What is the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen?
What is the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen? The answer is the Cancun International Airport (CUN). This is where the majority of visitors fly into when visiting the Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen. The only other airport that sometimes works for visitors to fly into is the Cozumel International Airport (CZM). The Cozumel Airport is mainly for visitors of Cozumel. It does take a taxi and ferry ride to connect with Playa Del Carmen from this airport. See our article on how to get from the Cozumel Airport to Playa Del Carmen.
The Cancun International Airport is a very modern airport with four terminals. Terminal 1 and 2 predominantly for national flights and terminals 3 and 4 are for international flights.
How long does it take to get from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen?
The Cancun International Airport is 55 km ( 34 miles) from the center of Playa Del Carmen. In a car this takes about 50 minutes to drive. It is a very easy to drive route with only one turn out of the airport and onto a four lane highway to Playa Del Carmen. By bus the drive takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
So now that you know what is the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen, you will need to know how to get from the airport to Playa. Below are options for you.
How do you get from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen?
Since the Cancun Airport is the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen, and it is in Cancun, how do you get to Playa? Here are several ways to get from the airport to your hotel.
Note: There is not Uber service in the Riviera Maya. Taxis have no set price and often cost more then a private transfer so we do not recommend them.
The BEST transfer service from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen
The most popular and recommended transfer method from the Cancun Airport is a private transfer. If you are flying into Cancun Airport and want to go to Playa Del Carmen to book with the best transfer company, here is a link. This journey will take about 50 minutes from Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen.
To check prices and book, just click the Reserve Now button below and this will take you to the official transportation website.
Take a shared shuttle to your hotel
Better than the bus option is the shared shuttle. Why is it better? For one, you get door to door service and do not have another step in transportation of taking a taxi from the bus station. These shared shuttles are small vans that are air conditioned and the company has over 10 years servicing tourists.
It is best to reserve these in advance since you want to make sure you have a seat and spend as little time as possible at the Cancun Airport. To book this option, click the reserve now button below and you will be taken to the official booking website. All of the details are on the website.
Taking the bus from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen
The only public transportation from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen is the ADO bus. Although not officially public transportation, but rather a private bus company, these buses go direct to Playa Del Carmen. The ADO Buses service all 4 terminals at the Cancun Airport. After picking everyone up there is only one possible brief stop in Puerto Morelos before arriving in Playa Del Carmen at the Juarez Avenue and 5th Avenue station. This is the only bus station they arrive at (there are two bus stations in Playa Del Carmen).
For more about taking the ADO bus from Playa Del Carmen to the Cancun Airport see our article here.
What we don’t recommend doing at the Cancun Airport
Starting off your vacation with a plan is always a good idea. Don’t arrive at the airport to try to figure it out as you go. Some airports are well organized and pretty straightforward. Cancun Airport does not have any official public (city run) transportation to and from the airport. There are also many people at the airport trying to get you to take a taxi, shuttle or sell you a vacation package. So it is best to know how you want to get to your hotel.
At the exits of the airport terminals there are people waiting to sell you somethings, mostly transportation. They can swoop down like vultures when they see people looking around. There are no set prices for taxis and services from the airport so touts are looking to see how much they can get from you. People that have not planned on what transportation they are going to take, often end up over paying for it.
So you pay a little more. What is the harm?
There is a convenience factor right? Paying $10-$30 more is not bad right? Well it can also cost you time as well especially if you end up going to some vacation package seminar. It also perpetuates the no set prices at the Cancun Airport and the touts that work to see what they can get for a price.
You also have to figure in your comfort and the service you get. The taxis at the airport are all small cars. After a long flight it is nice to have a large private transfer van for the trip to your hotel. If you take one of the shared shuttles you can be stopping at other hotels and add another 20-30 minutes to your transport time. Your vacation time is important, so make the most of it.
Now that you are on your way to Playa Del Carmen…..
Now that you are coming and know what is the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen, do you want to know some more for your trip? Here are some of our guides that can help you.
- Where to stay in Playa Del Carmen
- What are the best places to visit near Playa Del Carmen?
- What are the must do things in Playa Del Carmen?
Thank you for reading our article on what is the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen. Let us know if you have any questions or comments in the section below. We would love to hear from you.
About The Author
Hello from Japan! I am coming for my first time to Cancun. Thank you for the good information and details.
Thіs spring I am looking to book a flight to Playa Del Carmen. I have seen an airline Condor. I have never heard of it before. Do you know anything about this airline? Is it having a good reputation? The prioces look good.
Hello Gerald
Condor airline is the same as Thompson Airline. It is a charter flight type of company that does package tours and flights. You can book just a flight with them and you can score some good deals into Cancun Airport. Most of the flights are from the UK to Cancun or vice versa. Most of the time the flights are a la cart which means some services are not included, so check details about entertainment and meals.
Even though the Cancun Airport is not in Playa del carmen it is still quick to get there. In my home town it takes 40 minutes to get to the airport and that is in the same town. The highway from Cancun to Playa is fast and straight. Very eay connection between hotels and the airport.
You said the closest airport which would be Cozumel (czm)
There is the closest airport by the way the crows fly and then there is logistical airport that is closest and most efficient. Also prices tend to be much lower to Cancun Airport, so this is a factor as well.
Do you think the Tulum airport might be closer to get to Playa?
Well, it will be just about as far as the Cancun Airport from Playa Del Carmen. It will not be finished for a year but we imagine it will be more expensive to Playa into so it will still be easier to fly into Playa Del Carmen Airport.