Airport
Mexico City International Airport
IATA Code: MEXLocation: The airport is situated six miles (10km) east of Mexico City.
Time: Local time is GMT ?6 (GMT ?5 between the first Sunday in April and the second last Saturday in October).
Contacts: Tel: +52 (0)2482 2424.
Transfer between terminals: Passengers in possession of an electronic reservation password, ticket and/or boarding pass are transported free of charge on the Air Train between terminals one and two. The general public have to take the public transportation bus between the terminals at a nominal charge. Both services are available 24 hours a day.
Transfer to the city: There is a Mexico City Metro subway system linking the airport to downtown Mexico City. Taxis are regulated and passengers can pay in advance at the taxi counter in Arrivals. There are also suburban bus services including Autobuses del Oriente (ADO), Autobuses Estrella Roja and Autobuses Pullman de Morelos. Some hotels offer a pick-up service, however it is worth checking their charge as it is generally cheaper to take a taxi. Car rentals are available.
Taxis: Taxis are regulated and passengers can pay in advance at the taxi counter in Arrivals. Authorized taxis are white and mustard yellow with an aeroplane logo. It takes about 45 minutes to the city centre and costs around US$20.
Car rental: Car rental companies include Avis, Budget, Hertz and National (driving in Mexico City is not recommended for first-time visitors).
Facilities: Facilities at the airport include ATMs, banks, bureau de change, business facilities, a post office, restaurants, shops, hotel reservations and tourist information. There are facilities for disabled travellers but those with special needs should contact their airline in advance.
Parking: The airport has four well-maintained and organised parking lots with a capacity for almost 5,000 vehicles.
Departure tax: US$18 to US$38.
Website: www.aicm.com.mx
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Mexico City
Sprawling across a valley encircled by ice-capped volcanoes and mountains, atop an ancient Aztec civilisation, Mexico City is North America's highest city, and one of the worlds most densely populated. With a long and fascinating history that runs from ancient native civilisations through to the invasion of the Conquistadors and subsequent colonial rule, Mexico City has a vast number of fascinating sights and attractions.
In the city centre, constructed out of the stones of the ancient palaces and temples, is the vast open space of the Zocalo - Mexico's city square - said to be the second largest in the world after Moscow's Red Square. At La Merced you'll discover the city's largest and most vibrant market, with a vast array of bizarre and exciting stalls, while the huge expanse of the Bosque de Chapultepec park houses the National Museum of Anthropology, with a fascinating collection of pre-Hispanic artefacts. At Teotihuac visitors will discover one of the most impressive and mysterious archaeological sites in Mexico, constructed by an ancient, and long forgotten culture.
The sprawling capital is a place to both love and hate, with everything you'd anticipate in a large city. It has world-class museums and galleries, a remarkable architectural legacy and elegant buildings, palaces and cathedrals, green open spaces and colonial suburbs, historical ruins, attractive squares, modern skyscrapers and great economic, cultural and political importance. It also has poverty, overcrowding and slums, incredible pollution, traffic congestion, crime, unemployment, and a constant cacophony of people and noise. It is exhilarating, frenetic and fascinating, an unabated reserve of vibrancy and life.
Despite its problems and somewhat bewildering energy Mexico City is a magnet for Mexicans and tourists alike: a modern, cosmopolitan and ever growing city that is attractive in so many ways. Despite its renown for the appalling, throat-rasping levels of pollution, Mexico City's skies often remain remarkably clear, and it does make for incredible sunsets.
