Mexico City is a sprawling, 22-million-person metropolis built on a drained lakebed, and getting around it is both easier and harder than you think. Easier because the public transit network is genuinely massive — one of the largest metro systems in the Americas, a growing bus rapid transit network, cheap ride-hailing apps, and an expanding bike share program. Harder because the traffic is absolutely punishing, distances are deceptive, and the city’s sheer size means that a “quick trip across town” can eat two hours of your life without warning.
We’ve navigated this city on foot, by metro, in Ubers at 2 AM, on rattling peseros, and once on a bicycle in conditions we wouldn’t repeat. Here’s what actually works, what to avoid, and how to move through CDMX without losing your mind or your wallet.
The Metro: Cheap, Massive, and Occasionally Chaotic
The Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro is the backbone of Mexico City transit. Twelve lines, 195 stations, roughly 4.5 million rides per day. A single trip costs 5 pesos — about 25 US cents — making it one of the cheapest metro systems on the planet. You buy a rechargeable plastic card at any station for 15 pesos (the card itself, plus your first ride), then top it up at machines or ticket windows.
The system runs from 5 AM to midnight Monday through Friday, 6 AM to midnight on Saturdays, and 7 AM to midnight on Sundays and holidays. Trains come every two to five minutes during peak hours, stretching to eight or ten minutes late at night.
Lines You’ll Actually Use
As a visitor, you won’t need all twelve lines. Here are the ones that matter:
Line 1 (pink) runs east-west and hits Chapultepec station, which drops you at the entrance to Bosque de Chapultepec. It also stops at Insurgentes, useful for getting to Roma Norte and Condesa.
Line 2 (blue) runs north-south through the Historic Center, with the Zocalo station sitting right beneath the main plaza. This is probably the line you’ll ride most.
Line 3 (olive green) connects Hidalgo (near the Alameda Central) down to Coyoacan and Universidad in the south. Useful for reaching the Frida Kahlo Museum area.
Line 7 (orange) has Polanco station, which puts you within walking distance of Polanco’s restaurants and the National Auditorium.
How It Actually Works
Tap your card at the turnstile, walk through, follow the signs to your line and direction. Stations are identified by both name and a unique icon — a grasshopper for Chapultepec, a bell for Bellas Artes, a cannon for Zocalo. This icon system was designed because many riders were illiterate when the metro opened in 1969, and it stuck because it’s genuinely useful when you’re navigating in a hurry.
Transfers between lines are free — you just follow the connecting corridors. Some transfer stations are short walks; others, like Pino Suarez or Hidalgo, involve surprisingly long underground treks.
Safety and Comfort
The metro is generally safe during the day. Pickpocketing happens, particularly on crowded trains during rush hour (roughly 7-9 AM and 5-8 PM). Keep your phone in a front pocket, wear your bag in front of you, and stay aware. Violent crime on the metro is rare but not unheard of — the same common-sense rules that apply anywhere in the city apply underground.
During peak hours, the first two cars of every train are reserved for women and children only. This is enforced, sometimes aggressively. Male travelers: do not board these cars during rush hour unless you want to be shouted off the train by other passengers or station attendants.
The trains themselves are functional but not luxurious. Air conditioning exists on newer trains but is hit-or-miss on older rolling stock. In summer, the crowding and heat can be genuinely uncomfortable. If you have claustrophobia issues, avoid Lines 1 and 2 between 6 and 9 PM.
Metrobus: The Surface-Level Workhorse
The Metrobus is Mexico City’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system — long, articulated buses running in dedicated lanes separated from regular traffic. Seven lines currently operate, and this network has become one of the most practical ways to cross the city without sitting in gridlock.
A ride costs 6 pesos. You need a separate Metrobus card (not the same as the Metro card, which is an annoying design choice the city has been promising to fix for years). Buy one at any Metrobus station for 16 pesos including your first trip.
Lines Worth Knowing
Line 1 runs the length of Avenida Insurgentes, the longest avenue in the city, from Indios Verdes in the north to El Caminero in the south. This is the line most visitors end up on because Insurgentes cuts through or near almost every neighborhood tourists care about — Roma Norte, Condesa, Colonia Juarez, and onward to San Angel and UNAM. It’s fast, frequent, and the stations are clearly marked.
Line 4 runs along Paseo de la Reforma, connecting the airport area through the Historic Center and out to Santa Fe. If you’re heading to the Angel of Independence or anywhere along Reforma, this is your bus.
Line 7 runs along Reforma too, extending the coverage toward Polanco and Chapultepec. Between Lines 4 and 7, Reforma is well-served.
The Metrobus is generally less crowded than the metro during off-peak hours, though Line 1 during rush hour is a sardine-can experience. The dedicated lanes mean you bypass the worst traffic, though buses can still bunch up at busy stations.
Regular Buses, Peseros, and Microbuses
Beyond the metro and Metrobus, Mexico City has an enormous network of regular buses, peseros (small minibuses), and microbuses that cover virtually every corner of the metropolitan area. These are how most working-class residents actually get around, and they go places the metro and Metrobus don’t reach.
We’ll be honest: most visitors won’t use these, and that’s fine. The route system is bewildering if you didn’t grow up here. Routes are indicated by hand-painted signs on the windshield listing major stops, and figuring out which bus goes where requires either local knowledge or a willingness to just get on and see what happens.
Peseros — the green-and-white (or increasingly, red-and-gray) minibuses — are being gradually phased out. They earned a rough reputation over the decades: aggressive driving, mechanical issues, occasional robberies. The city has been replacing them with newer, standardized buses. The replacements are better, but the transition is slow.
If you do take a regular bus or pesero, fares are 6 to 7 pesos. You pay the driver directly in cash (have coins ready). Tell the driver where you want to get off, or just shout “baja” when you see your stop approaching. There are no official route maps — apps like Moovit and Google Maps have gotten better at tracking these routes, but don’t expect perfect accuracy.
Uber and DiDi: The Honest Reality
Here’s the truth that every guide dances around: most visitors to Mexico City end up using Uber or DiDi for the majority of their trips. Not because the public transit is bad — it’s genuinely useful — but because ride-hailing in CDMX is remarkably cheap, door-to-door, and available 24/7.
A typical Uber ride within the central neighborhoods — say, Roma Norte to Polanco, or Condesa to the Historic Center — runs between 50 and 120 pesos (roughly 3 to 7 USD). Even a longer trip like Polanco to Coyoacan rarely exceeds 200 pesos unless surge pricing kicks in. DiDi, the Chinese-owned competitor, is often 10-20% cheaper than Uber for the same route.
Both apps work the same way they do anywhere else. A few Mexico City specifics worth noting:
Always confirm the license plate and driver name. This matters more here than in most cities. Fake Uber incidents are rare but documented.
Surge pricing is real. Friday and Saturday nights between 10 PM and 2 AM, prices can triple. If you’re going out in Roma Norte or Condesa on a weekend night, budget for expensive rides home or plan to take the metro before it closes.
Cash payment is available. Both apps let you pay in cash, which is useful if your foreign card gets declined or you just prefer not to put everything on plastic.
Traffic changes everything. A ride that takes 12 minutes on a Sunday morning will take 45 minutes on a Wednesday at 6 PM. The price doesn’t change (it’s locked when you book), but your time evaporates. Plan accordingly.
Taxis: Sitio vs. Libre and Why It Matters
Mexico City has two types of taxis, and the difference between them is not trivial.
Sitio taxis operate from fixed stands (sitios) — you’ll find them outside hotels, shopping centers, hospitals, and at designated taxi ranks on major streets. They’re dispatched by a base, the car is registered, the driver’s ID is displayed, and there’s a record of the trip. These are the safe choice. They cost slightly more than street taxis but still far less than Uber in most cases. You can negotiate the fare before getting in, or ask them to use the meter.
Libre taxis are the ones you hail on the street — the iconic pink-and-white (or now gold-and-maroon) sedans cruising for fares. These are cheaper, but they come with higher risk. Reports of libre taxi robberies and express kidnappings have decreased significantly in recent years, but they haven’t disappeared entirely. The general advice — which we agree with — is to avoid hailing libre taxis off the street, especially at night, especially if you’re alone, and especially if you look like a tourist carrying expensive gear.
If you must take a street taxi, check that the car has license plates, a visible tarjeton (driver ID card on the dashboard), and a working meter. Note the plate number before getting in. Better yet, use an app — even traditional taxi companies now have their own apps, and every taxi dispatched through an app has a trip record.
EcoBici: The Bike Share That Actually Works
Mexico City’s EcoBici bike share system has over 680 stations and 9,000 bicycles spread across the central neighborhoods. It covers Roma, Condesa, Colonia Juarez, Polanco, the Historic Center, Coyoacan, and several other areas. For visitors, a day pass costs around 109 pesos, a three-day pass around 177 pesos, and a week pass around 269 pesos. You register through the app or at certain stations.
The system works well within its coverage area. Stations are dense enough in the central neighborhoods that you’re rarely more than a few blocks from one. The bikes themselves are heavy, sturdy, single-speed cruisers — not fast, but reliable. Newer stations include electric-assist bikes, which make a real difference given that Mexico City sits at 2,240 meters elevation and your lungs will notice.
Is Cycling in Mexico City Safe?
It depends where. The central neighborhoods have an expanding network of dedicated bike lanes, particularly along Reforma, Chapultepec, and several streets in Roma and Condesa. On these lanes, cycling is pleasant and reasonably safe. Off the bike lanes, you’re sharing the road with buses, trucks, and drivers who view cyclists as minor obstacles. We wouldn’t recommend cycling on any major avenue without a dedicated lane.
Sunday mornings are the exception. Every Sunday from 8 AM to 2 PM, major avenues including a long stretch of Paseo de la Reforma are closed to cars for the Muevete en Bici program. Thousands of cyclists take over the streets, and it’s genuinely one of the best ways to experience the city. If you’re here on a Sunday, grab an EcoBici and ride Reforma. It’s the one day the avenue belongs to people instead of cars.
Walking: Better Than You’d Think, With Caveats
Mexico City is more walkable than its reputation suggests — at least in the central neighborhoods. Roma Norte, Condesa, Colonia Juarez, the Historic Center, and Polanco are all perfectly walkable neighborhoods with sidewalks, pedestrian streets, and enough density that you can spend an entire day exploring on foot.
A few things to know:
Sidewalks are uneven. Mexico City is sinking — literally, a few centimeters per year in some areas — and the sidewalks show it. Watch where you step. Broken tiles, unexpected drops, tree roots pushing through concrete, and missing manhole covers are all part of the experience.
Crosswalks are suggestions. Drivers in Mexico City stop at red lights (mostly), but a green pedestrian signal does not mean cars will yield to you in a crosswalk. Make eye contact with drivers before stepping into the street. Walk defensively.
The altitude matters. At 2,240 meters (7,350 feet), Mexico City is higher than Denver. If you’re arriving from sea level, you’ll feel it — shorter breath, faster fatigue, maybe a headache. Give yourself a day to acclimatize before attempting long walking days. Drink water constantly.
Air quality varies. On bad pollution days (check the IMECA air quality index — anything over 100 is unhealthy), long outdoor walks are genuinely unpleasant and potentially harmful. These days are more common from March through May. Check the forecast before planning a walking-heavy itinerary.
Distances are deceptive. The central neighborhoods look close together on a map, and they are — Roma Norte to the Zocalo is only about 4 kilometers. But 4 kilometers in Mexico City heat, altitude, and crowds feels longer than you’d expect. Budget more time for walking than you think you’ll need.
Airport Transport: AICM and Felipe Angeles
Mexico City has two airports, and which one you fly into significantly affects how your first hours in the city go.
Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de Mexico (AICM)
The main airport, also called Benito Juarez, sits just 5 kilometers east of the Historic Center. That proximity is both its greatest advantage and the source of its biggest headaches — the airport is hemmed in by the city on all sides, perpetually over capacity, and the surrounding roads are frequently gridlocked.
Metro: Terminal 1 has its own metro station (Terminal Aerea, Line 5). At 5 pesos, this is absurdly cheap. But it’s not ideal with heavy luggage, especially during rush hour when trains are packed. From Terminal 2, a free inter-terminal bus connects to Terminal 1 and its metro station.
Metrobus: Line 4 connects both terminals to the Historic Center and continues along Reforma. This is honestly one of the best options — more space for luggage than the metro, dedicated lanes that bypass traffic, and a 6-peso fare. The airport Metrobus station is outside Terminal 1.
Authorized taxis: Prepaid taxi booths inside both terminals sell fixed-rate rides to various zones of the city. You pay at the booth, receive a voucher, and hand it to the driver outside. Rates depend on distance — expect 250-350 pesos to Roma/Condesa, 300-450 to Polanco. This is the safest taxi option from the airport.
Uber/DiDi: Both work from AICM, though there’s an ongoing cold war between ride-hailing drivers and the taxi unions that control airport territory. Uber pickups happen at designated spots outside each terminal — follow the in-app instructions carefully. Prices are usually comparable to or slightly cheaper than the prepaid taxis, but surge pricing during peak arrival times can push them higher.
Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Angeles (AIFA)
The new airport, opened in 2022, sits about 45 kilometers north of the city center in the municipality of Zumpango. Getting to and from AIFA is, frankly, a project. There’s no metro connection. A suburban train line (Tren Suburbano) extension was planned but isn’t fully operational for most visitors.
Your realistic options from AIFA are authorized taxis (expensive — 800-1,200 pesos to central neighborhoods), Uber/DiDi (similar pricing but with availability issues since fewer drivers want to make the trek out there), or a combination of buses and trains that takes well over two hours.
If you have a choice between AICM and AIFA for the same flight, choose AICM. The location difference is enormous.
Hoy No Circula: The Driving Restriction
If you’re renting a car — and we’d gently suggest reconsidering that idea — you need to understand Hoy No Circula. This program restricts vehicles from driving one day per week, based on the last digit of the license plate and a pollution verification sticker.
The basic schedule: plates ending in 5 or 6 can’t drive on Mondays, 7 or 8 on Tuesdays, 3 or 4 on Wednesdays, 1 or 2 on Thursdays, and 9 or 0 on Fridays. Vehicles with “00” (double zero) hologram stickers — meaning they passed the most recent emissions tests — are exempt. The restriction runs from 5 AM to 10 PM.
During high-pollution contingency days (Contingencia Ambiental), the restrictions expand. More plate numbers are banned, and the restriction extends to Saturdays. These contingency days happen several times a year, typically in spring, and they’re announced the day before.
Foreign-plated vehicles and most rental cars are subject to Hoy No Circula. Check with your rental company about their vehicle’s hologram status. Getting caught violating the restriction means a fine of around 2,000-2,500 pesos and possible impoundment.
The Traffic Reality
We can’t write a transport guide for Mexico City without addressing the traffic directly. This city regularly ranks among the most congested in the world, and the rankings are earned. Average commute times for residents exceed 90 minutes each way. During peak hours — roughly 7-10 AM and 5-9 PM — major arteries like Periferico, Viaducto, Circuito Interior, and Insurgentes become parking lots.
What this means for you as a visitor:
Never schedule anything time-sensitive during rush hour. A restaurant reservation at 8 PM in Polanco when you’re leaving Roma at 7:15? You might make it. You might not. Leave margins.
Google Maps and Waze are essential. Real-time traffic data is the only way to predict travel times. What the map says is a 20-minute ride could be 20 minutes or 65 minutes depending on the hour and day.
Combine transport modes. The fastest way across the city often isn’t one mode — it’s taking the metro past the worst traffic, then grabbing an Uber for the last mile. A trip from Polanco to Coyoacan might be fastest as metro Line 7 to Tacubaya, transfer to Line 1, transfer to Line 3, and ride to Coyoacan station. Or it might be faster to Uber straight down Insurgentes at 11 AM on a Tuesday. Context is everything.
Weekends are different. Saturday and Sunday traffic exists but is dramatically lighter than weekday rush hours. If you have flexibility, save your cross-city trips for weekends.
Our Recommendations by Situation
Getting between central neighborhoods (Roma to Condesa, Historic Center to Polanco): Uber or DiDi. Quick, cheap, door-to-door. Metro if you’re on a budget and near a station.
Getting to the Historic Center: Metro Line 2 to Zocalo or Line 1/2/3 to Hidalgo or Bellas Artes. The Historic Center is well-served by metro and the streets around the Zocalo are mostly pedestrianized. No reason to sit in traffic.
Getting to Chapultepec: Metro Line 1 to Chapultepec station. The station exits directly at the park entrance. This is the easiest metro trip in the city.
Getting to Coyoacan or San Angel: Metro Line 3 to Coyoacan or Viveros, or Metrobus Line 1 to the southern terminus and walk. Uber works too but the southern routes can hit heavy traffic on Insurgentes.
Getting to the airport: Metrobus Line 4 if you have manageable luggage. Prepaid taxi if you have a lot of bags or it’s very early or late. Uber as a middle ground.
Late night: Uber or DiDi. The metro closes at midnight, and we don’t recommend street taxis after dark. Both apps work well at all hours, though surge pricing applies on weekend nights.
Sunday exploring: Walk and bike. Grab an EcoBici, ride the closed-to-traffic Reforma, and explore on foot. Sunday is the best day to experience Mexico City at street level.
Payment and Practical Tips
A few final notes to keep things smooth:
Carry small bills and coins. Metro and Metrobus machines sometimes don’t accept bills over 50 pesos. Bus drivers rarely have change for anything over 20. Uber and DiDi accept cards but cash works too.
Download offline maps. Cell service in the metro is spotty. Download the Google Maps offline area for Mexico City before you go underground.
The Moovit app is the best transit app for Mexico City. It covers metro, Metrobus, regular buses, and gives real-time arrival estimates. Google Maps transit directions work too but Moovit is more accurate for bus routes.
Metro cards are non-refundable. The 15-peso card fee isn’t coming back. Top up with however much you think you’ll use and don’t worry about a few pesos left over at the end of your trip.
Consider the Turibus only if you want a quick orientation on your first day. The hop-on hop-off tourist bus runs two routes covering major sights. It’s overpriced compared to public transit and stuck in the same traffic as everyone else, but it does give you a useful overview of the city’s layout.
Mexico City’s transport system is sprawling, imperfect, and sometimes frustrating. But it works. Twenty-two million people move through this city every day, and the vast majority of them arrive where they’re going. You will too — just leave earlier than you think you need to, keep your phone charged, and embrace the fact that in a city this enormous, the journey is always part of the experience.