Bill and I arrived in Playa del Carmen (PDC), Mexico about a week ago with the plan to stay about a month.
Despite still being in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, our day of travel went smoothly and without any issues.
In fact, it was easier traveling to PDC than to Cabo San Lucas (Cabo) where we were a couple months ago.
Our plan was simple: fly to Cancun, shuttle to PDC, and stay in an Airbnb for the month.
Here is a detailed account of how we traveled from Florida:
Flights
In mid-Feb, we booked our flights on Southwest Air (SWA) from Orlando, Florida to Cancun, Mexico, using a combination of:
(1) $245 USD ($176 was for government taxes and fees – ugh…)
(2) 7,800 SWA points
(3) the beloved SWA Companion Pass so one of us flew FREE
SIDE NOTE: Let me know if you want to learn more about how I earned my SWA Companion Pass which has allowed one person to fly with me on SWA for FREE since 2019. It’s a total game-changer!!
Airport Hotel
Our flight out of Orlando was pretty early in the morning, so we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport hotel the night before which is literally located INSIDE the Orlando MCO airport.
It was so convenient having a room directly above the TSA Checkpoint in the airport. All we had to do the next morning was take the elevator down, and we were standing in the terminal!
Our hotel room was nice and spacious with all the fixings you’d expect from a Hyatt Regency. I especially liked the thoughtful lighting, USB plugs, and electrical outlets located around the room for those of us working and powering different devices.
Our room also had a private balcony with views of the runway which was pretty unique.
The room rate was $199 per night but we used 12,000 World of Hyatt points instead of paying cash.
SIDE NOTE: We didn’t have to pay cash for taxes or fees like we did for our flights!
I highly recommend this airport hotel – especially if you have a really early flight out of Orlando!
The Cancun Airport
Our flights from Orlando to Cancun went off without a hitch.
Upon arriving in Mexico, the only form we had to complete was for Immigration which we filled out on the plane.
SIDE NOTE: We did not have to fill out a COVID-19 health questionnaire or Customs declaration form upon entering Cancun like we did when we went to Cabo.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how quickly we got through Passport Control – in less than 5 minutes.
In fact, it took much longer (about 45 minutes) to get through Immigration in Cabo just a couple months earlier.
The border agent asked how long we were staying and stamped our passports. We then followed the well-marked signs to Baggage Claim.
With our luggage in hand, Customs was also a breeze. We had nothing to declare so, after the dog sniffed our bags, we were on our way.
Transfer to PDC
A couple days before arrival, we scheduled a shuttle from the Cancun airport to our Airbnb in PDC with Meet Playa Transfers. They had really good reviews on Trip Advisor and better pricing than other companies. A private shuttle was not our cheapest option (about $50 one-way), but it was completely hassle-free. I would highly recommend Meet Playa Transfers for your transportation needs!
Navigating the Cancun airport to find your shuttle driver can be a little intimidating (especially if it’s your first time there) so here’s how to do it:
- After Customs, go through the sliding glass door and turn left.
- Follow this corridor past all the rental car company booths and go through another door.
- At this point, there will be lots of people talking and wanting to sell you timeshares or taxi rides. I appreciate they need to make a living but we just politely repeated “No gracias” with a smile and continued walking. 😊
- Once past the taxi and timeshare people, go through a third door which brings you outside.
- Follow the sidewalk until it ends where you will see all the pre-arranged transfer drivers waiting.
Our driver was holding a sign with my name on it and a warm smile on his face.
SIDE NOTE: There is a little tiki bar next to where the drivers are waiting. You can grab a drink there if you are thirsty. We had beer waiting for us in our shuttle so we didn’t indulge…
It was a pleasant, 45-minute drive to PDC where we enjoyed the beautiful scenery, a couple beers, and nice conversation with our driver.
Alternative Airport Transportation
- Based on my research, taxis are the most expensive way to travel from Cancun airport to PDC. I personally was not interested in finding a taxi driver at the airport and negotiating the far. I’m sure others manage this very successfully but I wanted to avoid that stress at least for this trip.
- Some people prefer renting a car from the airport and driving themselves to PDC. They like having a car for the duration of their stay which makes sense to me if you are staying for a week or two. We chose the shuttle to avoid the cost of renting and parking a car for a month since PDC is a very walkable city and we were staying in Centro.
- You can also take an ADO bus from the Cancun airport to downtown PDC. It will take a little longer but it is more affordable if there are only one or two of you. The price for a one-way ticket is 216 pesos (about $11 USD) per person. We chose the convenience of a private shuttle this time but we may take an ADO bus next time. Check out the details here for taking an ADO bus to PDC.
Conclusion
After dropping off our luggage, we immediately went for a stroll around town.
It didn’t take long for us to find a great local Mexican restaurant to celebrate the warm Mexican sun on our skin!
I hope this detailed recap helps puts you at ease with your travel planning to Mexico.
Stay tuned for my next article about our experience in and impressions of PDC.
Today’s question for you is: Do you feel comfortable traveling right now? If not, what conditions need to exist for you to feel comfortable?
Hi Kristie! Thanks for the great reads! Yes, we feel comfortable traveling. We literally just had our PCR test done for travel from Cape Town South Africa, to the USA. We found a convenient and reasonably priced lab called PathCare right near the grocery store we shop at most frequently. They were fairly priced and guarantee lab results back within 24 to 48 hours, in time for our Sunday evening flight. The three month stay in Stellenbosh was amazing. It was our fifth harvest and we highly recommend it to others! Common sense, hand washing, mask wearing while in public, keeping your distance and avoiding crowds during Covid19. Almost everywhere we encountered are far more cautious and cleanly than the last year spent at home in MN establishments. Cheers!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your comments and your ‘boots on the ground’ update on life in South Africa. I missed you there this year but REALLY hoping we can cross paths there next year! I’m so glad to hear your experience was great and you felt safe with all the protocols. I actually feel the same about Mexico – very safe and they are doing their best to keep life going. Happy and safe travels as you make your way home.
All the best,
Kristie