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Be advised that when traveling in busy periods such as Easter, Christmas/New Years, Spring Break, Fiestas de Noviembre, etc. Airlines frequently overbook and some passengers will have to give up their seats either voluntarily or compulsory while standing in line at the ticket counter. The airline will first offer incentives such as future tickets or hotel packages. If you decline the offer and then get bumped off of the flight anyway, you lose both your scheduled flight and the incentives. The airline will put you up in a hotel until the next available flight though. Getting to the airport very early and being at the front of the line will help to avoid this problem but is no guarantee since there may be many passengers on special tours or with some other "preferred" status that will offer them some protection over other customers.

Oaxaca:

There are airports at Huatulco (HUX), Puerto Escondido (PXM), and Oaxaca (OAX).

Airlines on the Web:   Aeromar   Aeromexico   Aerotucán   Air Canada   Alaska Airlines   Interjet   Sun Country   VivaAerobus

Mexicana has terminated operations making it difficult to get to some destinations. On Monday 9/6/2010, Aeromar began service to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, connecting to San Antonio, TX.

Airlines flying into Huatulco include* Aerocaribe, Aeromexico, Aerotucan, Continental, American, Interjet, Sun Country, USA 3000, TAR, and Air Canada. Many of the flights are chartered by tour companies such as Apple Vacations, Signature, Friendly Holidays, MLT, Sunquest, Air Transat, and Club Med, and these are the best deals if you can find them. The charters also tend to be direct, so you can avoid the stop in Mexico City. Regular fares can be more than four times as much and sometimes a hotel/airfare package can be priced below airfare alone. Offerings change so frequency that it is difficult to keep track. You might try itravel2000.com for locating airfare deals for flights to Mexico.

*All of these airlines may not have flights into Huatulco at this time, but have in the past. Some airlines add and then drop the Huatulco route from their schedules. It is hard to keep track.

Huatulco Airport telephone numbers are listed here.

Toll free (U.S.) information and reservation numbers are:

• Aeromexico (800) 237-6639
• Air Canada (800) 776-3000
• American Airlines (800) 433-7300
• Continental (800) 525-0280
• Frontier (800) 432-1359
• WestJet Airlines (877) 952-0100

Aerocaribe used to have service between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido as well as Oaxaca to Huatulco. This has been discontinued, but could be restored at any time, so you'll have to ask. (2/03)

Aeromar (Mexicana) has service between Mexico City and Huatulco.

Aerotucán operates a 13-passenger Cessna Caravan and offers service between Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca and between Huatulco and Oaxaca on Sundays. Tickets are available at travel agencies in those cities. (6/16)

Aerovega has from one to three flights daily depending on demand between Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca City in a 7-passenger Cessna. Departures at 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. Office is in downtown Puerto Escondido just east of the tourist booth or book through Turismo Rodimar, tel: 01 (958) 20734. About US$90 1-way. One passenger reports a scary experience when the pilot aborted takeoff and was barely able to stop before the end of the runway. The pilot had an unpleasant attitude and offered neither explanation nor apology. Passengers had to fight for refunds. (9/02)

Apple For the 2002-2003 season, flights will start on the 1st of November once a week then in the middle of December there will be 2 flights a week. They are usually on Tuesdays and on Saturdays. The November flights are with a layover in Puerto Vallarta (1 hour) to pass thru immigration then you get on board to Huatulco. That flight will leave Chicago at 6 or 7 am and arrive in Huatulco about 2pm, the return flight will be direct from Huatulco to Chicago. Apple will start this year with a new airline called USA3000, brand new aircraft. As far as I know there is always a meal served on flight. except between PVR and HUX. They do have air only available as well , all this you can check with your travel agent or check www.applevacations.com. [Information from Luis cocaluis@hotmail.com]

Avolar (888) 328-6527 (US). Avolar has domestic service to Colima and Oaxaca.

Continental Airlines (800) 231-0856, (800) 932-2732. Continental offers direct service between Houston, TX and Huatulco during parts of the year using Embraer 145 jets.

Frontier Air Line has a direct flight from Denver to Acapulco and a flight from New York to Acapulco with a stop in Atlanta.

TAR Airlines has a Embraer Jet that flys 50 people only on Thursday, Friday and Sunday from Huatulco to Oaxaca. $2271.90 pesos is the regular price and sometimes they have specials. The Dimar travel agency can help you get tickets. Taking a taxi from the Huatulco airport you will pay 2 or 3 times the regular rate. If you are on a tight budget, you can walk out the entrance to the airport and catch a bus at the gate. If you are going to Huatulco, it isn't too bad because Huatulco is very close. A taxi to Puerto Angel would be about US$60 though and Puerto Escondido would be much more. Viajes Diamar (954)582-0734, (954)582-0737 (fax) in Puerto Escondido offers transportation from the Huatulco Airport to Puerto Escondido for 80 pesos per person if the van is full (3/01).

For private aircraft, the Huatulco airport has tiedowns and 100/130 fuel. See tomzap's Flight Log for a February 2008 flight from central Texas to Huatulco in a Piper Arrow.

The Puerto Escondido International Airport is served by VivaAerobus and Aeromar with VivaAerobus reported to be half the cost of Aeromar. (1/13) But the situation is also changing so please report updates to tomzap. There are daily flights to Oaxaca by Aero Vega for about $100 R/T. Also a service to Oaxaca called Aerotaxi (12/00). The airport is 5 km northwest of town. Telephone numbers at the airport are:

• Aero Vega (9)582-0151
• Mexicana (9)582-0300

(To direct dial from the U.S., dial 011-52 first.)

Candid photo of Aeromorelos mishap.

Colima/Jalisco:
There are airports in Manzanillo and Colima.

Alaska Airlines now offers direct flights from Seattle to Los Angeles to Manzanillo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with 140-seat MD-80s. There are connections from the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Alaska.

Avolar (888) 328-6527 (US). Avolar has domestic service to Colima and Oaxaca.

Sun Country Airlines has flights from Minneapolis into Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta during certain times of the year.




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By Private Plane Taking a private plane into Mexico does not seem to be very popular, but perhaps it should. The flight rules are much the same as in the U.S. with some notable exceptions, like needing a flight plan for every flight and no VFR flying at night. Fuel prices are similar to those in the U.S. Airport personnel are very friendly and welcome private flyers and the controllers speak English. You don't have to get to the airport 2 hours early or go through a security check, and your bags always go to the same destination that you do. Viewing the Mexican landscape from the air can be a wonderful way to experience the beautiful countryside and see the many small, attractive villages and churches scattered across the country. See a trip log and photos from tomzap's 2008 Flight to Huatulco. Aerial photos of the Oaxacan coastline start here.

Oaxacan mountain village in the Sierra Madre del Sur

By Bus

Bus Companies on the Web:   ADO   (MC,OX, PE)   Cristobal Colon   (MC,HT,OX,PN,PE,SC   Estrella Blanca   (MC,PO)   ETN   (GD,MC,MZ,PV)   Flecha Amarilla   (MC,MZ,MQ,CO,PV)   Línea Uno   (MC,OX,SC)   Omnibus de Mexico   (CO,GD,MC,MZ)   Primera Plus   (CO,GD,MC,MQ,MZ,PV) Legend: CO-Colima, GD-Guadalajara, HT-Huatulco, MC-Mexico City, MQ-Melaque, MZ-Manzanillo, OX-Oaxaca City, PE-Puerto Escondido, PN-Pinotepa Nacional, PO-Pochutla, PV-Puerto Vallarta, SC-Salina Cruz See also thebusschedule.com for bus information.

Different bus companies are usually located in different terminals, which are often located near each other.

Oaxaca:

BUS STATIONS:
• Huatulco, Oaxaca: ADO Bus Station, Blvd. Chahué
• Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca: (954) 582-0050 Avenida Miguel Hidalgo
• Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca: (954)582-0427 Avenida Oaxaca
• Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca: ADO/Cristobal Colón Bus Line on Carretera Costera, next to Telmex (almost in front of the Benito Juárez statue).
• Pochutla, Oaxaca: (9)584-01-38 Avenida Lázara Cárdenas
• La Crucecita, Oaxaca (near Huatulco): [no phone] The Cristóbal Colón and Estrella Blanca terminals are both located on Calle Gardenia.

Mexico City to Pochutla by Bus There is an Estrella Blanca first class directo bus departing daily from Mexico City at 7:00 a.m. to Pochutla. The return trip bus leaves Pochutla at the same time. They are air conditioned with hostesses serving coffee and "in flight" movies on TV. The trip takes 12 hours and the cost is 130 pesos one way. Estrella also has service to Puerto Escondido. See comment.
Mexico City to Huatulco by Bus Estrella Blanca has direct overnight first class service to Mexico City. The trip takes 12-1/2 hours and costs about $40 U.S.
Mexico City to Oaxaca City by Bus Busses depart from the Tapo terminal on the east side of Mexico City. Cristobal Colon N$151, 6 1/2 hours, nice modern toll road, great scenery. Bus arrives in Oaxaca at the 1st class terminal about 10 blocks north of the Zócalo. See comment. Línea Uno has 6 daily departures on busses with fewer, roomier seats. Check their schedules on the web. There's also the ADO bus line's schedules and prices.
Oaxaca to Huatulco by Bus Cristóbal Colón has daytime and overnight service to Oaxaca via Salina Cruz for about $20 U.S. The trip takes about 8 hours over winding mountain roads.
Acapulco to Huatulco by Bus Estrella Blanca 9 daily departures. The trip takes 9 hours and costs about $22 U.S.
Huatulco to Puerto Escondido by Bus Estrella Blanca departs hourly. The trip takes 2 hours and costs about $5 U.S.
Acapulco to Puerto Escondido by Bus Estrella Blanca has first class service 10 times daily. The trip takes 7 hours and costs about $17 U.S.
Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido by Bus Cristobal Colon, Estrella del Valle, Estrella Roja, and a van company offer bus service between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido. See schedule. Cristobal Colon goes through Salina Cruz, taking 10-1/2 hours and costs about twice as much as the other services, with three daily departures. Estrella del Valle offers one first class departure and 3 second class departures, taking 7 hours and 9 hours respectively. Estrella Roja as 2 daily first class departures taking 7 hours. The van company has 7 daily departures taking 9 hours. Pricing of the various companies and services ranges from $90 pesos to $228 pesos.
Puerto Angel / Zipolite / Pochutla Busses run between these towns at 20-minute intervals from dawn to dusk. Connections to other lines may be made in Pochutla.

Colima/Jalisco:
BUS STATIONS:
• Colima, Colima: Tres Estrellas de Oro located at the Nueva Central Camionera. (312) 312-8448, 312-8499.
• Colima, Colima: Ómnibus de Mexico located at the Nueva Central Camionera. (312) 312-9050, 314-7190.
• Colima, Colima: Autobuses de Occidente located at the Nueva Central Camionera. (312) 312-0508, 314-8179.
  Manzanillo, Colima Manzanillo Central de Camiones is located just inland from the Las Brisas beach area just north of downtown.
• Barra de Navidad, Jalisco Two bus station are located northwest of the plaza on Avenida Lopez de Legazpi.

Puerto Vallarta, Jal. to Barra de Navidad   Primera Plus has departures at 7:45 am and 12:30 pm. The trip takes 4 hours and costs about US$13. Also, you can catch the morning bus at 8:15 on the corner of V. Carranza and Aguacate, eliminating an extra trip to the bus station. Someone usually shows up just before the bus leaves to sell tickets. (3/03)

Guadalajara to Barra de Navidad with only one stop (Colima). ETN bus line. (9/03)

   07:00 Guadalahara     12:05 Barra de Navidad
   11:00 Guadalahara     16:06 Barra de Navidad
   15:30 Guadalahara     20:05 Barra de Navidad
 
   15:00 Barra de Navidad     20:10 Guadalahara
   18:00 Barra de Navidad     23:10 Guadalahara
   24:00 Barra de Navidad     05:10 Guadalahara

Colima, Colima The bus lines Tres Estrellas de Oro, Ómnibus de Mexico, and Autobuses de Occidente all operate from the Nueva Central Camionera on the Hwy 110 bypass east of town.

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BUS HOLDUPS:   It has been reported that the Sistema Estrella Blanca first-class motorcoach (Marketed as "Turistar con servicio Viaggio") that provides once-daily service on the Huatulco-Acapulco route along Highway 200 was held up by bandidos twice in late spring of 1998. On Oct. 9, 1998, four bandits robbed the 25 passengers of a bus crossing the isthmus in southern Oaxaca. Police arrived, passengers were taken hostage, and finally the bandits were given a getaway car. They were stopped at a roadblock where two bandits were shot and killed and the other two fled into the jungle, leaving a trail of blood.

Read about a Oaxacan Bus Adventure
Read about a Bus Trip: La Crucecita to Austin
Stan Gotlieb's Letters from Oaxaca "Is This the Border, or the Twilight Zone?"




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By Car

Foreign tourists driving their cars into Mexico should purchase Mexican car insurance before crossing the border. I have used Sanborn's in the past. (800) 222-0158, www.sanbornsinsurance.com). They used to provide a nice travelog free with your insurance. You would tell them what route you will take and they pulled out stacks of pages with mile by mile information on the route, city maps, hotel information, etc. and bind it into a custom book for you. I'm not sure they still do that. Sanborn's and other Mexican insurance agents are located near border crossings on the U.S. side. You can also get Mexican car insurance from AAA.

When you cross the border you will need to obtain a car permit if you plan to drive past the border zone. You'll need a registration card and proof of ownership. If someone else owns the car, like the bank, you'll need an authorization by them to take the car into Mexico. You'll need a credit card--to assure that you'll bring the car back out of Mexico--and proof of citizenship.

• Acapulco to Puerto Escondido 4.5 hours
• Guadalahara to Barra de Navidad/Melaque 4 hours
• Oaxaca to Pochutla/Puerto Angel 7 hours
• Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido 6 hours.
• Puerto Angel to Puerto Escondido 1 hour (69km/42mi)
• Puerto Angel to Huatulco 40 minutes
• Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad/Melaque 4 hours
• Mexico City to Oaxaca 5 hours
• Laredo to Pochutla/Puerto Angel 42 hours if you go through Oaxaca City. You can reduce that some by crossing the isthmus instead of going through the mountains, but you'll miss the best part of the trip.

Toll Roads

There are a lot of toll roads in Mexico. The tolls on a long trip can really add up, but it is generally best to take the toll roads. There are some exceptions such as the toll road from Cancún to Chichén Itzá--it's just for tourists and other suckers. Here's a link to the Mexican government's DGDC web site with a trip calculator with toll, distance, and fuel cost information: aplicaciones4.sct.gob.mx
.

Driving at night in Mexico is not recommended due to livestock on the roads, vehicles without lights, piles of rocks in the road to warn of a broken down vehicle ahead (the rocks are often left in place after the vehicle is removed), washed out areas that appear as shadows at night, and other hazards. Besides, you'll make poor time and you won't get to see the scenery.

See Driving in Mexico

See Hwy 175, the route to Oaxaca City from Huatulco/Puerto Angel/Zipolite, etc.

See Hwy 200, the coastal highway that runs most of the length of the Pacific coast.

See Hwy 80 - Jalisco, the highway connecting Guadalajara to the coastal towns of Barra de Navidad, Melaque, etc.

Car Rentals

• La Crucecita: (9)587-00-10
• Huatulco: Take a taxi!
• Puerto Vallarta: Advantage Rent-A-Car, (3)221-1809. Francisco Medina Ascencio #7936, Colonia Villa La Flores, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. Daily 8am - 9pm.
• Advantage 1-800-777-5500 (US), 011-529-517-0051 (Huatulco). www.advantagerentacar.com Email: wlongman@arac.com (Wendy Longman, e-Commerce Sales Manager) (Ht PV)
• Avis 1-800-712-1112 Web site (PV Gd Ox)
• Central office for Budget in Mexico City: 91-800-70017 (toll free)
• Budget International: 1-800-472-3325 Web site (Ht Gd Mz Ox PE PV)
• Dollar 1-800-800-3665 Web site (Ht Gd PV)
• Hertz 1-800-654-3001 (US), 800-263-0600 (Canada) Web site
• National 1-800-227-7368 (if calling from Mexico or U.S.) Web site (Mz PV Gd)
• National 1-800-387-4747 (if calling from Canada)

Car rental fees are fairly reasonable. There may be a shortage of cars during busy times. See Car Rental Tips.

Taxis

Taxis are plentiful most places in Mexico. There is a double standard here with tourists paying more than locals. Be sure to ask how much it is going to cost before getting in and consider the reply. Also, you can hire a taxi for the whole day at reasonable cost. Locals don't tip, but it may be expected of tourists. A colectivo is a taxi that is being shared by several occupants and reduced rates.

Taxis from airports are usually much more expensive than taxis to airports.

by Ship

The resort area of Huatulco, Oaxaca, now has a port able to accommodate cruise ships. Muelle Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz (one of the three closely located towns that make up the resort area). The first ships docking here in April 2003 were from the Holland America line.

Manzanillo, Colima, has Mexico's most important Pacific port. Naval, cargo, and passenger ships frequent the port.

Trains

Train service in Mexico in general has deteriorated while bus service has improved. The only train terminal on the Oaxacan coast is at Salina Cruz (not to be confused with Santa Cruz Huatulco). There is train service between Mexico City and Oaxaca City. See comments on this route.

There are no trains on the coast of Jalisco. There is train service to Manzanillo, Colima, that runs through Cuyutlán and Colima.

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The Pacific Coast of Mexico www.tomzap.com Tom Penick:  tom@tomzap.com