How to Get from the Cancun Airport to Playacar
Playacar is a private gated community on the south end of Playa Del Carmen. It is in two parts, Phase 1 and Phase2. Phase 1 is smaller and has mainly residential luxury homes and two small hotels. Phase 2 is larger and has condos, houses, and large all-inclusive hotels. Since Playacar is a little further south and in a private gated community, this is considered another zone from the Cancun Airport. This is why we have made this specific guide for you.
If you are flying into Cancun International Airport, getting to Playacar is relatively quick and easy. Below is a complete guide on the best ways to get from the Cancun Airport to Playacar in Playa Del Carmen.
Private Transfers from Cancun Airport to Playacar
The most popular option for visitors is booking a private airport transfer. These are vans that take you and those traveling with you direct to your hotel. Once you reserve, you will have a driver waiting for you at the airport. The driver helps with your luggage and takes you directly to your hotel. This is the easiest and most comfortable way to reach Playacar.
How much are transfer vans from Cancun Airport?
Prices for private car service or van service is as follows:
- $101 USD one way or $181 USD round trip from the Cancun Airport to Playacar hotels for up to 8 people. You do save 10% if you book a round trip! So, we recommend doing this!
Private transfers are popular for several reasons:
- No waiting for other passengers
- Air-conditioned vehicles
- Flat rate per vehicle rather than per person
- Option to book round trip transportation with discount
- Bilingual driver
Many travelers like this option because after a long flight you can go straight to your resort without stopping at other hotels.
This is the same option we recommend for travelers going south to Playa del Carmen. If you want to see how that trip works, read our full guide on how to get from the Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen. How to get from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen
Luxury Transfers Available Also to Playacar
If you are traveling for a special occasion or just want to make your trip a little more special, there are luxury transfers available from the Cancun Airport going to Playacar. Cancun luxury transportation is regularly provided with Suburbans or similar vehicles, like Expeditions. This is for transportation of up to six people.
Prices for the luxury transfer from the Cancun Airport to Playacar:
- $165 USD one way or $280 USD round trip. To save money you just need to book a round trip at time of booking. Click the reserve now button below to go to the official booking website.
Shared Shuttle from Cancun Airport to Playacar
Shared airport shuttles are another option if you are traveling on a budget. These are small vans that sell individual tickets for a seat and drop people off at their hotels. These vans transport several passengers who are staying at different hotels in one area. They are cheaper than private transfers but can take longer. This is the best option if you are one or two people traveling since the price of the shared shuttle is cheaper than taking a private transfer.
How Much Are Shuttles and How to Reserve a Shared Shuttle
Shared shuttles from the Cancun Airport to the Playacar area range in price depending on the company you go with. Here are two options for shared shuttles. Here are two good companies that provide shuttle service between the airport and Playacar. What are the differences between the two besides the price? There will be more departures available from the Cancun Airport, nicer vehicles and faster service with option 2.
Option 1 The price is $27 USD per person one way with a minimum of two people. You can also take this as one person, but the charge is $54 USD one way or the same for two people.
Option 2 The price is $38 USD per person one way with a minimum of two people.
This shared shuttle company is well recommended for its good service. Unlike some shuttles that offer individual rides, this shuttle has a mi minimum of two people. For example: two people going one way to Playacar is $76 USD. We have found that you get what you pay for in shared shuttle companies. This shuttle for example tends to have less people and sometimes it is just the two of you going all the way to Playacar.
If this transportation option looks good for you, you can click the reserve now button and go directly to the booking page. Once you put in your arrival information and hotel, they will reserve your spot and be waiting at the airport with a sign for you.
Things to consider with shared shuttles:
• You may need to wait for other passengers at the airport
• The shuttle may stop at several resorts before yours
• Travel time can increase depending on the route
Shared shuttles are often used by solo travelers or couples who want to save money.
If you want to see typical shuttle prices in the region, see our guide about shared shuttle transportation from Cancun Airport. How Much Are Shared Shuttles from the Cancun Airport?
Renting a Car at Cancun Airport
Renting a car is another option for getting to Playacar. This can be a good choice if you plan on exploring the region during your trip.
One good place to check for a rental car online is Discovery Cars. This website searches all the rentals and offers good prices on Cancun Airport rentals.
Here are our best tips for renting a car at the Cancun Airport:
- There are rental car companies inside the airport property and some just outside along the highway. If you rent from a company outside the airport you will need to take their shuttle both ways. This does add about 20 minutes to the process of pick up and drop off. For the convenience fee, we prefer the rental car companies in the airport.
- Liability insurance is required in Mexico. Your credit card company might not cover Mexico, or you might need proof of coverage. You can buy coverage locally when you rent. It is recommended you buy it locally because you have local agents to help you if something happens.
- In general, we prefer the larger car rental companies because they have more options, and in general a more streamlined check out and returns.
The drive to the Playacar area is usually about 55 minutes depending on traffic.
However, if you are staying at an all-inclusive resort in Playacar and do not plan on leaving the property often, renting a car may not be necessary. You have some shopping and restaurants in Playacar Phase 2. You can also walk to Playa Del Carmen’s 5th Avenue with ease from Phase 1 of Playacar and the northern end of Playacar Phase 2.
Taking a Taxi from Cancun Airport to Playacar
Taxis are available outside all terminals at Cancun International Airport. However, most people do not like to have to deal with taxis at the Cancun Airport. Taxi drivers have a bad reputation for overcharging tourists arriving at the airport. There are no set prices nor meters in the taxis at the Cancun Airport. This means you need to ask and also be prepared to negotiate or walk away from a taxi driver that is trying to charge too much.
How Much are Taxis from the Cancun Airport to Playacar?
However, taxis are usually more expensive than pre-booking a private transfer, and prices can vary depending on demand. Taxis at the airport also do not operate on meters, so the price is typically negotiated. Most of the time taxi drivers will try to charge between $100 USD to $150 USD for a one-way transfer. Of course, taxis cannot offer a round-trip discount because the same taxi will not be taking you back to the airport.
Because of this, many travelers prefer to reserve transportation ahead of time, so they know the exact price.
Taking the ADO Bus to Playa Del Carmen and Taxi to Playacar
The ADO bus is the only “public” transportation that services the Cancun Airport. ADO makes transferring to Playa Del Carmen easy and affordable. Most people consider this to be the cheapest transportation from the Cancun Airport to Playacar. However, you will need a taxi once you get to Playa Del Carmen to get into Playacar. So how does the ADO bus work from the Cancun Airport?
When you arrive at the Cancun Airport, you can purchase tickets for the bus to Playa Del Carmen. Buses leave about every 30 minutes. You can see the schedule here on the ADO website. Tickets cost 270 pesos per person. The bus takes between 1 hours and 25 minutes to 1 hours and 50 minutes. The amount of time it takes to get to Playa depends on what terminal you get on. Busses leave the airport from Terminal 3, then got to Terminal 4 and then go to Terminal 2 (Terminal 1 is in renovations now).
The ADO bus only goes to the Playa Del Carmen ADO on Juarez Avenue and 5th Avenue. This is good for you if you want to go to Playacar. Next to the ADO Bus Station you will find a taxi stand. There are posted prices and you should agree on the price before taking the taxi. It should cost around 250 pesos.
To see the full guide for how to take the ADO bus from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen, see our guide here.
What about taking the Tren Maya to Playa and Connecting to Playacar?
This is a possibility, but in reality, it takes twice as long and is more expensive than comparable transportation options.
Even though the Cancun Tren Maya Station is “at” the airport, it does take 10 minutes by shuttle or taxi to get there. There are shuttles from each terminal of the Cancun Airport to the Cancun Tren Maya Station. You can buy the 35 pesos ticket at the ADO Bus counter. The shuttles only run 30 min. before the train leaves. So, if there are no shuttles, you will need to take a taxi. Taxis can try to charge up to $60 USD to get the short ways to the station. By the time you get to the station, it will have taken at least 40 minutes.
Then you need to know the train schedule, because there are only a few trains a day going south. If you do take a train, the Playa Del Carmen Tren Maya Station is a 25–28-minute taxi ride to Playacar.
See our article and video about how to take the Tren Maya from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen.
Can You Take Uber from Cancun Airport?
Ride share services like Uber have had limited service in the Cancun area and currently cannot reliably pick up passengers directly at Cancun Airport. Uber also does not have service in the Playacar and Playa Del Carmen area. See our article with explanations if there Is there Uber from Cancun to Playa del Carmen?
Because of local transportation regulations and conflicts with taxi unions, most travelers still rely on private transfers, taxis, ADO bus or shuttles to get from the airport to their hotel.
How Far is the Playacar from the Cancun Airport?
Playacar is located about 60 km (37 miles) south of Cancun Airport, and the drive normally takes 50 minutes to 1 hour depending on traffic and which part of Playacar you are going to.
What Hotels are in Playacar?
Playacar has a mix of villas, Airbnb’s, rental condos, all-inclusive resorts and hotels. Here is a list of the main hotels in Playacar.
Hotels in Playacar Phase 1 include:
- Playacar Palace
- Sunset Fishermen Beach Resort
- There are also condo complexes that rent and Airbnb’s in this section of Playacar.
Hotels in Playacar Phase 2 include:
- The Reef Playacar Beach Resort & Spa
- Sandos Playacar
- Royal Hideaway Playacar
- Riu Palace Riviera Maya
- Riu Palace Mexico
- Riu Playacar
- Riu Yucatan
- Riu Tequila
- Riu Lupita
- Iberostar Tucan
- Iberostar Quetzal
- Viva Wyndham Maya
- Viva Wyndham Azteca
- Allegro Playacar (Occidental Allegro Playacar)
- Eurostars Hacienda Vista Real
- City Express by Marriott Playa del Carmen
- City Express Suites by Marriott Playa del Carmen
- Residence Inn by Marriott Playa del Carmen
Transportation Tips for Cancun Airport
Here are a few helpful tips when arriving at Cancun Airport:
• Book transportation in advance is important! Since transportation is limited to the Costa Mujeres area, you need to reserve BEFORE you arrive at the Cancun Airport.
• Ignore aggressive transportation sellers inside the terminal. Sometimes visitors are told outright lies like there are no more ADO buses for the day or they can get you cheaper transport if you wait a second. Done waste time with these non-official people at the airport.
Many visitors are surprised at how easy it is to travel between Cancun Airport and nearby destinations. If you are staying elsewhere in the Riviera Maya, you might also want to read our guide on ground transportation options from Cancun Airport to the Riviera Maya. Ground transportation from Cancun Airport to the Riviera Maya
Final Thoughts
Getting from the Cancun Airport to Playacar is simple and usually takes less than an hour. Most travelers choose a private transfer or shuttle, which provides direct service to their hotel and removes the stress of finding transportation after arriving.
Once you arrive in Playacar, you will enjoy a quieter resort area with beautiful beaches and one of the nicest areas of Playa Del Carmen. We hope you have a great vacation!
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