ZOCO SURFING ADVENTURES

SURFING HOLIDAYS IN MEXICO

FLIGHTS AND TRAVEL INFORMATION

Most visitors to Mexico arrive by air. Around 30 Mexican cities receive direct flights from North America and Canada, and there are relatively cheap connections to the Caribbean and the rest of Latin America. From Europe you can fly to Mexico City and Cancún. Aeroméxico and Mexicana are the largest Mexican airlines.

Travellers can also cross into Mexico by road from the USA at one of the 40 official crossing points. Most cross-border bus services travel from Texas. There are 10 border crossings between Mexico and Guatemala, and fairly frequent bus services between border points and Guatemalan towns. Frequent buses also run between Belize City and Chetumal. Trains run from San Diego to Tijuana, El Paso to Ciudad Juárez and Del Rio to Ciudad Acuña.

FLIGHTS FROM THE UK & EUROPE

You can fly direct to Mexico City with British Airways, or connect via the USA with one of the American Carriers (see below). By flying via the USA, you will be able to fly direct  to locations outside of Mexico City not served directly by European carriers.

British Airways fly direct to Mexico City.
Website: www.ba.com
Telephone(UK): 0870 850 9850.

Alternatively, you can fly to Paris, Amsterdam or Madrid, and connect to Mexico using a European Carrier. Aeromexico has a code-sharing agreement with Air France; you fly to Paris and connect to Mexico City from there.  Flying to Mexico via Continental European hub can work out less expensive, but not always, so check first!

Flight times to Mexico City/Cancun:
Flight times vary from 10 - 12 hours, depending on where you travelling from and whether you're flying with or against the wind

FLIGHTS & TRAVEL FROM THE UNITED STATES & CANADA

If you're American you can drive to Mexico, especially if you live in one of the Southern US states that borders the country. Taking a foreign (US Plate) car into Mexico, beyond the 35km "border zone", requires a fair amount of paperwork, permit arrangements and planning (See entry requirements). If you're renting a car in the United States, you must also make sure that the insurance is valid in Mexico. You'll probably have to buy Mexican car insurance separately, as you cross the border into Mexico.

FLIGHTS

Flights to all of Mexico's main airports are available daily from the United States and Canada. The main carriers include Aeromexico, Mexicana, American (Canadian), United and Continental and Delta flying primarily from Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto into Mexico.

Most flights arrive in Mexico City, although flights from the USA and Canada direct to: Monterrey, Guadalajara, Leon, Aguascalientes, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Acapulco are also common.

Flight times to Mexico City
Flight times vary from 2-6 hours, depending on how far north you are traveling from.  Flight times to Cancun are 4-8 hours; Flight times to Puerto Vallarta and Baja (e.g. La Paz, Los Cabos) 1-4 hours.

AIRLINES

Airline Services to the Baja Peninsula and Mexico:

Aeroexo/Aviacsa 1-800-735-5396 To Tijuana: Flights from Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Mexico City and Monterrey Aerolitoral 1-800-237-6639 To Lapaz: Nonstop flights from Ciudad Obregon, Hermosillo, Loreto, Los Mochis, and Mazatlan; connecting flights from Chihuahua and Monterrey. To Los Cabos: Flights from Los Mochis, La Paz, Loreto, Chihuahua, Culiacan, Ciudad Obregon, and Hermosillo. To Loreto: Flights to Ciudad Obregon and La Paz AeroMexico 1-800-237-6639 From: Los Angeles To: Every airport in Mexico. Direct flights to major cities and commuter flights to smaller cities. Aero California 1-800-237-6225 From: Tijuana To: Mexico City From: Los Angeles To: Loreto, La Paz, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Guadalajara, Durango American Airlines 1-800-433-7300 From: Dallas-Fort Worth To: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puerto Verde, Leon, Los Cabos, Cancun, Monterrey and Acapulco.

Alaska Airlines 1-800-426-0333 From: Los Angeles To: Puerta Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas (Los Cabos) Mazatlan From: San Diego To: Cabo San Lucas (Los Cabos) From: Phoenix To: Puerta Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas (Los Cabos) From: San Fransisco To: Cabo San Lucas (Los Cabos), Ixtapa, Mazatlan From: Portland To: Cabo San Lucas (Los Cabos), Ixtapa, Matzatlan From: Seattle To: Cabo San Lucas, Ixtapa, Mazatlan America West 1-800-235-9292 To Los Cabos: Nonstop flights from Phoenix; connecting flights from many U.S. cities. Delta Airlines 1-800-241-4141 To Los Cabos: Nonstop flights from Atlanta, Ga. Mexicana Airlines 1-800-531-7921 To Los Cabos: Nonstop flights from Guadalajara, Los Angeles, and Monterrey To Tijuana: Nonstop flights from Los Angeles, Guadalajara, and Mexico City; connecting flights from many Mexico cities.

FLIGHTS FROM AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

There are no direct flights from Australia and New Zealand to Mexico. Most travelers go via the USA; often Los Angeles. The best US cities for International-thru connections to Mexico are: Los Angeles, Dallas & Houston, Miami, Chicago and New York.

It's also possible to fly to a main European city and connect from there (see flights from the UK & Europe).

Flying times will vary depending on which route is taken; Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles offer the quickest 2nd-leg flights to Mexico via the USA.

TRAVELLING BY BUS IN MEXICO

You WILL need to be able to speak some Spanish in order to travel independently by bus in Mexico - the ground staff will not necessarily speak English. If you're traveling independently on a budget, the bus will certainly be a cheaper option. But even if you're not on a budget, it may be worth considering the bus as an alternative to domestic flights which can be quite expensive.