The airport (Metro Terminal Aérea; line 5; tel 5571-3600
ext 2208 for international arrivals and departures, or ext 2259 for
domestic flights) is 5km east of the Zócalo and still very much
within the city limits - you get amazing views as you come in to
land, low over the buildings. It is an initially confusing place,
with several arrival halls (Sala A-Sala F) arranged along a
broad concourse, with the bulk of the departure lounges on
the upper floor, poorly sign-posted above Salas E and F.
Most international arrivals reach the concourse on the ground
floor at Sala E1 or Sala E3. Here you'll find numerous ATMs
and several casas de cambio , open 24 hours a day and with
reasonable rates for US dollars (rates do vary, so shop around),
but a poorer exchange for other major currencies. There are also
plenty of pricey restaurants and snack bars, major car
rental agencies (see "Listings), a post office (in Sala A), a
few bookshops and left luggage facilities (in Sala A and
Sala E3; US$5.50 a day). There are several airport enquiry desks
dotted around, and a small tourist office in Sala A (open
for most arrivals; tel 5786-9002), with a limited range of city
information.
As you emerge from Customs and Immigration, or off an internal
flight, you'll be besieged by offers of a taxi into town. Ignore
them; by the main exit doors in Sala A you'll find a booth selling
tickets for Setta authorized taxis with a scale of fares
posted according to where you want to go: bank on roughly US$8 to
the Zócalo, US$10 to the Alameda, US$11 to the Zona Rosa and US$13
to Polanco.
If you're travelling reasonably light you could also go in on
the Metro (out the doors at the end of Sala A then follow
the covered walkway for 200m) or continue past the Metro station
out to Boulevard Puerto Aéreo and catch a city-bound bus
.
Visitors reasonably familiar with the city can walk just past
the Metro station and pick up one of the waiting green-and-white
taxis (usually VW Beetles), which should use their meter.
Depending on traffic they'll cost between half and two-thirds of
the SETTA fare, though you risk getting ripped off.
If you don't fancy heading straight into the city so soon after
arrival, you can get a direct transfer to nearby cities .
There's a bus stop right outside Sala D where you can pick up
first-class buses to Cuernavaca, Pachuca, Puebla, Toluca and
Querétaro. There are also luxury car and van services, but they're
almost ten times the price of the buses.