Mexico
How to get to Mexico depends on where in Mexico you’re going — and the answer changes dramatically depending on your answer. Mexico City (MEX) is one of the most connected airports in the Western Hemisphere, served by every major US and Canadian carrier with nonstop routes to dozens of US cities. But Cancún (CUN) has more US airline service than many countries combined and that’s where most Americans go. Los Cabos (SJD) draws every major US carrier during winter season. And the country stretches from the US border in the north to Guatemala in the south, with beaches on two coasts, ancient ruins throughout, and colonial cities across the highlands. US citizens enter visa-free for up to 180 days for tourism — no application, no advance registration needed, just a valid passport. One critical non-rev note before anything else: Mexico’s size and diversity mean there are airports that genuinely suit every trip. But the gateway you choose shapes everything about your routing options, so understanding the full network before you list is worth the few minutes it takes.
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Tourism Board
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Why Go
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Non-Rev Notes Before You List
You cannot take a US-rented vehicle into Mexico. This applies even to trips just across the border. If you’re planning to drive in Mexico, you must rent from a Mexican rental company on the Mexican side. Cross-border rental is not permitted by US rental car agreements and is not covered by standard US rental car insurance. This catches travelers off guard — plan for it in advance.
Viva (VB) and Volaris (Y4) are Mexico’s two major low-cost carriers and operate extensive routes between the US and Mexico. Neither is in a global alliance. Non-rev access depends on your airline having a specific interline or ZED agreement with each carrier. Verify in your airline’s travel portal before listing on either. Do not assume access based on route availability alone. Southwest Airlines (WN) is also not in any global alliance.
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Home Airlines
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Mexico’s Airports at a Glance
| City | Airport | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Benito Juárez International Airport | MEX |
| Mexico City (2nd airport) | Felipe Ángeles International Airport | NLU |
| Monterrey | General Mariano Escobedo International | MTY |
| Guadalajara | Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International | GDL |
| Cancún | Cancún International Airport | CUN |
| Tulum | Tulum International Airport | TQO |
| Cozumel | Cozumel International Airport | CZM |
| Mérida | Manuel Crescencio Rejón International | MID |
| Puerto Vallarta | Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International | PVR |
| Los Cabos (San José del Cabo) | Los Cabos International Airport | SJD |
| Loreto | Loreto International Airport | LTO |
| Tijuana | General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International | TIJ |
| León / Guanajuato | Del Bajío International Airport | BJX |
| Acapulco | General Juan N. Álvarez International | ACA |
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How to Get to Mexico From North America
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| United States — East & Southeast | ||
| 🇺🇸Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Charlotte | CLT | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Detroit | DTW | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Miami | MIA | American (AA), Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Minneapolis | MSP | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸New York-JFK | JFK | American (AA), Aeromexico (AM), Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | United (UA), Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Orlando | MCO | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Philadelphia | PHL | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Raleigh/Durham | RDU | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Salt Lake City | SLC | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Tampa | TPA | Aeromexico (AM) |
| United States — Midwest & Central | ||
| 🇺🇸Chicago-O’Hare | ORD | American (AA), Aeromexico (AM), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Dallas-Fort Worth | DFW | American (AA), Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Denver | DEN | Aeromexico (AM), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Houston-Intercontinental | IAH | Aeromexico (AM), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Las Vegas | LAS | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Phoenix | PHX | American (AA), Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸San Antonio | SAT | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Washington-Dulles | IAD | Aeromexico (AM), United (UA) |
| United States — West Coast | ||
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | American (AA), Aeromexico (AM), Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | SFO | Aeromexico (AM), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Seattle | SEA | Aeromexico (AM) |
| Canada | ||
| 🇨🇦Calgary | YYC | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | Aeromexico (AM), Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Aeromexico (AM), Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦Vancouver | YVR | Aeromexico (AM), Air Canada (AC) |
NLU is Mexico City’s second airport, located about 50km north of the city centre. It currently serves no US or Canadian nonstops from alliance carriers — its international service is limited to Arajet (Dominican Republic) and a few Latin American routes. The airport is used primarily by Viva and Volaris for domestic connections and is where Aeromexico routes some domestic traffic. If you see NLU in a connecting itinerary, note it is a separate airport from MEX — the two are not interchangeable and require ground transfer between them (roughly 1.5 hours in normal traffic).
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | ||
| 🇺🇸Atlanta | ATL | Aeromexico (AM), Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Chicago-O’Hare | ORD | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Dallas-Fort Worth | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Denver | DEN | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Detroit | DTW | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Houston-Intercontinental | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Las Vegas | LAS | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Miami | MIA | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸New York-JFK | JFK | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Orlando | MCO | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | SFO | United (UA) |
| Canada | ||
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦Vancouver | YVR | Air Canada (AC) |
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | ||
| 🇺🇸Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Chicago-O’Hare | ORD | Aeromexico (AM), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Dallas-Fort Worth | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Denver | DEN | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Fresno | FAT | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Houston-Intercontinental | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Las Vegas | LAS | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | Aeromexico (AM), Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸Miami | MIA | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Orlando | MCO | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Sacramento | SMF | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸Salt Lake City | SLC | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | SFO | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸San Jose, CA | SJC | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸Seattle | SEA | Aeromexico (AM) |
| Canada | ||
| 🇨🇦Calgary | YYC | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC) |
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| United States — Oneworld (American · Alaska) | ||
| 🇺🇸Austin | AUS | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Charlotte | CLT | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Chicago-O’Hare | ORD | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Dallas-Fort Worth | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Indianapolis | IND | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Kansas City | MCI | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Miami | MIA | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸New York-JFK | JFK | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Philadelphia | PHL | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Pittsburgh | PIT | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸Portland | PDX | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸Raleigh/Durham | RDU | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | SFO | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸Seattle | SEA | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸St. Louis | STL | American (AA) |
| United States — SkyTeam (Delta) | ||
| 🇺🇸Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Austin | AUS | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Cincinnati | CVG | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Detroit | DTW | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Indianapolis | IND | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Kansas City | MCI | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Minneapolis | MSP | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Nashville | BNA | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸New York-JFK | JFK | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Raleigh/Durham | RDU | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Salt Lake City | SLC | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Seattle | SEA | Delta (DL) |
| United States — Star Alliance (United) | ||
| 🇺🇸Chicago-O’Hare | ORD | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Cleveland | CLE | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Denver | DEN | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Houston-Intercontinental | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | SFO | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Washington-Dulles | IAD | United (UA) |
| Canada | ||
| 🇨🇦Calgary | YYC | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Edmonton | YEG | Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦Halifax | YHZ | Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Ottawa | YOW | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Vancouver | YVR | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦Winnipeg | YWG | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Chicago-ORD | ORD | American (AA), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Denver | DEN | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Detroit | DTW | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | LAX | American (AA), Alaska (AS), Delta (DL), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Minneapolis | MSP | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 New York-JFK | JFK | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Newark | EWR | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Portland | PDX | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Sacramento | SMF | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Salt Lake City | SLC | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 San Diego | SAN | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 San Francisco | SFO | Alaska (AS), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 San Jose, CA | SJC | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Seattle | SEA | Alaska (AS), Delta (DL) |
| 🇨🇦 Calgary | YYC | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Edmonton | YEG | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Vancouver | YVR | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Austin | AUS | American (AA), Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Charlotte | CLT | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Chicago-ORD | ORD | American (AA), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Denver | DEN | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Detroit | DTW | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | LAX | Alaska (AS), American (AA), Delta (DL), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Minneapolis | MSP | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 New York-JFK | JFK | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Newark | EWR | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Portland | PDX | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Sacramento | SMF | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Salt Lake City | SLC | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 San Diego | SAN | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 San Francisco | SFO | Alaska (AS), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 San Jose, CA | SJC | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Seattle | SEA | Alaska (AS), Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Washington-Dulles | IAD | United (UA) |
| 🇨🇦 Calgary | YYC | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Edmonton | YEG | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦 Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Vancouver | YVR | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Miami | MIA | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Newark | EWR | United (UA) |
| 🇨🇦 Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Miami | MIA | American (AA) |
| 🇨🇦 Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Atlanta | ATL | Delta (DL) |
| 🇺🇸 Charlotte | CLT | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Chicago-ORD | ORD | American (AA), United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Denver | DEN | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇺🇸 Miami | MIA | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Minneapolis | MSP | Delta (DL) |
| 🇨🇦 Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC) |
| 🇨🇦 Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC), WestJet (WS) |
| 🇨🇦 Calgary | YYC | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Atlanta | ATL | Aeromexico (AM) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇨🇦 Vancouver | YVR | Flair Airlines (F8) |
| 🇺🇸 Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | LAX | Alaska (AS) |
| 🇺🇸 Phoenix | PHX | American (AA) |
| 🇨🇦 Calgary | YYC | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | DFW | American (AA) |
| 🇺🇸 Houston-IAH | IAH | United (UA) |
| 🇨🇦 Montreal | YUL | Air Transat (TS) |
More Mexican airports — These airports serve domestic routes and some seasonal or regional international service. Most are best reached via MEX, GDL, MTY, or CUN with a domestic connection on Aeromexico, Viva, or Volaris:
| City | Code | Region | What’s There |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oaxaca | OAX | South | UNESCO colonial city, mezcal, Día de los Muertos |
| Mazatlán | MZT | Pacific | Historic port, beaches, carnival capital |
| Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo | ZIH | Pacific | Twin resort town, calmer than PVR or SJD |
| Hermosillo | HMO | Northwest | Sonora gateway, near Kino Bay beaches |
| Chihuahua | CUU | North | Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre) base |
| Querétaro | QRO | Central | UNESCO colonial city, wine region |
| Morelia | MLM | Central | UNESCO colonial capital of Michoacán |
| San Luis Potosí | SLP | Central | Colonial city, gateway to Huasteca Potosina |
| Aguascalientes | AGU | Central | Wine region, Feria Nacional de San Marcos |
| Veracruz | VER | Gulf Coast | Oldest port city in the Americas, seafood |
| Villahermosa | VSA | Gulf Coast | Gateway to Palenque and Tabasco |
| Manzanillo | ZLO | Pacific | Diving, sport fishing, quieter resort town |
| Mexicali | MXL | Border/North | Border crossing to Calexico, CA |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez | TGZ | South | Gateway to Chiapas, Sumidero Canyon |
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Getting Around Mexico
The Tren Maya (Maya Train) opened progressively and now connects the entire Yucatán Peninsula loop: Cancún → Playa del Carmen → Tulum → Bacalar → Palenque → Mérida → back to Cancún. The line makes the Riviera Maya dramatically easier to navigate without a car. Cancún to Tulum is approximately 1h40m by train — compared to 1.5 hours by car in good traffic. Playa del Carmen is about 30 minutes from Cancún. The train also provides a practical way to reach Mérida from Cancún (roughly 5-6 hours) or Palenque in Chiapas.
Playa del Carmen → Cozumel: Passenger ferries (Mexico Waterjets, UltraMar, Winjet) depart frequently from Playa del Carmen’s pier, with the crossing taking about 30–45 minutes. Multiple sailings daily from early morning through evening. Cozumel has its own international airport (CZM) with US nonstops, but the ferry from Playa is the practical route for most visitors approaching from the mainland.
Puerto Juárez / Gran Puerto → Isla Mujeres: Ferries to Isla Mujeres depart from the Gran Puerto terminal in Cancún (north of the hotel zone) and from Puerto Juárez. The crossing takes 15–20 minutes. Multiple operators run throughout the day. Isla Mujeres has no commercial airport — the ferry is the only way on and off the island.
Aeromexico operates the most comprehensive domestic network, connecting Mexico City (MEX) to virtually every city in the country. Viva and Volaris have dense domestic networks as well, particularly useful for routes that don’t pass through MEX. For non-revs, connecting domestically via MEX on Aeromexico (SkyTeam) is usually the most reliable option — domestic loads within Mexico are generally more predictable than international loads, and Aeromexico’s presence across the network is strongest.
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Common Questions
Do US citizens need a visa for Mexico?
No. US citizens can enter Mexico visa-free for up to 180 days for tourism. No advance application or registration required — just a valid US passport. Canadian citizens also enter visa-free. On arrival, you’ll fill out a tourist card (FMM); many airlines now process this electronically. Verify current entry requirements at iatatravelcentre.com before travel.
Can I take my US rental car into Mexico?
No. This is a firm restriction — US rental car agreements explicitly prohibit taking vehicles across the Mexican border. Even for short trips. If you need a car in Mexico, rent from a Mexican rental company on the Mexican side. Most major airport rental car companies (Hertz, Avis, Budget, etc.) have Mexican operations. Make sure any rental includes Mexican insurance — your US auto policy and US credit card coverage generally do not apply in Mexico.
What’s the difference between MEX and NLU?
Both serve Mexico City but they are different airports, roughly 50km apart. MEX (Benito Juárez) is the primary international airport, located east of the city centre, handling all major US and international flights. NLU (Felipe Ángeles) is the newer second airport, located north of the city in the State of Mexico, currently serving domestic routes and a handful of regional international routes on Viva, Volaris, and Aeromexico. Do not assume they’re interchangeable — if your itinerary mixes airports, build in significant ground transfer time.
Which Mexican gateway is easiest to reach as a non-rev?
MEX has the most alliance carrier service and the most US gateway cities, making it the most flexible option for non-revs who need routing options. CUN is the busiest leisure route and can have tight loads during high season (winter and spring break), but it also has the most carriers and therefore the most scheduling options. If MEX or CUN loads look problematic, GDL and MTY are both solid alternatives with strong US carrier coverage.
Tourism source: Visit Mexico — Secretaría de Turismo (visitmexico.com). Cultural and heritage citations: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Entry requirements: Mexican Embassy (embamex.sre.gob.mx), IATA Travel Centre. Route data compiled from airline and airport schedules.