OZU /MEXICO /MEXICO CITY /GUIDE
From Mexico City’s airports to the centre
1 h route4 stopsBest: All yearUpdated July 2026
Since April 2026 the answer to “how do I get from the airport to the centre” has changed, and it’s worth knowing why. Mexico City has two airports: AICM (MEX), the long-standing one, inside the city, and AIFA (NLU), opened in 2022 some fifty kilometres to the north, already in the State of Mexico.
The difference matters far more than it seems when buying the flight. And AIFA, which until recently had only buses or taxis, opened a train to Buenavista on 26 April 2026 that changes the equation entirely.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
First: check which airport you’re flying to
AICM (code MEX) sits inside the city, with metro and Metrobús at the door: from the plane to the historic centre can be a long half hour. AIFA (code NLU) is some fifty kilometres north and, even with the train journey announced at around an hour, you must add getting from Buenavista to wherever you’re staying. Plenty of cheap flights, domestic ones especially, use AIFA. It isn’t a bad option, but know it when you buy rather than discovering it on landing: the difference from AICM can be a long hour and a half door to door.
- 02
From AICM: Metrobús and metro
Take the Line 4 Metrobús, whose airport route calls at both terminals and runs down to the historic centre and Buenavista. It’s the only city public transport with a reserved area for bulky luggage, limited though it is and quick to fill.
The metro is cheaper still: the Terminal Aérea station, on Line 5, is a step from Terminal 1. But it isn’t designed for big cases and at rush hour it is genuinely packed. With a backpack, unbeatable. With two suitcases, Metrobús or taxi.
- 03
From AIFA: the new train
No printed guide has caught up with this yet: the rail branch linking AIFA with Buenavista station, in the centre, opened on 26 April 2026. Before that, reaching AIFA by public transport meant a bus, which is why the airport carried a reputation for being awkward.
It was announced with a journey of around an hour and departures every half hour, with the stated intention of coming down to some forty-three minutes and twelve-minute frequencies as more trains arrive. Having run for three months, the timetable may still be settling: check it on the day.
Buenavista, moreover, is also where the Metrobús from the other airport arrives, so it has become the hinge between the two.
- 04
The taxi: at the desk, not in the hall
The local rule leaves no room for doubt, and following it pays: authorised taxis are booked at the desks inside the terminal, paid in advance, and charge a fixed fare by city zone rather than by meter. You get a ticket and are assigned a car with it.
What you don’t do is accept an offer from someone approaching you in the arrivals hall. Ride-hailing apps also operate, with marked pick-up points.
From AIFA, with the train now open, a taxi only pays off late at night or with a lot of luggage.
Frequently asked
How do you get from AIFA to central Mexico City?
Since 26 April 2026 there’s a train: the Tren Felipe Ángeles links the airport with Buenavista station, in the centre, with an announced journey of around an hour and departures every half hour. Before that there were only buses or taxis, so guides published earlier don’t mention it.
What’s the difference between AICM and AIFA?
AICM (MEX) is inside the city, with metro and Metrobús at the terminal. AIFA (NLU) is some fifty kilometres north, reached by train since April 2026, or by bus and taxi. Check which one you’re flying to before buying: the door-to-door difference can be an hour and a half.