Centro Histórico is one of Latin America’s most important cultural areas. Including a custom map, this is how I reached it from the Mexico City airport.
Home to over 20 million people within its greater metropolitan area, Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México, abbreviated CDMX) is one of the most populous urban zones on the planet. The sheer volume of residents and its dense grid of roadways makes traveling the city via motor vehicle a potential nightmare for tourists. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how I reached CDMX’s historic center (Spanish: Centro Histórico) from the airport by using a safe, fast, and cheap alternative: traveling the metro (i.e., subway) like a local.
Reaching the Mexico City Metro from Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX)
1. Make sure you have cash on hand before leaving the airport
If you haven’t already, remove cash from an ATM (Spanish: cajero automático) before leaving either of the two airport terminals. The shuttle and metro fares in this guide will cost less than $1 USD (around $20 MXN), but I recommend pulling out additional funds for incidentals.
2. Make the short walk to the Terminal Aérea metro station from Terminal 1
If you arrived at Terminal 1, simply walk outside and turn left. The Terminal Aérea metro station is just next door. Click to view this station’s information on the official CDMX public transportation website.
3. Find the shuttles if you landed at Terminal 2
If your plane touched down at Terminal 2, there are a few additional steps. To begin, turn right as you are leaving the terminal. You will find a line of shuttles under an overhang (pictured below).
4. Pay for the $10 MXN shuttle ticket to the metro station
As you board the bus, ask the driver for a ticket to the metro (Spanish: Un boleto para el metro, por favor). The cost should be $10 MXN (Spanish: diez pesos), which is about 50 cents USD.
5. Be prepared to get off the shuttle at the first stop
The driver may say something to the effect of, “Solo una parada.” This means you should get off in only one stop. Sit back and relax for a few minutes as the bus loads and wheels away.
6. Arrive at the Hangares metro station
A short time later (approximately five minutes) the driver will stop at the Hangares metro station. Get off the bus and begin the final leg of your journey to famous Centro Histórico. Click for information on the Hangares station.
Entering the Mexico City Metro System
1. Find the ticket window
Once you have reached either the Terminal Aérea metro station or Hangares, walk down the steps. You will find a line of turnstiles. Before approaching them, look for the nearby ticket window.
2. Buy a ticket for $5 MXN
Ask the attendant for a ticket (Spanish: Un boleto, por favor.) The cost is the rock-bottom price of $5 MXN (Spanish: cinco pesos), giving you one-time access to the entire CDMX subway system for around 25 cents USD.
3. Redeem the ticket at a turnstile
Walk to an open turnstile and feed the ticket into the marked slot. Wait for the light to turn green and proceed through the gate.
4. Begin finding your way to the passenger loading area
You have now entered the Mexico City Metro’s yellow line. Click for a map of the entire color-coded network on the official CDMX public transportation website. It’s time to determine which train to board.
Commuters walk to their boarding platforms as vendors call out in the Mexico City Metro’s yellow line. The subway is the cheapest way to get around the city. Click the icon in the lower righthand corner of the player to expand the video.
Getting to the Pantitlán Metro Station
1. Find the passenger loading area for Pantitlán
Both the Terminal Aérea and Hangares metro stations offer binary choices; you can either head southeast to the nearby Pantitlán stop or northeast toward more distant Politécnico. Since you want to intercept the pink line, follow the signs to the loading area for Pantitlán.
2. Make the short ride to the Pantitlán subway station
Step aboard the next metro train and make the quick trip to Pantitlán (click for station information), which is only one stop from Hangares and two stops from Terminal Aérea (less than five minutes in travel time from both).
3. Arrive at Pantitlán
Step off the train at Pantitlán, one of CDMX’s busiest metro terminals. The station serves as a terminus for the brown, pink, purple, and yellow lines. At this point of your journey, the goal is singular: Find the pink line.
Ride the Mexico City Metro’s Pink Line to Centro Histórico
1. Walk from Pantitlán’s yellow line passenger loading area to the pink line
Once you step off the short ride from either Terminal Aérea or Hangares, you will begin your walk to the pink metro line that will take you to Centro Histórico. Find the pink signs pointing the way to the passenger loading area.
2. Board the pink metro line heading west
Since Pantitlán is the eastward terminus of the pink line, you can head in only one direction. Step aboard the next train going west.
3. Determine where you want to get off
You can once again sit back and relax; the first metro station in Centro Histórico is eight stops away. It is called Merced and is on the southeast corner of the famous urban zone. While you wait aboard the train, I suggest you consult my custom map below. It shows each of the metro stations in Centro Histórico. Overlay it with your specific destination (i.e., hotel or landmark) to determine which stop is best for you.
4. Read my guide to Centro Histórico
Perhaps the most famous urban area in Latin America, CDMX’s Centro Histórico is a cultural experience like no other. Click to read my travel guide “A Weekend Guide to Mexico City’s Centro Histórico” to learn about where I went, ate, and stayed in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Related Content
– Click to read my feature article “Teotihuacán: Down the Avenue of the Dead” for an in-depth look into the mysterious history of the ancient ruins near Mexico City.
– Click to read my short story “Beer in Old Mexico” about my reflections on the long historical shadow cast by the Aztecs over modern Mexico City.
– Click to view my high-resolution photo collection from Templo Mayor in the historic center of Mexico City.