Getting around Mexico without a car: buses, metro and ride-hailing

Plenty of Americans live in Mexico without a car, especially in Mexico City, where the subway, bus rapid transit and cable cars cover most of the places a newcomer needs to reach. Outside the capital, car-free life leans on intercity buses, local buses and ride-hailing, with a new long-distance train in the southeast. This guide uses Mexico City as the main example because its transit agencies publish the clearest rules, and adds what the federal Tren Maya publishes for travel in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Mexico City: one card for most of the network

The integrated mobility card, called Tarjeta MI, is the key to the city's public transport. The Metrobus agency explains how to buy and top up the card at station machines and lists the limits that matter in practice:

• Machines accept coins of 1, 2, 5 and 10 pesos and bills of 20, 50 and 100 pesos when you buy a card, and bills up to 500 pesos when you top up.
• The card cannot hold more than 500 pesos. Metrobus warns that loading more makes the card invalid.
• Machines do not give change, so insert the exact amount you want to load.
• You can check your balance at station machines or in the Mercado Pago app, and Metrobus explains buying and topping up the card with a bank card or CoDi, Mexico's mobile payment system.

Carry two cards if you share trips with a partner. The card is a stored-value card, not a personal pass, and each person needs to tap in.

The Metro

The Metro is the backbone. The fare on the system's own station pages is 5 pesos per trip, and the same pages list free access for older adults, people with disabilities, children under 5, young people registered with the city youth institute and uniformed police.

Service hours on the Metro's station pages:

• weekdays from 5:00 to 24:00,
• Saturdays from 6:00 to 24:00,
• Sundays and public holidays from 7:00 to 24:00.

The city's visitor site answers a few questions newcomers ask. You can transfer free between Metro lines where they cross, but a transfer between Metro and Metrobus is not free. To find the right direction, check the name of the terminal station at the end of the line you want, which is shown on the platform. If one ticket window has run out of cards, the visitor site suggests trying another window or a nearby Metrobus station.

Metrobus

Metrobus is the city's bus rapid transit system, with dedicated lanes and raised stations. The agency states that transfers between its lines 1 to 7 are free within the first two hours after you enter the system, as long as you keep traveling in one direction. The trip to the airport's Terminals 1 and 2 costs 30 pesos, a higher fare than the rest of the network.

The airport route is one of the simplest ways to get from the airport to central neighborhoods with luggage, since boarding happens at a platform rather than on the street. Load your card with enough balance before you reach the airport station.

Getting help in Mexico City

The city government lists LOCATEL, its citizen service line, at *0311. The Metro publishes its own contact center numbers and a WhatsApp line on every page of its site, and Metrobus publishes its user service phone and office hours. Save these numbers before you need them, especially for lost property.

Long-distance trains: the Tren Maya

Mexico's passenger rail network is small, but the Tren Maya now runs across the Yucatan Peninsula and neighboring states. Its official FAQ lists the sales channels: the official booking website, the Tren Maya mobile app, WhatsApp, phone, station ticket offices and ticket machines.

Rules worth knowing before you book, from the same FAQ:

• A ticket covers only the route and destination you bought. If you get off at an intermediate station, the ticket is considered used and you must buy a new one to continue.
• Date or time changes must be requested at least 48 hours ahead, by email, with a maximum of one change per ticket on the same route and passenger.
• Refunds apply only for causes attributable to the service, such as cancellation, delays of more than four hours or failures that prevent the trip.
• Luggage: up to three pieces with a total weight of up to 50 kilograms at no charge, within the stated size limits, plus a cabin bag of up to 10 kilograms and a personal item.
• Pets: one per passenger, up to 10 kilograms, in a closed carrier of no more than 60 by 35 by 35 centimeters, with a veterinary health certificate no older than 30 days, a current vaccination card and the train's signed responsibility form.
• Children under 3 travel free on an adult's lap, one infant per adult, and must be registered on the booking.

The train also lists intermodal transport connecting some stations with city centers and nearby airports. Availability varies by station, so check before you plan a connection.

Intercity buses

Outside the Tren Maya corridor, long-distance travel in Mexico runs mostly on intercity buses operated by private companies from central bus stations. Tickets can generally be bought at the station or on each company's website or app, and first-class and executive services are common on major routes. Fares and schedules are set by each operator, so compare on the operators' own sites.

The US Embassy's guidance for road travel in Mexico applies to bus trips as much as to driving: review the State Department travel advisory for every state on your route, since conditions vary greatly between states, and plan intercity travel during daylight hours.

Ride-hailing and taxis

Ride-hailing apps operate in Mexico City and many other large cities, and many residents use them for late-night trips or routes poorly served by transit. Taxis are regulated locally, so rules and fares differ between cities. Whichever you use, share your trip with someone and check that the plate matches the app before you get in.

Emergencies on the road

The embassy notes that you can call 911 for police or an ambulance anywhere in Mexico. On highways, the Green Angels, an agency of Mexico's tourism secretariat, answer at 078 and can perform small repairs, provide fuel or short-distance towing and give tourist information.

If you later decide you want a car after all, read Driving in Mexico with a US license: IDP, exchange and the test, and the rules for bringing a US-plated vehicle in Driving a US car into Mexico: the TIP and residency rules.

Common questions

How much does the Mexico City Metro cost? The Metro's station pages list a fare of 5 pesos per trip, with free access for older adults, people with disabilities, children under 5, registered young people and uniformed police.

Can I use a bank card on Mexico City transit? Metrobus explains how to buy and top up the integrated MI card with a bank card or CoDi at station machines. The card itself is what you tap at the gates, and it holds a maximum of 500 pesos.

Are Metro to Metrobus transfers free? No. The city's visitor site says transfers between Metro lines are free where they cross, but not between Metro and Metrobus. Metrobus line-to-line transfers are free within two hours in one direction.

Can I bring my dog on the Tren Maya? Yes, if it weighs up to 10 kilograms and travels in a closed carrier within the size limit, with a vet health certificate no older than 30 days, a current vaccination card and the train's responsibility form.