By Air
Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) remains the main hub, handling the most international connections. A second airport serving the capital — Felipe Ángeles International (AIFA), opened in 2022 — handles growing domestic and some international traffic but is further from the city center. For beach destinations, fly direct if you can: Los Cabos (SJD), Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Cancun (CUN), and Guadalajara (GDL) all receive direct international flights. Tulum now has its own airport (TQO), which simplifies access to the Riviera Maya's southern end.
Aeromexico is the main Mexican carrier. Budget airlines including Volaris and VivaAerobus serve many domestic routes and connect to US cities. For transatlantic flights, connections typically route through Mexico City or occasionally Cancun.
Entry Requirements
Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, EU, and most other Western nations do not need a visa for tourist stays. You are granted up to 180 days, though officers typically stamp what you say you need — be prepared to state your plans and show a return ticket and accommodation bookings if asked. A valid passport is required; it does not need to be valid for six months beyond your stay, but airlines may refuse boarding if it expires during your trip.
As of 2025, the paper immigration form (FMM) is no longer required at most major airports. At land borders it is still issued and you must keep it until departure.
There is a departure tax, typically included in airline ticket prices.
By Land
The US-Mexico border has numerous official crossings. The busiest are Tijuana/San Diego (Baja California), Nogales (Sonora/Arizona), Ciudad Juárez/El Paso, Nuevo Laredo/Laredo, and Matamoros/Brownsville. Wait times at land border crossings can be very long — hours during peak periods. The Ready Lane (for passport card, Enhanced DL, or SENTRI holders) speeds things up significantly when re-entering the US.
From Guatemala there are two main land crossings. The Pan-American Highway enters Mexico at Ciudad Hidalgo/Tecún Umán. The more popular backpacker route crosses at La Mesilla/Ciudad Cuauhtémoc in Chiapas. From Belize, the main crossing is at Chetumal.
By Sea
Cruise ships call at Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Manzanillo, Acapulco, and Ensenada in Baja California. Passenger ferry service runs between La Paz and Mazatlán, and between Santa Rosalía and Guaymas — a useful option for crossing the Sea of Cortez if you're driving through Baja.