How to take the Tren Maya to and from the Tulum Airport
If you are arriving or departing from the Tulum Airport (Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport), here is a detailed guide on how to take the Tren Maya train to and from Tulum. The two train stations in Tulum are very nice and the service is modern. However, for getting to and from the Tulum Airport into Tulum, this might not be the best option because of logistics. We will explain everything in this guide. We will talk about other options for airport transportation for you.
Where Everything is in Tulum Map
Let’s first talk about how Tulum is laid out so you can get some perspective and know where everything is. This way you have a visual and this can help you make a selection of what airport transportation you wish to take. The most notable thing to take note of is the fact the Tulum Airport os about 40km (25 miles) south of town. This makes it about a 45-minute drive from town.
In our map below, we have labeled the following:
- Tulum Airport with a green marker.
- The two Tren Maya Stations are marked with yellow markers.
- The ADO Bus Station in Tulum is a red marker.
- The purple line are the tracks used by the Tren Maya between the airport and Tulum.
- Red line is the Tren Maya Tulum Station to the Hotel Zone.
- Yellow line is from the Tren Maya Tulum Station to the center of downtown Tulum where the ADO Bus Station is.
- Blue line indicates travel from the Tren Maya Tulum Station to Aldea Zama.
See What This Connection on the Train Looks Like in This Video
Getting from the Airport to the Tren Maya Tulum Station
Instructions:
- The first thing you will do is follow the signs to the Tren Maya shuttle bus that will take you to the train station. This is a separate charge from the train. The driver will help load your bags below and you will be on your way. It will take about 8 minutes to get to the train station. Technically you could walk from the airport to the station, but it is a few kilometers.
- After getting your bags from the bus, you will go into the station and buy your ticket for the train. A few minutes before the train will be arriving, they will let everyone go up to the platform.
- The train takes 19 minutes to get to the Tulum Tren Maya Station. When you arrive at the station, walk down to the exit where there will be a bus or buses waiting for passengers. This is another payment. Buses service the Tulum ruins area and the downtown of Tulum where the bus stop is at the ADO Bus Station. This process takes about 10 minutes for everyone to get out of the station and loaded on to the bus.
- The bus takes about 12 minutes to reach either of the two stops in Tulum. From the stop you can walk or take a taxi to your final destination.
Schedules for the Tren Maya to Tulum and Back
First of all, you need to look at the schedules to see if there will be a train available close to your arrival time. The Tulum Airport is small and fairly efficient. You should calculate about 1 hour to deplane, go through customs, collect your bags and go to meet the shuttle bus to the Tren Maya. The shuttle bus takes about 8 minutes to get to the station. Here you will get off the bus, collect your bags, purchase tickets and go up to the platform. So, in total about 1 hour and 30 minutes from the time of landing to the departing train is a good estimation if taking the Tren Maya works for you.
The Tren Maya currently operates 3 trains daily from the Tulum Airport Station to the Downtown Tulum Station. Trains depart at 1:10pm 5:55pm, and 7:41pm. The ride takes 19 minutes.
From the downtown Tulum Station to the airport the Tren Maya departs at 10:45am, 1:31pm, and 5:07pm.
Schedules can change, so be sure to double check the departure times for the Tren Maya on their official website here.
How much does the Tren Maya costs between Tulum and the Tulum Airport?
You have the option of both First Class (Premier Class) or Second Class (Tourist Class) tickets. It is such a short trip and the difference in service is so small (about 2 inches of extra seat) that a Tourist Class ticket is just fine to buy.
Premier Class tickets cost 121.50 Pesos for the one-way ticket. Tourists Class tickets costs 76 pesos one-way for international tourists. There are ticket prices for nationals, locals and Mexican elderly, but everyone reading this will pay international tourist.
Tickets can be purchased by credit and debit card. Pesos can be used as well, and pesos are needed to pay for the buses.
Additional costs to taking the Tren Maya
- Shuttle bus from the airport to the Tren Maya station at the airport is 35 pesos. You can also take a taxi from the airport to the train station, but it is much more expensive, about 7 times more expensive and not really worth the short ride.
- Shuttle bus from the Tulum downtown station to the ADO is 55 pesos.
How to Get from the Tulum Tren Maya Station to Your Hotel
Once you arrive at the Tulum Station, you have two options for transportation to other parts of Tulum.
- There is the shuttle bus that connects the station to the ADO bus Station and to Tulum ruins. There can be two buses depending on the amount of people arriving. One bus can go direct to the center of the downtown to the ADO Bus Station and the other goes to the ruins area. If there are not a lot of people arriving, one bus can be used to go to the Tulum ruins area and then continuing on to the ADO Bus Station in the downtown. This option works best if you are staying in the downtown close to the bus station or to the Tulum Ruins area. Otherwise, a taxi is going to be a better option.
- Taxis are available. If you are staying farther away from the ADO Bus Station, for example, Aldea Zama, La Valeta, or the Hotel Zone, you will need to take a taxi. Taxis are not metered in Tulum, so you will need to ask the price. Taxis are notorious for charging high prices. Distances and time can be considerable and Tulum taxis are expensive. For example, a taxi from the train station to Aldea Zama will take about 12 minutes (6.2km). A taxi to the middle of the Hotel Zone will take 23 minutes (11km). Taxis will charge somewhere between 300-900 pesos for these trips. So, it is a considerable charge. If you add this to the expense of the Tren Maya, buses, and the time of transferring and transportation, it is better to take a private transfer from the Tulum Airport direct to your hotel.
Let’s first say that the Tren Maya is not the most efficient, cheapest, or nor fastest way to get to your hotel. Since there are no hotels by the Tren Maya Tulum Station, it will require another form of transport which can add 8-30 minutes more to your journey. This is why we will recommend several other travel options below.
Other Transportation Options To/From the Tulum Airport
If you are going to the center of Tulum and you are staying a short distance from the ADO Bus Station, the easiest public transportation option is the ADO bus. ADO Bus Company now has 8 buses a day leaving the Tulum Airport for the center of Tulum. The departure times are 10:20am, 12:00 noon, 12:50pm, 1:15pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:20pm, and 5:15pm. The price of the ADO bus is about 226 pesos. This is about the same price at the Tren Maya, but with less transfers.
The schedule from Tulum downtown to the Tulum Airport has 6 departures daily from the ADO station. The times are: 8:50am, 9:50am, 10:40am, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, and 2:30pm.
The total time between the airport and the ADO Station is 45 minutes. If you take this option, it replaces a bus-train-bus with just one bus. It also saves half the time of taking the Tren Maya. These are the two public transportation options. Below is the best private/direct to your hotel option.
Direct to Your Hotel Private Transfer from the Tulum Airport
This is the most common airport transportation that people choose to book in advance. You do need to book in advance so a driver and van will be waiting for you at the airport. If you need to go further than Tulum, you can book to other parts of the Riviera Maya like Akumal and Playa Del Carmen. These private transfers are popular because:
- You have your transportation waiting for you at the airport. They will have a sign with your name at arrivals.
- It is the most direct and quickest way to your hotel from the airport.
- No negotiating with taxis and you can pay by credit card.
- You will be in a large airconditioned van unlike the cars that taxis use.
The price for this private one-way transportation is $59 USD per person. This is the best option is you are 1-3 people looking for a ride from the Tulum Airport.
Group Transportation from the Tulum Airport to Hotels (4-8 people)
This is the most economical if you have 4-8 people in need of transportation. They are very reliable and provide consistent service. These transfers need to be prebooked, so a driver and van are waiting for you at the airport. With this company you get a small discount when booking a round trip to and from the airport. They also provide service to all parts of the Riviera Maya.
Prices are $156 USD for one way transportation. This works out to about $20-$40 USD per person. They also offer luxury transportation for up to 5 people for $300 USD one way from Tulum Airport.
About The Author
Whoever had the bright idea to build stations so far out of the cities needs to be arrested.
We agree with you that the stations for the Tren Maya are outside of almost every destination and changes how it works. It would have actually made it convenient if they were in towns. Right now, the Tren Maya is only efficient for long trips or for the experience.
GOMM is still adding electric shuttles to/from the Tren Maya stations that have GOMM hotels near them (Chichen, Tulum, and Edzna to start); give it a year or two and things will change.
Once these hotels get built, it will be an interesting trip to visit the ruins and stay at the new hotels. But I predict this will still not be a magic bullet to help the Tren Maya that much. First of all, I have always said that 90% of tourism to the Riviera Maya is interesting in the turquoise water and all-inclusive hotels. Most people only leave to do one or tour tours. People are not looking to spend several days going around the peninsula visiting ruins and taking the train. Second, how many ruins do you want to see on a vacation? Would you buy a 6-day package to take the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza, then to Uxmal, and then to Edzna and then to Calakmul? There is not much to see around these sites, and you are basically trapped at the hotel and in ruins for a week. Yes, they can offer an overnight to Chichén Itza but that means you have to book one hotel in the Riviera Maya before your train trip and then another when you return to the Riviera Maya. But a majority of people will not do this. Tourists that arrive in Merida and travel to Yucatan are different, many just rent a car and see a ruin or two but do pay for tours. So, there is a very limited market for this. The best market is Mexican nationals, which is the biggest market right now for the Tren Maya.
Even with these electric buses, the Tren Maya to Tulum Airport connection is still the same with two buses and a train, which makes it very inconvenient. This is why we wrote an article about ideas to help boost use of the Tren Maya because we do not see it doing very well now nor in the near future. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/8-suggestions-on-how-to-save-the-tren-maya/