Xalapa has a small airport (General Heriberto Jara International Airport, XAL) with limited service — check current connections, as schedules change. Most visitors arrive by bus from Mexico City (about 4.5 hours on ADO first-class coaches) or from Veracruz city on the coast (about 90 minutes). The ADO bus terminal is at the northern edge of the city centre. Buses from Mexico City run frequently throughout the day.
The drive from Mexico City takes three to four hours via the autopista toll road through Puebla. The road climbs steeply into the sierra from the coast, and the final descent from the highlands into Xalapa involves dramatic mountain scenery.