulum. You won't need to hurry, chances are you can't check in to your Tulum hotel until 3pm anyway.

If your flight arrives at 8:30pm, by the time you get thru the airport and get your rental car, it could be closing in on9:30-10pm..and it could well be after midnight before you reach Tulum. Boca Paila Rd is not a great place to drive in the dark either.

[minniemex]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_3_36.gif to the board!!

You could also take the bus to Playa - & rent your car from there - & return it there on your way back & take the bus back to the airport - I would not drive the highway that late at night either - during daylight was stressful enough!

[ezmac]

Thanks for the quick replies... I've also heard there's a van transport that you can hire. Is that crazily expensive, and will it go all the way down to tulum?

[minniemex]

My husband & myself used one last Nov - Get Dita - it cost $140.00 roundtrip for the both of us - is it just yourself? or more traveling?? Just google "transfers Cancun to Tulum" & you will get alot to check out -

Just remember then, you won't have a vehicle, you will need to use a taxi for transportation - unless your plans are to stay put & http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_1_121.gif
How lucky to get free airfare & a last minute trip to Tulum http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_11_37.gif

[beachreader]

I really adore Tulum, but if I only had 5 days and wasn't getting in until nighttime the first day, I might consider spending the entire trip in Playa (except for day trips places). Easy to get there and back, and I wouldn't have to break up the already short trip by spending the first night one place, then part of the second day traveling.

On the other hand, if my heart were set on Tulum I would definitely pop for the direct transfer. GetDita or Best Day, I think they're both about the same price, $70 for two people one way ($140 RT), and I'm pretty sure they'll take you all the way to your hotel. You can sleep in the van on the way down and wake up in the morning with the beautiful beach at your doorstep.

[Gale in KY]

Get Dita is very reliable and a great option if you do not need a rental car for the entire stay. Let them do the night driving so you don't have to if you would like to go straight to Tulum. You can also take the bus to Playa, stay the night and get your rental car there in the morning before you depart.
I usually opt for short visits..4 or 5 days at a time, and would not have a problem in opting for one night in a location other than Tulum. What time does your return flight leave? The expense of the private transfer is likely to be equal to the cost of your rental car, or close to it, and will leave you needing transportation after you arrive in Tulum, with additional expense for cabs or rental car for the time you are there. Collectivos do not run on the Boca Paila Rd.

[firecop680]

I haven't used Getdita before so I don't know about them, but I have used cancun valet and they are excellent. I would agree though if you don't have to drive at night, I wouldn't. Wouldn't want to start your trip on the wrong foot.

[ezmac]

Thanks so much for all your replies! This website is exactly what I need right now to plan my trip!

So here's our plane itinerary: we arrive at 8:30 pm at night, and five days later our departure is around 4 pm. I'm surprising my girlfriend with this trip (she knows she's going somewhere warm, but just not where)--and we're looking to just relax, since we've both had a stressful 6 months.

So now I'm thinking about two options, and I'm wondering what you all think about them. The first would be just to stay the whole time in Playa. I was there almost 20 years ago as a little kid, and I know we stayed in Captain Lafitte, and also once at Shangri-La. Does anyone have a specific place to recommend? Is that area still as nice as it was all those years ago? Also, you can rent a car around there, right? So if we got a van down to Playa, we could rent the next morning?

The second option would be to go directly to Tulum using the van service. I doubt we'll do much traveling around for those four days anyway (maybe just to see the Tulum and Coba ruins)--would it be crazily expensive to have a cab pick us up for that quick trip?

And Gale, when you said the van service doesn't run on Boca Paila road, I guess that means we couldn't reach Nueva Vida that night?

Thanks again for all your help--I'm so psyched I found you guys!

[Gale in KY]

Evan..private transports, like Get Dita or Cancun Valet will take you directly to your hotel in Tulum from the airport. They are available 24 hrs. Collectivo vans are public transportation that run from Playa to Tulum but do not leave the Hwy 307 corridor. I don't believe they operate after 10pm. Collectivos are very inexpensive, locals use them alot for their own transportation.

Capitan Lafitte was due to close for rennovations and expansion but I don't know if that has happened yet. Shangrila Caribe is still there and still wonderful but very expensive imho. If it's only one night, you might opt for one of the smaller boutique hotels around Playa..there are a couple on the beach that are nice, and too many to name around town away from the beach.

I like Alahambra and would recommend it. Short notice you may find it difficult to find a beachfront hotel in Playa..but away from the beach there is always something available. Labnah is very reasonable and just a few steps away from the beach in what they call a beach block..not directly beachfront, but on one of the side streets that run from 5th down to the beach.

Luna Blue is another that is gaining popularity. It is a couple of blocks off the beach but has a beautiful garden.

Close to LaFitte is Kai Kaana. It is tehnically in Punta Bete (As is Capitan LaFitte) very quiet area with a nice beach. I have always wanted to check this place out..it is nothing fancy but looks very comfortable and finding parking wouldn't be an issue. Punta Bete is about 10 minutes north of Playa.

http://www.locogringo.com/playa/kaikaana.html?name=Kai%20Kaana

If you think you would like Cabanas, there is another place in Punta Bete that looks lovely, Cocos Cabanas. The owner is a 5 Star Chef..wonderful restaurant and this place is just darling, very well kept..it is a short walk to the beach.

https://www.travel-center.com/Hoteles/Hotels.aspx?Hotel=0024

[beachreader]

Gale, I'm pretty sure Lafitte's is still open because Petite Lafitte's isn't going to open now until summer at least and the deal was that they were supposed to try to keep Lafitte's open until the new place got going. At least, that was the case when I was talking to them in December.

And thanks so much for the link to Coco's Cabanas. I'd never seen them before despite walking that stretch of beach many times. Looks like it's right next to Ikal del Mar, the super expensive boutique hotel at that little pier, and maybe right south of Kai Kaana? There's also a great local restaurant right on the beach there, can't remember the name but we used to go there for lunch a lot when Kailuum was beginning to shut down and didn't offer lunch all the time.

EZMac, I've changed my mind for you (aren't you glad?), and I now think that I would probably take the direct transfer, at least one-way, and go all the way down to Tulum in one shot that night. That way your girlfriend will wake up to the amazing Tulum beach and you can say "here we are, honey!" It's much less impressive to wake up in Playa, even though it is a big fun town. If your main goal is peace and relaxation, I'd go for Tulum.

Though that Coco's Cabanas is looking pretty good to me; I'm going to have to do some research on them!

[felony]

Other places in Playa, that aren't too expensive are Posada Freud and Hotel Kin Be. Luna Blue is always a popular choice, too.

If it were me, I would try Posada Freud, right in the heart of La Avenida Quinta and about $70/night in high season. Met people who stayed there and they loved it!

[ezmac]

So I think, since it's such a short trip, we'll just stay at Lafitte (they have availability). That's still nice, right? I remember it being not quite as beautiful as tulum, but still pretty nice, and relaxing. If you guys know of whether that area has taken a significant dive in the last ten years, or whether it's pretty much like how i remember it, please let me know. Otherwise, thanks for everyone's sound advice!

[beachreader]

I haven't seen the inside of a room at Lafitte's in over a year, but it's still such a comfortable place. My friends and I walked up there along the beach from Playa in December just to have lunch and hang out with the guys. It was hit very hard by the hurricanes, though, so brace yourself for some changes. The TV room/library is completely gone, which is actually kind of nice because it opens up the view of the ocean for the rest of the pool. The drawback is the bathrooms that were there are gone so you have to go down to the office building.

All the small beach cabanas are gone as well. All the rooms are in the main two-story buildings and the newer three story building off to the side where Kailuum II used to be. Kailuum II's property is now completely overgrown with jungle--it's actually hard to see where the buildings were. Amazing how small the place looks without any buildings on it!

My only personal peeve with Lafitte's is the dinner included thing. I don't know how the food is now, but it was just OK when I was there, so I'd still probably plan on an evening down in Playa just for fun. It's an easy cab ride, I think about $15 including tip. Or I wonder if you can go down to that Coco's Cabanas place Gale mentioned earlier?

Lafitte's is indeed very convenient and a wonderfully relaxing place, despite the massive Mayakoba development just to the north. In fact, there's a PGA tournament at Mayakoba (the Greg Norman course) on The Golf Channel this weekend, if you want to try to catch some views of the beach or something.

If you get tired of lunches at Lafitte's, about a 15 minute walk to the south brings you to a cool little beach restaurant. All Spanish-speaking, so you'll have to figure it out, but a great little place. It's right next to (on the north side of) Ikal del Mar, the place with the fancy-shmancy beach chairs. Just on the south side of Ikal del Mar is the property where the new Petit Lafitte's is supposed to open this summer. Ivan Fuentes, the former manager of Kailuum II (currently working at Lafitte's), is working with them on it, so my hope is that it will combine the sensibilities of Kailuum with the comforts of Lafitte's. We'll see,right?


Say hello for me to Ivan and David and Jesus at the bar (the man makes a fantastic hand-shaken margarita).

[Nelms]

For me, the reason to go to the Riviera Maya is the beach, and the beach in front of Posada de Capitaine Lafitte is nowhere near as nice as the beach in front of Maya Tulum and points south. The main problem with the Capitaine Lafitte beach is that there are rocks under water -- either you have to wear water shoes (like wearing a raincoat in the shower), or you have to walk ten minutes to get to the "swimming beach," and even there you'll find rocks underwater. For a few bucks more for a private van and another hour's drive each way, I'd opt for Tulum any day, where you get a better beach and better food.

[AdGuy]

For me, the reason to go to the Riviera Maya is the beach, and the beach in front of Posada de Capitaine Lafitte is nowhere near as nice as the beach in front of Maya Tulum and points south.


I completely agree! The difference in the sand, water, scenery, and people is night-and-day between Tulum's shores and PDC's 'beaches'!

Typical PDC "beach"...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF0825.jpg


Typical Tulum beach...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/December2006TulumPictureson16MB067.jpg


Which one would you and your honey want to lay on?

[ezmac]

Pictures are worth a thousand words... I'm gonna go to Tulum, and scrap the LaFitte plan, and reserve a place at Nueva Vida.

Since you've all been so incredibly helpful, perhaps you can help me with one other thing. For 100 bucks, I can change this free flight so we arrive earlier in the day. So now I could rent a car and drive down there. I'm assuming it's way better to have a car, right? We'll only be there 3.5 days, but i'm guessing that things are far enough away from our hotel that it would require a taxi every time we wanted to eat at a different place, etc.

Again, so glad I found this site! Lots of fun, and lots of info.

Evan

[beachreader]

It's not that you would "have to" have a car, but it really is much more convenient if you wake up one day and decide to go check out some cenotes or something, you can just do it without having to plan it all out.

And I'm not being a shill for Lafitte's, but Lee's picture of the PDC beach is unfair to Lafittes, which is 5k north of there and not at all crowded. Lafitte's has only about one boat tethered to their shore, and while yes, there are a lot of rocks compared to Tulum, there is a very nice swimming area (no shoes required) about 50 meters from the pool.

But I'm not pushing you at all; I am a huge Tulum fan and would recommend that over all.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

[beachreader]

Darn it all but I can't find a good picture of Lafitte's beach because we always stayed at Kailuum. This is a picture of the Lafitte beach three months after Wilma when they were still closed.

So try to imagine this beach cleaned up of palm fronds, and this is the current Lafitte's beach. Not all crowded like PDC.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc38b3127cce9654037f9ac900000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS


I'll keep looking around to see if I can find a decent picture pre-hurricane, or more significantly post-hurricane.

[beachreader]

OK, one more from the archives. This is actually the beach at the old Kailuum II, looking north towards Lafitte's. Lafitte's beach was much the same, but with a pool (which you can barely see at the north end of the pic, the octagonal building is the L restaurant, right by the pool).


http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dc01b3127cce81e616a4e61f00000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS



Of course, I'm now practically in tears after looking at all my old Kailuum pictures, knowing that it is no more. What a fantastic place that was!


But yes, the Tulum beach is far superior to any of these pics. No question.

[Jessie James]

If we were going for 5 days we would get into the airport, take the bus which is cheap and quick to Playa... Stay there a couple of days. Then grab a bus to tulum and a cab to wherever we planned on staying and stay there 2 days and back to Playa for the final one. Then grab a bus again to the airport that final day after spending as much time as possible in the water. The nice thing about quick trips is you need to take next to nothing with you. Last year we were there for 16 days and we each had a backpack and I carried the one extra duffle bag. Even then I felt we had too much.

[minniemex]

Just a couple pictures of Tulum -

Nueva Vida

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/Tulum/DSC01101.jpg

Beach looking south towards Nueva

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/Tulum/DSC01094.jpg


Here is my take - beach & relaxation - Tulum
party & people - Playa

I can not say anything about staying at the Captain place, as I have never stayed there -

If you are going to Tulum, by all means rent the car - costs the same as the private transfer -

Is it $100.00 a ticket, or $100.00 total?? & how many hours do you gain??

[AdGuy]

"Here is my take - party & people - Playa"

Minniemex...to keep the illiteration going I'd say PDC was:

Pretentious
Polluted
Preening
Pompous
Pole-loving
Pitiful
PackedOkay...I'm sure I've lost any opportunity to win the PDC Tourism advertising account!

[HthreeO]

I moved to playa last february. with the exception of 3 vacationshave been there most of this past year. construction, construction. noise, dust, many spring breakers, nice private beaches north of town many locals. not within walking distance, i always drive. beaches do not compare with that of tulum. i mini-break day trips down the coast or up to isla when i want the beach sin touristas.

also, i drive at night up and down 307 to and from friends houses, after parties etc. driving is different in mx. all you have to do is go straight and make a left at a light with a left arrow in tulum then you are off the highway. am i just crazy? i don't think so. we all drive at night. perhaps my familiarity gives me comfort. i dunno. car rental for five days should hit you up for about 180-200$. freedom of the car to travel is great in this area. for just a little more than 140 you are the master of your destiny. i would not attempt if you are truly concerned. I am not a great driver in the states, but down here i have not even come close to being in an accident (well maybe in downtown cancun) because i am fully engaged in the driving process instead of on the phone or eating or both.
playa has all the points that adguy mentioned plus many more.

[Gale in KY]

I am almost ashamed to admit I enjoy a visit to Playa when I am down there..just not as much as Tulum. I usually try to have dinner at least once..have found several little places that I really enjoyed the cuisine and the atmosphere. :D

Once I get to Tulum, I don't hesitate to drive into town and back at night, no big deal really..but when you arrive it's alot easier if you can see the signs of the hotels...ain't no street lights along the Boca Paila!:rolleyes:

Jesse's right..On my short but sweet visits..and even the longer ones..if it doesn't fit in my cooler..it doesn't need to go!

[HthreeO]

gale why be ashamed? i love playa for what it has to offer. it is no secret that it is mexicamerica. walking distance to fabulous restaurants. comforts of home.international community. beach at your doorstep. great day trip location for people who live there. holbox down to belize easily accessible and diverse atmosphere. adult playground. just like anywhere though you get complacent and take for granted the gift of the present. nothing like a month of skiing outside of boulder to bring back the appreciation level. sharing my experience-going from horizontal beach fixture to muscle torture skiing needs some transitional exercising to get you ready if you aint a spring chicken anymore. found that out the hard way.:( tulum-whats not to love?

[ezmac]

The 100 bucks (total) gets me flights that don't require night driving, so I think we'll just pick up a car and drive down there (basically, we had this unbelievable nightmare of a flight last year that was the airline's fault, so they gave us two free tix).

So if I want the quickest possible car pickup at the airport, what's the easiest company to rent from? I know you all like Buster but since we've got such a cheap flight, I don't mind spending extra money to make it as quick and painless as possible (especially given how short our trip is).

Also, i have to admit I'm a bit skiddish about driving 307, just because this is my first time driving outside of the U.S. Some coaxing reassurances would be welcome.;)

Great Tulum pictures! Can't wait to go (March 14 is when we leave)!

Thanks again everyone!

[AdGuy]

Also, i have to admit I'm a bit skiddish about driving 307, just because this is my first time driving outside of the U.S. Some coaxing reassurances would be welcome.;)!

Don't sweat the driving...especially in the day, it's not much different than what you encounter along I-95, I-40, I-75, I-10 or whatever major highway is near you. It will test a variety of your skills (highway driving, rural navigation, congested areas, crazy drivers) but nothing you can't handle. http://www.33smiley.com/smiley/baddies/12.gif

As for car rental recommendations, you may still want to consider Buster (or another spot outside of the airport) as they'll pick you up and take you to their office on Highway 307. Once you have your car, it's a straight shot south down 307...you don't have to deal with the airport congestion and trying to figure out how to get to (and on) the main highway.

[minniemex]

I found this web site to be very helpful -

http://www.ontheroadin.com/roadmarkings.htm

I made a copy for us when we went - it really helped us to understand what the signs were saying http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_2_11.gifhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_2_8.gifhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_2_10.gifhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_2_31.gif- was kinda fun too - Have a great trip!!

[Gale in KY]

Well, not ashamed..that wasn't the right word..lol..it's just a world of difference in Playa and Tulum..but both are a great experience.

Driving..Ezmac..it's not that big a deal..I know alot of people make it sound like you will be gripping the steering wheel in terror anytime you drive with hidden dangers just waiting to jump out and knock you off the road..lol..Here's some basics to get you started:

Left Turn Signal: It not only signals your intention to turn left, but it also signals the driver behind you that it is safe for him to pass you. They do alot of passing in Mexico..which took some getting used to for me..cause where I live it is too hilly and roads are too winding to do much of that stuff.

Turning Left: If you wish to turn left and there is no turning lane, pull to the RIGHT shoulder and stop...check to make sure traffic is clear in both directions then make your left turn.

TOPES:Speedbumps from He!!. Some are marked with signs, some aren't. Sometimes called 'Sleeping Policia"..they all are intended to slow you down. If you take these too fast..you will wish you hadn't.

Traffic: Tour Busses and Taxis move at the speed of light or is it sound..well, they both go too fast and you need to watch for them..both behind you as well as coming toward you..get out of their way and let them go. Traffic is heavy around Playa..bumper to bumper heavy. There are also pedestrians, families on scooters..slow moving rickety dump trucks and pickups with 30 people in the back. You get the idea..keep your eyes open and pay attention.

Move to the Right: There is a narrow lane on each side of Hwy 307 that we would probably call an emergency lane, but in Mexico it is used to get out of the way of oncoming passing cars and cars wishing to pass you from behind.

The way of driving in Mexico actually works quite well once you get the hang of it.

Speed limits change without rhyme or reason, but they are posted..obey the limits, wear your seatbelts and drive defensively. You will soon be driving like you are a local!