Plaza Mar – Airport Transfers

There are several Airport Transfer options, info, images to help you navigate.

GENERAL:

-Time: 20-35 minutes – varies

-Distance: 6 miles

ADDRESS: Plaza Mar Condos, Lázaro Cárdenas 155, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.

What to tell a Taxi Driver: Old Town, Lazaro Cardenas street. Next to Hotel Eloisa.

FROM AIRPORT:

1) Uber $7-12 – Cannot pick up at the airport! See Image Below. You have to walk over the footbridge (no stairs) to be picked up. Note, when returning to Airport Uber will drop you directly at the airport. Uber Cost Estimator Tool

2) Yellow Cab – $12-15 – See Image below, you have to walk over the footbridge to catch

3) White Taxi at the airport – $35-$45 for 2 people

4) White Van at the airport: stops at hotels along the way $20-$25 per person

5) Private Car Service – If you need private transportation from the airport I am working with a new service. Contact Luis at [email protected] or you can Whatsapp him or call him +52 322 175 5559 (Mexico number) and arrange an airport pickup. Note: Mexitravels can arrange your tours, spa services, [email protected] and just about anything else during your stay.

BACK TO AIRPORT:

1) Uber: Drops you at Airport. Uber Cost Estimator Tool

2) Front Desk can call yellow taxi and negotiate price for you. About $15 USD. Allow 5-10 mins for Front Desk to handle.

3)Yellow Taxi – walk out in streets, negotiate price

4) Private Car Service – Contact Luis at [email protected] or you can Whatsapp him or call him +52 322 175 5559 (Mexico number) and arrange an airport pickup. Note: Mexitravels can arrange your tours, spa services, [email protected]

8 Steps to Successfully Navigating Puerto Vallarta Airport

Terminal B is where you arrive and depart. Sometimes the plane gates are so full they park on tarmac and you take 1 of a few buses to Terminal. Be prepared because it will be hot and try to get on the first bus, sit near exit doors with the below-mentioned forms in hand.

Time: It varies. From Airplane to Airport curbside ranges from 15 minutes to 1 hour. Avg is probably 35 mins. At every point along the way, you will think this is going to take hours…most likely…it won’t.

Primary Key to Success: Knowing what is going on and how to handle will allow you to pass others while they look on in bewilderment.

1) Airplane: you are provided 2 forms. 1) Immigration 2) Declared Items. Fill both out completely-triple check it.

2) Airplane Exiting: Shortly after exiting airplane a person will check your Immigration form for completeness and may glance at your passport. Have everything in hand prior. You may come upon a scene where it looks like a bunch of people are taking a test in a hallway. In reality, they already failed the test and are now completing their forms. Quickly pass them.

2) Immigration CheckPoint: The far left line is for Mexican Citizens, the rest of the lines are for Partier’s ..excuse me…Visitors. Lines go pretty quickly even if there are a lot of people. If you are traveling together, stay together when it is your turn.

2.1) Immigration will take your passport and the Immigration form. They will give you back your passport and the bottom portion of the Immigration form (receipt). DO NOT LOSE THAT BOTTOM PART!! I REPEAT, DO NOT…You will need it when you check-in at the airline counter for your return flight. Without it, you will have to buy another one ($75 USD)

3) Long Walk: After Immigration checkpoint you will walk, and walk, and walk to the baggage area. You will think you are on some sort of walk for a charity event. This walk is actually designed to calm you down from anything that most likely occurred back in immigration. You will do a similar walk on your return flight except that one goes through a shopping mall full of things you never realized you wanted until then.

4) Baggage Claim Area: You are now entering the Titanic zone where chaos and stress reach a pinnacle and everyone wants out but of course, with their luggage. People are clamoring over one another, yelling and hollering across the room looking for people. It is here where fights break out over luggage carts as if they were lifeboats. There is no music playing but there is clearly a sense you don’t want to be here very long. Best to use the wheels on your luggage as there are no more long walks and the carts actually prevent you from being nimble which you will need to be later.

5) Bag Inspection: Stand in line to enter. Have your Declaration form in hand and Passport. Again, remember what I said…don’t lose that little Immigration receipt for your return flight. I see them on the ground in this area all the time…

5.1) You will be asked to hand over your Declaration form, they may check passport and then you will press a game show like button. If you are traveling together, stay together when it is your turn.

5.2) Greenlight you proceed to the scanning machine

5.3) Red light…they think you look suspicious, someone in your group looks suspicious or un-lucky

6) After Inspection: The Gauntlet zone….more chaos…you will walk through the hotel area of representatives. People seemingly just stand right in the middle of the walkway despite 20 airplane loads of people passing through, so go around, wait for no one. Stopping is asking for trouble.

7) You Made It: Almost….You are now entering the Shark Tank zone….the final stage. You have entered the public area of Airport at this point but there is still some more chaos to deal with as everyone and their brother wants to give you a ride, everyone greets you as their friend, they miss you, blah blah blah. Ignore it all…because at this point you need to be preparing yourself for what is about to happen next. You are about to exit the air-conditioned confines and be blasted with a hot sticky thermal wave some oddly comment as “not so bad”. Proceed to your transportation choice before you melt.

8) Celebrate: Grab some Mexican Champagne (aka beer) somewhere, it is hot out. Cheers one another. You officially made it. Welcome to Puerto Vallarta Mexico!! Don’t lose your immigration receipt!

Uber and Yellow Taxi Pickup Location – across foot bridge (no stairs)

Tip: At base of foot bridge is a great casual, inexpensive place called Tacon de Marlin to grab a very popular Seafood burrito (Smoked Marlin, Shrimp, Octopus, Crab, etc) and a cold beer. They have WIFI and A/C.

On Departure, arrive a bit early, beat crowds, drop bags off, walk across foot bridge, have a burrito or grab to bring on plane.

OXXO – Convenience Store is located in Airport Parking lot. They have beer too. Normal pricing.

Tip: You can drink beer in a Taxi or Uber (if you ask)

Uber or Yellow cab will drive North about 1/4 mile then turn right into a neighborhood. They are simply turning around to get back on freeway!

Airport to/from Plaza Mar

Grey route is the tunnel route both get you to same place, drivers usually know which is fastest at the moment.

Detailed Maps of Plaza Mar

Note: The street heading to Plaza Mar is a dead end. When grabbing a taxi or catching an Uber, sometimes it is best to walk out to the street corner.

Bus Stop is also directly behind park. Buses are well marked and many have A/C.

International Flights leave/arrive at Terminal B

Depart-Getting through security is usually very quick. But note there is a walk to get to Terminal B

If you need assistance there flag down a golf cart.

Hall B = International Flights