Travelers to Mexico often make flight connections at Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport and may have long layovers. If you have a long wait between flights at Mexico City’s airport then read on for some ideas on things to do.

Passengers arriving on international flights into Mexico City clear Mexican immigration at that airport even if the final destination is elsewhere in Mexico. Assuming your connection is on the same airline or airline partner, your checked luggage will automatically be transferred to your connecting flight – you won’t see it in Mexico City. In Mexico checked luggage is cleared by Mexican customs at your final destination. However if you are leaving the secure side of the Mexico City airport for a few hours after going through immigration you will pass through Mexican customs where your carry-on luggage is x-rayed and may be randomly inspected.

While in the airport get some pesos; there are bilingual Spanish/English ATMs throughout the concourse where you can withdraw Mexican pesos from your home bank account. There are also exchange booths if you want to convert any currency into pesos.

If you only have a few hours to kill then it is probably best to stay in the airport. There are a number of restaurants and shops available both landside and airside. If you need a quiet place to work or relax, there are VIP lounges on the top floor (fee charged if you don’t have the affinity card or airline membership to enter at no charge). If you want to surf the Internet you can do that in the airport but the last time I tried this I had trouble getting a consistent connection. Hopefully the WiFi there is now improved! If you do go landside, allow yourself enough time to get through airport security to catch your connecting flight.

If you have more than a few hours (say at least 5) then you might consider a visit to central Mexico City. There is a paid luggage storage service in the airport where you can securely drop off your carry-on bags.

I suggest heading to the Zócalo area in the heart of Mexico City. There are essentially two good ways of getting there from the airport. The cheapest is the Metro (subway) but you will need to change lines en route. It’s not difficult and I’ll explain how to do it. Or you can take an authorized taxi. The airport is roughly 15 kilometers east of central Mexico City.

Taxi: Look for the Ground Transportation (“Transporte Terrestre”) booth at the airport. Here you can buy a prepaid taxi voucher to your destination. Ask to be taken to the Hotel Majestic on the Zócalo. Taxi drivers in Mexico do not expect tips but if the driver gives you exceptional service a tip is certainly appreciated. If you want to take a taxi back to the airport the easiest and safest way to do it is find a taxi stand (“sitio” in Spanish), or ask a restaurant to call you a radio taxi if you’re ready to head back after a meal, or walk into a large hotel and ask the doorman to call you a radio taxi (tip the doorman a few pesos for the service).

Metro: The airport is on the Yellow Line (Line 5) and the airport station is Terminal Aérea. Currently a one way Metro ticket which includes transfers is only 3 Mexican Pesos (approximately 25 US cents). The Metro is crowded during rush hour and you need to be mindful of pickpockets; similar to subway travel in other cities. To get to the Zócalo Metro station, take Yellow Line 5 two stops to its terminus at the Pantitlan station. Transfer to Pink Line 1 in the Observatorio direction and take it 9 stops to the Pino Suarez station. Here you transfer once again, this time to Blue Line 3 in the Cuatro Caminos direction; ride 1 stop to the Zócalo Metro station. Tip: Go online and find a map of the Mexico City Metro to review prior to your trip.

The Zócalo is one of the largest public squares in the world. Its official name is Plaza de la Constitución and was the heart of the great Aztec city of Tenochtitlan which the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes discovered in 1519. The north side of the Zócalo is dominated by the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. Construction was started in 1573 and took 3 centuries to complete. The cathedral is slowly sinking into the ground due to its heavy weight and the fact that Mexico City is built on top of a dried lake bed with very soft sub-soil. The interior of the cathedral is worth a look; there is a dress code (no shorts).

A short distance around the corner from the cathedral, outside on the right side toward the rear of the cathedral as you face the cathedral’s front door is where the Aztecs had their grandiose Templo Mayor (Great Temple). This temple was dedicated to Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, and Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war. In order to appease their gods, the Aztecs performed ritual human sacrifice at the top of the pyramid shaped structure. Cortes was so incensed when he learned about the Aztecs’ idol worship and practice of human sacrifice that he ordered his men to destroy the Templo Mayor along with others in the city of Tenochtitlan. The destroyed temples provided building material; part of the Metropolitan Cathedral contains stones from the Aztecs’ Templo Mayor.

You can visit the archeological site for the Templo Mayor; the site and its museum are open Tuesday through Sunday from 09:00 (9am) to 17:00 (5pm). Admission the last time I checked is 57 pesos per person (apx. US$5) with free admission on Sundays. There is a photography fee if you want to use your camera. To get there face the National Cathedral and walk along its right side. Website: http://www.templomayor.inah.gob.mx/

On the east side of the Zócalo (to your right facing the cathedral) is the National Palace, seat of the federal government of Mexico. The great Aztec leader Moctezuma had his palace on this very site and the Mexican National Palace was constructed from many of the same building materials taken from Moctezuma’s palace.

Inside the National Palace are the famous murals of Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico from the pre-Hispanic era through the Aztec Conquest, Revolution and the 1930s Workers Movement. You may enter the building to view the spectacular murals between 09:00 (9am) and 17:00 (5pm). No admission fee but you will need to leave your ID with security.

On the west side of the Zócalo (to your left facing the cathedral) are hotels and restaurants. Find Francisco I. Madero street next to the Hotel Majestic on the Zócalo. Walk west along this pedestrian street that runs through the Zona Historico (Historic Zone); there are shops and all kinds of places to eat from fast food to high end restaurants. One of my favorite restaurants in Mexico City is close by, El Cardenal. Walk one block from the Zócalo on Madero street to the corner of Palma and turn right. The restaurant is located at Palma 23. This is where the city’s power brokers and politicians come to dine and make deals. My wife once had lunch here and sitting just a couple of tables away was the future President of Mexico. Website: http://www.restauranteelcardenal.com/eng/

Continuing west on Madero street to the corner of Filomeno Mata. Here you will see the famous House of Tiles at 4 Francisco Madero Street. It was built in the 16th century and renovated in 1737 by the Count and Countess of Orizaba who ordered the placement of the tiles. In the late 19th century it became a private men’s club and stayed that way until 1917 when it became a pharmacy. The Mexican restaurant chain Sanborn’s now has a branch here; this is a reliable place to stop in for a snack or meal.

A short walk west on Madero from the House of Tiles brings you to the express cross-street named Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas. On this corner is the Torre Latinoamericana (Latin-American Tower) office building with its 44 floors. For many years this was the tallest building in Mexico City. It is specially constructed to withstand Mexico City’s frequent earthquakes and suffered no damage in the great quake of 1985. The upper levels are open to visitors and provide great views of the Historic Zone and, on the rare clear day, views of the greater metropolitan area and the Popocatepetl volcano to Mexico City’s southeast. An admission fee of 60 pesos gets you access to the observation decks on the 42nd and 43rd floor, the open air terrace on the 44th floor and an exhibit about the tower. There is also a restaurant up there. It is open daily from 09:00 (9am) to 22:00 (10pm).

Diagonally across the street from the Latin-American Tower is the magnificent and imposing Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) building.

TOURBUS OPTION

You might be interested in Mexico City’s version of the “Hop-On Hop-Off” bus called “El Turibus” instead of walking. Website: http://www.turibus.com.mx The Zócalo Turibus stop is located on the west side of the cathedral (left side facing the cathedral), behind the cathedral at the corner of Monte de Piedad and Calle Republica de Guatemala. The service runs daily year-around; check current peso fares on their website. This is a stop on their “Circuito Centro” route (Central Circuit). The Turibus passes each given stop every 30 minutes; the entire Central Circuit takes 3-1/2 hours to complete so you don’t want to consider the Turibus unless you have several hours between flights.

BACK TO THE AIRPORT

Assuming you are already checked-in with boarding pass for your connecting flight then plan on being inside the airport terminal at the security checkpoint line at least an hour to 90 minutes before departure. You can either reverse your route on the subway to the Terminal Aérea station or take a taxi (see the Taxi note above).