Which airport do you fly into for Playa Del Carmen?

If it is your first time coming here, you might be looking at which airport you fly into for Playa Del Carmen. There are three international airports nearby and even an airport in Playa Del Carmen. Here is a look at what is the best airport to fly into and how to get from the airport to where you want to go.

Playa Del Carmen has an airport?

Yes, there is a small airport in town. You might have seen it on google maps. It is pretty small and only accommodates small planes for a few passengers. The airport is mainly used for helicopter landings and sky diving. There are no international flights or even long domestic flights from this airport. These leave just Cancun Airport and Cozumel Airport. Here are the differences between them.

Cozumel Airport

Cozumel Airport (CZM) is 18.6 Km (11.5 miles) as the crow flies. That is pretty close. But the devil is in the details. First of all, the cost of flights to Cozumel are usually a little more expensive than flights into Cancun Airport. Second there is the transportation methods and time.

Getting from Cozumel Airport to Playa Del Carmen involves taking a taxi from the airport to the ferry pier, taking the ferry to the mainland and then another taxi to wherever you are staying in Playa Del Carmen. For a complete look at details on how to get from the Cozumel Airport to Playa see our article here.

Overall, this trip takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.  It does involve two or three modes of transport including a weather permitting ferry (although the ferries run almost all the time).

Flying into Cancun Airport

When you are looking at flights to our area you will find many more and often much better priced going to Cancun. This is because there are more airlines and destinations served from this airport.

Cancun International Airport (CUN) is actually located between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. It is a straight drive from the airport to Playa Del Carmen. It takes about 50 minutes in a transfer. The distance is 55 km (34 miles) between the Cancun Airport and Playa Del Carmen. Besides being more convenient to fly into you also have more simple options from getting to your hotel or where you are staying from this airport.

Your options include:

• Private transfer.
• Taking a shared shuttle.
• ADO public bus.
• Renting a car.
• Taxi or Uber?

What is the best way to get from the airport to your hotel?

Airport transfers (most recommended) 

These are a great option for going straight to your hotel. These do not combine you with other people and are private. Once you reserve, a driver will be waiting at the terminal you arrive at and will take you straight to your hotel. We recommend a transfer company below in the reserve now button. You can book directly with them for your transfer. They have provided excellent service to our readers, so we have no problem recommending them.

Other services you can pre book with an airport transfer

• Have drinks such as soda, juice, wine or beer waiting for you.
• Snacks.
• Book a one hour stop in your transfer for $35 USD. This can be great if you want to pick up a few of your favorite things for your trip. Most resorts are not near any real stores so this might be a god chance to buy things at real prices.

Renting a car

We only suggest renting a car if you are planning to use it a couple of days during a week stay for excursions. Most people staying at all-inclusive hotels will not use a car that much and it will be a waste of money. You can leave the driving to someone else and just take a private transfer.

Shared shuttle

These shuttles are small vans that offer shared rides between the Cancun Airport and hotels. This option can be comparable to the ADO bus but do have an advantage. They will drop you off at your hotel rather than the bus station where you most likely will need a taxi. These shuttles need to be booked before arriving so they can be ready for you. To reserve and for further information, click the reserve now button below and you will go to the official website for the shuttles. 

ADO bus

This is the only public option for transportation. The ADO bus company has large busses that leave for Cancun and Playa Del Carmen mainly. There is a limited amount that go to Tulum and Puerto Morelos (but just the highway, not to the town by the beach).  This can be a good option if you are traveling solo or want a budget option. If you are staying at a resort or a hotel not near the bus station, this is not the best option. You will need to take a taxi from the bus station to your hotel the which adds to travel time and expense.  Note: Many resorts are listed as Playa Del Carmen but can be along the coast and not in town. Actually, check the map where your hotel is.

Taxi or Uber

Uber operates in Cancun but is VERY limited. Because this option is very limited, we do not recommend this transportation option. Taxis are not metered and there are no set prices from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen.  We recommend the private transfer option because it is often cheaper and a set price. Not only can you book in advance you also get a set price with no negotiating. The private transfers are also vans and you have more space for you and luggage plus you can get a discount when you book a round trip.

Tulum Airport is now an option for Playa Del Carmen!

The Tulum Airport is about 104 km (65 miles) from Playa Del Carmen, which takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes driving. So, a round trip to and from the Tulum Airport to Playa Del Carmen will add about 1 hour and 20 minutes to your overall transportation time. The Tulum Airport has several transportation options, just with a limited supply and usually are costlier. For example, a round-trip transfer from the Tulum Airport to Playa Del Carmen will cost you about $274 USD more than a transfer from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen. ADO Bus does have service between the Tulum Airport and downtown Tulum and a few direct buses a day to Playa Del Carmen. The cost difference is minimal for the bus, but it does take more time from the Tulum Airport. For more about ADO bus schedules for the Tulum Airport, see our article here. 

For more about a comparison of flying into the Tulum Airport or Cancun Airport, see our article here. 

In summary, Cancun International Airport is currently the best and most convenient airport for reaching Playa Del Carmen. It might seem tempting to purchase a ticket via the Tulum Airport that is $50-$100 USD Cheaper than flying into Cancun, but there are other factors. You have to take into account the extra travel time of about 1.5 hours and possible costs of the airport transfer. 

So which airport do you fly into for Playa Del Carmen?

Most likely you will be flying into Cancun Airport. We hope you have a great vacation here and get with ease to your hotel. If you liked this guide, you might like to look at other guides we have that include everything in the area from restaurants to ruins to visit and tours. If you don’t see what you are looking for you can also use the search box on our website. We have hundreds of articles for you.

Thanks for reading our article. If you have any comments or questions let us know below. We would love to hear from you.

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Mr.Yucatan

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