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 other two airports that sometimes works for visitors to fly into are the Tulum Airport (TQO) which is officially called the Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport. This Airport is on the south side of Tulum. The other airport 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
Since the Cancun Airport is the closest and biggest local airport that is close to Playa Del Carmen, we will start here. Most visitors arrive at this airport. It is about 7 times larger than the Tulum Airport in terms of passenger capacity. 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. By 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 the closest airport to Playa Del Carmen and most used, 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 Del Carmen? Here are several ways to get from the airport to your hotel.
The BEST transfer service from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen
Since many people are staying at all-inclusive hotels along the Riviera Maya, most people choose a private transfer. These reserved in advance rides will be waiting for you at the airport to take you directly to your hotel. You will be in good hands because company has been around for over a decade, and our readers always speak highly of them. They are reliable, punctual and easy to book.
The price includes a bilingual driver, all taxes and fees and are insured. The price is for the entire van and not per person. A van with up to 8 people costs $85 USD from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen. A round-trip costs $165 USD. You save $15 USD if you book a round trip with this transfer company. You can also book them to all locations in the Riviera Maya.
Take a shared shuttle to your hotel
Better than the ADO 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 of shuttling people to and from the Cancun Airport.
You do need to book this in advance. This way you have a shuttle waiting for you and a reserved seat. from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen it costs $36 USD one way or $52 USD round trip. You save $20 USD when you book round trip! This is a good option if you are traveling solo. 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 their website.
Taking the ADO 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.
Taking the Tren Maya to Playa Del Carmen from the Cancun Airport
The Tren Maya connects the Cancun Airport with Playa Del Carmen. It does take longer than the ADO bus but can be a fun option to try. At each of the four terminals in the Cancun Airport there is a Tren Maya bus that passes. This bus costs 35 pesos and connects to the Tren Maya Station.
Currently there are 3 trains a day from Cancun to Playa and between Playa and the Cancun Airport. This is expected to increase as more trains come online, and ridership rises. Trains leave the Cancun Airport Tren Maya Station at 9:00am, 11:46am, and 3:33pm. Check the Tren Maya website for latest information.
First class and second class which is called Premier and Tourist. The price between the Cancun Airport and Playa Del Carmen is 224 pesos for second class, and 358.50 pesos for first class.
The current time from the Cancun Airport Tren Maya Station to the Playa Del Carmen Station is 49 minutes. When you arrive in Playa Del Carmen, you can take a taxi to your final destination or take the shuttle bus to the ADO Bus Station on 20th Avenue in the center of Playa for 55 pesos.
See more about how to take the Tren Maya from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen.
What transportation we don’t recommend taking 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 overpaying for it.
Important note: Uber is not an option since it does not operate in the Riviera Maya.
Tulum Airport, the second largest Airport to Playa Del Carmen
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.
- 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.
Thanks for the information! It’s super helpful to know that the closest airport is Cancun International. I’m planning my trip to Playa Del Carmen soon and using this info will make travel arrangements much easier.
I was hoping the Tulum airport would bring more competition for Cancun Airport and lower prices. I see more and more airlines canceling their routes to Tulum, so I guess there is not enough tourism to fill seats.
Thanks for the great info! I didn’t realize Cancun International Airport is so close to Playa Del Carmen. It really makes planning my trip much easier!
I didn’t realize that Cancun Airport was so close to Playa Del Carmen. This information will definitely make planning my trip easier. Cozumel looks close on the map but I guess logistics is the hard part.