Getting to Puerto Morelos from the Airport:

Even though it is less than a half hour drive, a taxi at the airport will cost about $45. The cabs are not big, so if you have a lot of luggage you might be holding some on your lap. There are vans for larger groups too. The cab drivers should know Villas Playasol, or they will ask somebody if they don't. It might be handy to have the directions below, just in case.

A less expensive option is to take the ADO bus. The cost is $4 per person (40 pesos). This is a luxury bus with A\C and a movie overdubbed in Spanish. They leave every hour at 30 minutes after the hour, and run until at least 8:45 PM.  It picks you up straight ahead out of the new terminal 3. You buy tickets in the airport terminal, after you pass customs and just before you leave the building. It is a booth on the left.  The bus will drop you on the highway at the turn off. Puerto Morelos is the first stop after leaving the airport. You can catch a cab or a local bus (collectivo) to PlayaSol. There should be cabs at the 7-11 and Pemex gas station.

Car Rental:

We don't often rent a car because the local bus transportation is so good, especially if it is just the two of us. If you want a car for a day or two you can rent one through our manager or at Executive Car rental on the highway next to the gas station. It will be about $50 per day with liability insurance and taxes. (It might be cheaper if you reserve on-line) Recently we rented a car from Hertz at the airport and got a weekly rate of about $150, including tax. This was for a small car with air. Basic liability insurance is included. We declined the collision and other insurance. (Many credit cards will provide some type of collision damage insurance- check with yours). This rate is only available by making a reservation ahead of time. There are several others there: Dollar; Thrifty and Executive, I believe. With the new terminal 3 being used you need to take a shuttle.

Driving directions to Villas Playasol:

The highway splits into four lanes just as you approach PM from both the north and south. Two lanes are a frontage road for access to local business. As you approach PM from the airport, (going south) stay in the left lane. You can make a left turn at the stop light. PM is 2 KM along the newly paved road. Turn left at the only stop sign (at the town square). Playasol is on the right a few blocks down. There is a large open block of land on the left and we are right across the street. Turn right at the Playasol sign and enter through the large gate.

If you are driving from Playa del Carmen, you will need to get over to the frontage lanes on the right when it splits at Puerto Morelos in order to make the right turn to go into PM.

Taxis

Puerto Morelos may be a small town, but we have more than 100 taxis. The taxi stand is in the square. Rates are set, not metered. Agree on a price before you get in. It’s usually 20 pesos to get out to the highway, 250 pesos to get TO the airport. You are not expected to tip.

Collectivos

These are vans or small buses that drive a route around Puerto Morelos and out to the highway. It costs 4 pesos per person. The easiest way to get one is to walk their route back toward town. They come down the road from town and turn west at the corner of Playsol and head back on avenue Ninos Heros. Walk that road back to town and often one will come by. If not you can get one across from the church in the square.

The luxury "ADO" bus system on the highway:

The bus to Cancun is on the same schedule and goes to the downtown bus station on the main street in Cancun - Tullum Ave. Buy your ticket on the beach side of the highway under the canvas tent on the corner where the road meets the highway.

Finding the ticket booth for return from Cancun or Playa is a little tricky. There is a separate ticket booth just for the Playa -Cancun route. It is a walk-through booth. It is at the south end of the terminal in Playa and the north end in Cancun.  Busses load constantly.

Driving in Cancn:

Downtown Cancun can get confusing, but it is not overly difficult. (a good co-pilot helps!) There are lots of Glorietta's (round-abouts), and the streets aren't parallel. Traffic can get congested along the main street- Tulum. Street names can change on each side of a glorietta even though they appear to be the same street.  I haven't found a really good map yet. If you want to avoid traffic and get to the bus station- Commercial Mexicana area of Tulum, try taking Bonampak street. It veers off toward the Hotel Zone, (watch for the tall wooden lookout tower) but parallels Tulum. Then cut back to Tulum at Uxmal or where ever you are trying to get to.

Local busses in Cancun:

I am not clear on the bus routes, but the busses and vans (collectivos) are fun and inexpensive. They are numbered with the route (R-1 or R-16 for example) and the destination is marked on the window. Cost is six pesos per person. Everything seems to go to WalMart. Cabs are pretty inexpensive as well, but try to bus just for fun. 

Cancun taxis

Cancun taxis are more expensive if they are cued up. This goes for the airport, bus terminal WalMart or other large stores. The price is always lower to flag down a taxi driving around on the street.