A guide to getting around in vast Mexico City

A world-class metropolis as culturally jam-packed is it is populous, Mexico City, stretches some 50km (31 miles) across a massive valley that’s home to more than 20 million people.

Among many other things to familiarize yourself with before your trip, knowing how to get around the Mexican capital will help you get more out of your time in North America’s biggest city.

Here are some tips for doing it as efficiently as possible.

Start by buying an Integrated Transit Card

Mexico City officials have invested much effort in making the city’s vast public-transport system more appealing and easier to use. The prepaid Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada (Integrated Transit Card) was introduced in 2019, allowing travelers to use subways, buses, cable cars and bikes using a single account.

Purchase the card at a ticket office or machine in any Metro or metrobús station for M$15 (US$0.75) – then top up as you make your multimodal way around town.

The subway is a cheap, efficient and (very) popular way to get around town

Mexico City’s subway is one of the cheapest and most popular ways to get around town. With 12 lines and 195 stations, the system is used by an estimated 5½ million people travel each weekday – and during peak times (7am to 9:30am and 5pm to 7:30pm) this is certainly evident.

More than just a way to get from A to B, many Metro stations in Mexico City sometimes have things to see and do before you ascend to the street. Hidalgo and Bellas Artes stations, for example, have murals and art galleries with exhibitions. There’s a cinema at Zapata. And Pino Suárez even has an Aztec temple within the station’s limits.

Given the sheer size of CDMX, the Metro does more than just connect urban neighborhoods. With some planning, you can use your extremely reasonably priced Metro ticket – a fare is just M$5 (US$0.25) as a way to take a Mexico City day trip, too. 

Tips for taking the Metro: Due to crowding, passengers are prohibited from carrying large backpacks or suitcases. The first three carriages of each Metro train are reserved exclusively for women and children.

Skip car rides – especially during rush hour

Ask anyone living in Mexico City about getting around and they’ll immediately complain about gridlocked traffic. Accordingly, we do not recommend renting a car during your city visit. The city is indeed one of the most congested in the world, with drivers spending an average of 132 hours stuck in traffic in 2022 alone.

Since the last thing you want to do on your trip is waste time sitting in a bottleneck, avoid traveling by car or taxi in the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and early-evening rush hours.

Take a taxi at night

Yet sometimes the comfort of a cab beckons, especially at night. Flag down one of the unmistakable pink-and-white official taxis, or use a (very reasonably priced) rideshare app like Uber, Cabify or DiDi to get around.

The bus is quick, affordable and (thanks to dedicated lanes) fast

Mexico City has a highly developed bus network, with thousands of buses and peseros operating from around 5am till 10pm daily, depending on the route. Electric trolleybuses (trolebuses) generally run until 11:30pm. Only a few routes run all night, notably those along Paseo de la Reforma.

Three types buses ply the streets of CDMX.

Pesero

Peseros (also called microbuses or combis) are gray-and-green minibuses operated by private firms. They follow fixed routes, often starting or ending at Metro stations, and will stop at virtually any street corner if you flag them down. Route information is displayed on cards attached to the windshield. Fares have a 20% premium between 11pm and 6am. Privately run green-and-yellow buses charge similar amounts for the same distances.

Given the huge number of pesero routes, a useful resource for route planning is the ViaDF website.

Metrobús

The metrobús is a wheelchair-accessible long bus that stops at Metro-style stations in the middle of the street, spaced at three- to four-block intervals. Tap your transit card when you enter each station to pay the fare of M$6 (US$0.30).

The front of the bus is for women and children only, marked out with pink seating. Most metrobús lines run from 5am to midnight. Note that during crowded peak hours, the metrobús is a favorite of pickpockets.

Top tip for the metrobús: Línea 7 is a red double-decker that rides along Paseo de la Reforma from Plaza Garibaldi, and serves as a fabulous introduction to the city. Along the route, you’ll pass key sights and areas like the Monumento a la Revolución, Zona Rosa and Reforma, El Ángel, Bosque de Chapultepec, Castillo de Chapultepec, Museo Tamayo and Museo de Antropología, finally terminating a stop after Auditorio Nacional.

Trolebús

Municipally operated trolebuses (trolleybuses) and full-size cream-and-orange buses (labeled “RTP”) only pick up at bus stops. Fares are M$2 (US$0.10), or M$4 or (US$0.20) for the express, regardless of distance traveled. The fare can only be paid with the preloaded Integrated Travel Card, not cash.

Trolleybuses follow a number of the key ejes (priority roads) throughout the the city. They generally run until 11:30pm. Route maps are on the trolleybus website.

Try cycling on a Sunday

Bicycles can be a viable way to get around town – and are often preferable to overcrowded, recklessly driven buses. Although careless drivers and potholes can make cycling in CDMX an extreme sport, if you stay alert and keep off the major thoroughfares, it’s manageable – and even enjoyable. The city government has encouraged bicycle use, with more bicycle-only lanes. It’s definitely catching on.

Each Sunday (save the last Sunday of the month) the Muévete en Bici event transforms a number of major streets, including Paseo de la Reforma, into a 57km (35½-mile) car-free network for thousands of cyclists, dog walkers and rollerbladers to roam. With streets closed off to all motorized traffic from 8am to 2pm, it’s a great way to take in the city’s main sites from a different perspective.

The bike-share system Ecobici allows you to grab a bike from one of the 503 stations distributed across 71 neighborhoods. You will need to register online or in the Ecobici app by linking your Integrated Transit Card, then purchasing a plan for one, three or seven days – M$123 (US$6.08), M$245 (US$12.10) and M$409 (US$20), respectively – that will allow for unlimited 45-minute rides within the selected timeframe. Use the app’s map to locate the nearest bike dock.

Float over the city in a cable car

In 2012, the new Cablebús system opened, connecting outlying hilltop neighborhoods with the rest of the city. For M$7 (US$0.35), you can glide in a gondola 100ft (30m) above the traffic-laden streets while taking in incredible sweeping views of valleys and volcanoes.

The first line, from Indios Verdes to the northern neighborhoods of Cuautepec and Tlalpexco, has halved transport time between the city center and to this outlying area for residents and curious tourists. The second line connects the southeastern zones of Constitución de 1917 and Santa Marta; at more than 10km (6¼ miles) in length, it’s the longest public cable car line in Latin America. A third line, connecting Bosque de Chapultepec with the southwestern district of Álvaro Obregón, opened in fall 2024.

Accessible transportation in Mexico City

Getting around Mexico City can be quite an undertaking for anyone, let alone for the more than its 500,000 residents who live with a disability. The subway, for example, has notoriously limited accommodations.

The most accessible public-transport system by far is the metrobús, which has priority boarding areas, elevators and ramps across almost all stations. Many of the buses are level with the platforms to allow for easy boarding, and have preferential seating and spaces for wheelchairs.

Another accessible way around the city is with Turibús, the bus-tour service that offers fun and fuss-free trips around the Centro Histórico, Polanco and Chapultepec. All buses have fold-down ramps and at least two reserved spaces for wheelchair users. The weekly Sunday cycling event is also a very inclusive and accessible experience for all.