How much is a taxi from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen?
How much is a taxi from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen? This is a frequently asked question because people want to get from the airport to their hotel easily. The answer is, there is no set price. It is often the same or more than booking a private transfer for your trip. At the Cancun Airport there are not set prices for taxis nor are their booths to buy tickets for taxis. Taxis also do not have meters, so each fare is negotiated or just asked for when you arrive at your destination. Taxis usually costs between $70-$90 USD from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen.
One of the things most people don’t realize is the distances from the Cancun Airport to destinations in the Riviera Maya. For example, from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen the time is about 50 minutes to one hour. Since the distances and time are larger, taxis are expensive. There are also advantages to pre-booking your private transfer like this one.
The BEST option for tourist transportation from the Cancun Airport
Since taxis are not the best option for visitors, we recommend a private transfer for your transportation to and from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen. These transfers only for you and those in your family traveling with you. We do not operate this service; this is a recommended service we refer our readers to. The button below will take you directly to their website where you can book your transportation.
This transfer service from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen or wherever you need to go is easy. They offer vans for whatever size group you have, bilingual drivers, fully insured service and even discounts for booking a round trip. You can book with confidence in this company because they have a great reputation and we have never had any complaints about them from our readers.
Other reasons why a taxi is not the best choice from the Cancun Airport
Here are a few reasons why just taking a taxi is not the best option when arriving at the Cancun Airport.
- There is no set price for taxis, and you will need to ask or negotiate the price.
- Taxis are smaller cars; private transfers are vans, and you will have more space for your luggage and ride.
- The private transfer company we recommend offers a discount for a round trip. This is something taxis cannot offer because you would take a different taxi back to the Cancun Airport.
- Pre-booking a transfer will mean you have a driver waiting for you and you will save time at the airport. If you book round trip, you will not have to look for a ride back to the airport.
- The private transfer company we recommended above will have a bilingual driver to help you and make your trip easier.
What about taking the ADO bus to Playa Del Carmen and a taxi to my hotel?
Some people on a budget might want to take the ADO bus from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen. The ADO bus is the only public transportation from the Cancun Airport. The ADO bus only has one stop in Playa Del Carmen at the Juarez Avenue bus station. Most hotels and rentals that people are staying at are not that close to the station, so they will need to take a taxi.
Taxis are available outside the bus station but operate at a higher cost than normal taxis in Playa Del Carmen because they are from a taxi stand. Some of the hotels are actually about 15–20-minute taxi rides from the bus station. These trips can be expensive and negate any savings with the bus, not to mention the extra time in the bus and changing over to a taxi.
Overall, we always recommend a private transfer because even though some large hotels are listed at Playa Del Carmen, they can be north or south of town, and this requires a large taxi fare in addition to your bus fare. Often times, passing your hotel only the have to double back in a taxi. Most people after a flight and traveling to Mexico, will want to get to their hotel in a timely fashion. Private transfers allow you to relax and arrive quickly at your hotel without having to worry about much.
Now that you have figured out the best way to get from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen…
Here are some other articles you might like about visiting the area and how to spend your time in Playa Del Carmen.
- BEST things to do in Playa Del Carmen while on vacation.
About The Author
We own a guesthouse in the area and always hear from guest that take taxis from the airport how the experience was not the best. Some are overcharged and other taxi drivers don’t know the area well enough or have a GPS to find our house. We much prefer that visitors use prebooked drivers of transfers.
I am actually glad to read that someone is warning against taxis at the Cancun Airport. The prices are pout of control and they charge whatever they want. We took a taxi to our hotel in Cancun and had agreed on a price but when we got to the hotel he asked for more and tried to make it seem like we misunderstood him.
We might have gotten lucky, but the last time we came into the airport a taxi offered us $50 USD. Maybe it was the end of his shift and wanted to go to Playa. Dunno but we know it usually is more.
I had a taxi driver say it was 80 USD to Playacar. I laughed and just took the bus to Playa del Carmen. These taxi drivers should learn how to be fair and set prices.
You can certainly see many taxis waiting outside for customers at the airport. It is almost a competition to pick them off. I much rather prefer booking a shuttle.
Hey, I have heard it is cheaper to take a taxi to the airport from Playa but expensive in the airport to Playa del Carmen route. Is this true? Is it worth it taking a private transport one way and a taxi back?
Hello Naomi
There is a special license needed for all transport operating in the airport. This makes the fees a little more. Any taxi on the street can take people to the Cancun Airport and it is usually cheaper then the taxi price from the airport to Playa for example. However, you are not guaranteed a set price and you don’t really want to negotiate a price while waiting to get to the airport for your flight. A private transfer offers a discount when you book round trip and this can save you money.
I can tell you that there are people online saying they offer taxi service to the airport but they are not official taxis and are just trying to run a business. The downturn has made a lot of people try to get some cash. The police can stop these people at checkpoints and they don’t have licenses to do this.
I always see a lot of taxis parked at the airport and many of the drivers walking around to get tourists to get in the car with them. They look like vultures looking for a person to overcharge.
I would never recommend that tourist to take a taxi from the Cancun airport unless you want to overpay. The drivers wait for people and charge what ever they think they can.
I only take a cab to the airport but not from the airport. They always want to charge too much. In Playa del Carmen I ask around and get a taxi that wants to drive there and we set the price before taking off.
I wish we had read this before taking a taxi from the airport. We thought it would be a set rate to Playa Del Carmen. We did not ask the price and went with the driver. It ended up being a very expensive taxi trip. Lesson learned.
We got out of the airport and were offered many rides from taxis. One tried to charge 100 USD for a one way to Playa. What a rip off. I come to Mexico twice a year and never have been asked for so much for a taxi. I wish there was a fixed taxi price stand prices.
I took a taxi once in a pinch from the airport and it was such a hassle. they tried to ask for a lot and only over the course of ten minutes I got them to drip the price. I wish they had fixed prices.
I’m not sure why taxis don’t use meters, but I hate when it is up to the driver to make up the price. I will not use the taxis in Cancun Airport until they regulate themselves. I don’t want to get ripped off. I have seen them ask for $90 to Puerto Morelos. Total rip off.