Mexico - MEX 7 Hour Layover

I have a 7 hour layover at MEX early next month while in transit back to Europe with my 11 year old son. Any ideas? Are there any respectable helicopter tours at the airport that would fill some of the time?

All ideas appreciated...........

All ideas appreciated...........

What are the times of your layover?

If you will be there entirely during the day, I'd suggest using an airport taxi and go to the Zocolo and see the Cathedral, the Zocolo itself (which will take all of, oh, 5 minutes), the various archeological sites adjacent to the Zocolo, and the National Palace (I think that's what it is called...) (if only to see the murals). Maybe wander around the downtown area for an hour or two, and walk westward (primarily down Calle Juarez) towards Alameda Park, stop at the little museum to see Diego Rivera's work (at the Diego Rivera Mural Museum), and then across the street to the Sheraton Centro Historico to grab a taxi back to the airport. Of course, you might want to eat at a establishment that you find interesting during your walk. You could probably do all of this (and perhaps more, such as visting the Palacio de Bellas Artes--which is right next to Alameda Park--or the National Art Museum) within 4 or so hours, if you step lively.

Alternatively, take a taxi from the airport and go to Chapultapec (sp?) Park and see the National Museum of Anthropology or just wander around the park.

Note that most (if not all) museums are closed on Mondays, and most (if not all) are free on Sundays. Also, I have no idea what you should do with your carry-on luggage--wandering around MEX with excessive amounts of baggage is not particularly wise.

I am spending a couple of days in Mexico City on the way out and will certainly take your advice. I was thinking of doing something fun and aviation related at the airport like a chopper trip. I know there may be no knowledge of such things out there but the great thing about FT is if you ask the question there is normally someone who can give you a nudge towards the answer :-)

According to this site, a helicopter tour of MEX costs about $1000 USD per hour:
http://mexicocitydf.blogspot.com/2008/07/df-by-helicopter.html
Following the link, you can get to this, and that will tell you how to get a chopper tour:
http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/MASINFORMACION.html

The subway (Metro) is also a good way to head downtown; La Cochinita, our then 12-year-old son and her sisters took it from the airport last summer to the Alameda area while I went with my brothers-in-law in one of their cars. They beat us and, what surprised me, they said it wasn't crowded at all. Even took cell phone pictures to prove it to me. Now granted, this was on a Saturday morning around 11am, well outside any rush hour.

We were also on a layover on this trip, about 9 hours, and had time to go eat lunch at El Cardenal, listen to mariachis at Plaza Garabaldi, and do a bit of shopping.

We got back to the airport about 90 minutes before our flight was scheduled to depart which worked out perfectly.

The best idea I'm pretty sure would be to grab the taxi to the Zocalo, walk into the cathedral, maybe see the Aztec ruins of Templo Mayor, and then walk Madero street to the Alameda and Bellas Artes. Here, look for the Sheraton Centro Histórico and have a safe and extremely well done meal at El Cardenal, an old and very prestigious Mexican restaurant with a branch at this hotel. From there, taxi back to airport. Allow up to 1hr for transfer each way (if there's no traffic it could be 15 mins but this is Mexico City!) and 1hr30 for meal, and let everyone on the way know you have to catch a flight.

The best idea I'm pretty sure would be to grab the taxi to the Zocalo, walk into the cathedral, maybe see the Aztec ruins of Templo Mayor, and then walk Madero street to the Alameda and Bellas Artes. Here, look for the Sheraton Centro Histórico and have a safe and extremely well done meal at El Cardenal, an old and very prestigious Mexican restaurant with a branch at this hotel. From there, taxi back to airport. Allow up to 1hr for transfer each way (if there's no traffic it could be 15 mins but this is Mexico City!) and 1hr30 for meal, and let everyone on the way know you have to catch a flight.

and make sure you take an airport registered taxi there and the hotel or restaurant taxi back to the airport.

Is the taxi thing a major problem? What is the best way to avoid any trouble on arrival at MEX?

Is the taxi thing a major problem? What is the best way to avoid any trouble on arrival at MEX?

Take a registered taxi from the airport. If you are arriving into Terminal 1, after immigration and customs, exit right through the doors and keep going straight until you get to the very end of the hallway/terminal. On the left, right outside of the airport door, is an authorized taxi stand. There are two options: a car or a surburban. Cars are cheaper. The ticket price is a flat rate, based on the zone to which you are going. Simply say "zocolo" and you'll get the right price.

Once in Mexico City proper, either ask a hotel (any respectable looking hotel will do) to call a taxi for you or take one of the hotel's "taxis" (more like a private car, really). The latter will likely cost substantially more, but the driver will speak (at least passable) english.

For reference, a taxi from the airport to the zocolo ran around 130 pesos (I think...my memory is hazy, even though I was recently there...it may very well have been less than that). Arriving at around 1:00 pm, it took an hour to get through immigration and about another 45 minutes to get to the zocolo.

From the Sheraton Centro Historico to the airport was 240 pesos, using the hotel's taxi. At about 7:00 am, it took about 20 minutes to get to the airport.

unceratintraveller is correct. I worked in Mexico City for quite a while and stayed at the Sheraton Centro Historico. The other option you have is to arrange a tour with one of the hotels. I booked a driver through the Sheraton for about $100USD for a 4 hout tour of Mexico City which was very enjoyable. He took me into the various areas such as the cathedrals and was able to share many insights into the history.

Another good option is to visit the Zona Rosa area with a number of good restaurants and shops (my fav was the Angus Steak House). Be safe...stick with airport and hotel taxis. Avoid the green and white taxis - too many illegal cabs which are unsafe unless you are a local.

Hello!
I am planning on using the metro tomorrow on my layover to see either el Zocalo or Chapultepec. Would it be CrAZY of me to take my laptop satchel with me?

Hello!
I am planning on using the metro tomorrow on my layover to see either el Zocalo or Chapultepec. Would it be CrAZY of me to take my laptop satchel with me?
Well, not completely crazy, but nonetheless not completely wise. Is there any way you can disguise it, like stick it in a plastic shopping bag or something along those lines? Try to make it appear to be no big deal.

If you're going to the Zocalo on a Sunday or a Wednesday, check out the performance of the Ballet Folklorico (http://balletamalia.com/) in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. You'll get to see the traditional dress and dances of each of the regions all in one place. Depending on when you go it can get quite full so consider buying tickets in advance.

and make sure you take an airport registered taxi there and the hotel or restaurant taxi back to the airport.

+1 Do not just hail a cab -- stick to stand taxis (taxi de sitio), hotel, or airport taxis.

You can also reserve an airport taxi (http://www.taxisdelaeropuerto.com.mx/) back to the airport. You can call to arrange pick up or ask the driver that drops you off to set it up (they have radios so he can call in request and location). Should cost ~$10USD each way (prices are set by Zone).

My partner and I will have long layovers at MEX later this year (around 11 hours). We are flying AM and will have access to the lounge but it'll be boring. Is there any place to leave out hand baggage at the airport during layovers?

We were thinking of using the metro but from this and the MEX metro thread, it looks like it won't be a good idea unless you're not laden with any bags.

There is a thread on the Trip Advisor Mexico forums about what to do on a layover.
Since you are flying AM you will arrive at T2, which is not connected to the metro. You will need to take a cab or the (slightly mythical) shared shuttle to T1 since the Skytren is out of service. Using the metro is perfectly safe, just exercise the usual streetwise precautions against pickpockets. There are sometimes long walks between lines at connecting stations, but it can be faster than a cab to the centro at peak hours. On the other hand a cab all the way from T2 won't cost an arm and a leg.
There are left luggage facilities at both terminals, as well as ATM machines if you need pesos cash.

I remember a left luggage place in Terminal 1 that can be helpful to store your bags during your layover, the metro is easy but definitely -not- baggage friendly, unless you're in the mood for a workout ;)

Taking the metro to downtown or zona rosa is very cheap and depending on traffic it might be faster than a taxi.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Map_of_the_STC_Metro_of_Mexico_City_%28English%29. png

There's a handy map to help you with your metro plans, however, my personal recommendation is to -avoid- the transfer at Pantitlan, it's a big confusing mess and the station is kinda scary at night. During the day it should be fine though.

That said, if you are not particularly adventurous and don't know a word of spanish, it might be best to just get an airport taxi, it will cost you about 10-15usd to downtown and it's 100% safe. When coming back to the airport just head to a hotel and get them to hail a cab for you.

If you have 5 hours or more a trip downtown or to the zona rosa/polanco area is definitely an excellent idea. You might also consider the southern neighborhood of Coyoacan for a more quiet and typical small town Mexico experience.

the Skytren is out of service.As of the end of September, it's back in service (though with a reduced number of cars). ('Skytren'? Is that really what it's called :eek::eek:? :D

Are there decent chain hotels near the airport or within 20 minutes by taxi?

The Hilton and Camino Real are both accessible on foot from Terminal 1. There is a Holiday Inn a short cab ride from Terminal Two. Others in the vicinity include a Ramada and a Fiesta Inn. However, unless you are arriving very late at night and leaving very early the next morning, you might enjoy somewhere like Condesa DF or the big chains in Polanco. These are less than 30 minutes away (unless traffic is REALLY bad).

There's also an nh in T2.