Cancun Still the place for Texans

[Dave Dillehay]

I need to go back to Texas for my son's Little League tournament coming up . Just checked prices 1 week out for CZM or CUN to IAH. One way $308 for Cozumel, $97 for Cancun both on United but SW probably even less expensive. Finally Southwest is having the desired competitive effect. Yahoo for the bag drag.

At these prices it might be cheaper to come on down than spend a weekend at Home Depot!

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[blue steal]

Dave what would you say is the average time from Cancun airport to arriving at Cozumel ferry dock and the reverse direction?
How late an arrival into Cancun would you consider staying at a hotel in downtown Cancun?
Is your preference the ADO bus or private van to Playa? Back to Cancun?
I think from LAX we may start doing the "bag drag".

 

[bamafan]

45 minutes by taxi and about 1:15 minutes on the ADO bus if I remember correctly.

 

[Christi]

I'm not Dave, but being familiar with the frequent bag drag myself (and recently), I would give yourself a 2 hour window for the ADO bus to Playa (because they may not be leaving as soon as you step onto the bus) and they are now stoping at both bus terminals in Playa. The ferries run each hour and take 35 - 50 minutes depending on the boat they are using and sea conditions. So depending on when you arrive in Playa, you could possibly have to wait close to an hour for the next ferry. Last ferry from Playa to Coz is 10pm (there is an occasional 11pm ferry, but not one I would bank on).

Sooo - if your flights lands in Cancun later than 7:30pm, it's cutting it close.

The quickest I've ever made the bag drag from deplaning to my door in Coz is 2.5 hours and the longest was 6 hours (traffic jam on the highway). I'd say average is 3 to 3.5 hours from deplaning to your "door" in Cozumel.

I would avoid staying at a hotel in CUN if at all possible.

 

[ReefHound]

If you can't make the last ferry I'd recommend staying in Playa del Carmen than Cancun.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Fly to Cancun and don't worry about it. Save big $

Dave

 

[ggunn]

If I had to travel back and forth to Cozumel many times a year, the savings I would realize by flying into Cancun instead of direct to Cozumel would make more of a difference to me, but for once or twice a year, not so much.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Gordon,

The subject right now is the LOW airfare into Cancun vs CZM. But again, if you are in a place that will allow non stop to Cancun vs plane change for CZM I'd say do it. Just too much risk of missed connections, storms, etc even if you only go twice a year.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS Frequently the fare to Cancun is the same as CZM-- just not now.

 

[gopbroek]

If you can't make the last ferry I'd recommend staying in Playa del Carmen than Cancun.

The downside is if you miss the last ferry finding a room near the Playa ferry after 2300 can be problematic. The last time I arrived on the pier at the 2310 (10PM ADO bus from the airport) I could not find any rooms available for under $100 near the pier, ended up 8 blocks away @ $85. If it looks close I now stay in downtown Cancun and grab the 5AM bus which allows me to make to 0645 ferry and then make the 0800 boat from the Marina

 

[ReefHound]

Seems like it was often the same price to CUN or CZM 5 or so years ago but the last several the difference is ridiculous.

And aside from the price there is the limited availability. United only has two flights per day into CZM from Houston and only on certain days in off season. My options in CUN are vastly greater with a half-dozen or more flights per day available.