Puerto Vallarta Forum (PV Bulletin Board)

What's the difference between the airport taxis and the one's over the bridge? We're going to Villa del Palmar in 1A. The price is $15.50 on Vallarts.net. Is that per person or cab.

I think you will find Villa del Palmar is not in zone 1A, it is in zone 1 so the fare is $17.00 from the airport. Zone 1A is the Marina area.

The difference between the taxi's across the bridge and the airport is the airport taxis are Federal govt. taxi's and all their fares are regulated by the govt. They also have A/C. The airport is Federal property and regular taxi's are not allowed to pick up fares in, they can drop you off but not pick you up. Across the bridge the taxi drivers will charge you what they think you will pay. They know what you have to pay in the airport and they may or may not give you a deal. Most do not have A/C. After hauling your luggage up and over the bridge you are all sweaty and you may save the cost of a drink, depending on the taxi driver you walk up to.

To me it has never been worth it to start my vacation trying to save a couple of bucks and making it harder on myself than it has to be.

What you say makes sense. The website says Villa del palmar is Zone 1A but its only $1.50. That's not per person, correct?

The price is per cab, not per person. As of 4/10 the price to zone 1 is actually 179 pesos per cab, not per person, which equals approximately 15.00 US, depending on the exchange rate they are giving that day. I have not heard if you can only pay in pesos now or not. You can no longer pay baggage fees or departure tax at the airport in US dollars and the taxis are Federal. I have not heard anything about only being able to pay for the taxis in pesos. There are ATM's at the airport. You buy your ticket at a booth near the exit doors so if they require only pesos the ATM's are right next to the taxi booths.

but, IF you do ever decide to venture across the street to grab a cab (I got called a "Cheap Charlie" by one of the hawkers )

Before grabbing a cab, there is an amazing place there that sells the BEST smoked marlin burrito I have found in Vallarta. Very much a locals type place - but all were very friendly too us, and they set us up with beers from the store next door. It was one of my favorite memories...we even found a cab with air!!! (it was 95 degrees and 90% humidity)

It was a great way to start my last Mexico adventure!

Can't wait to try it again!

it's been my practice to cross the bridge and eat at tacon de marlins after clearing customs. I usually arrive mid afternoon and if I wait til I'm checked in it's too late for lunch.the money I save on cab fare pays for my lunch.I get the taco mixta.(a little bit of everything) and my wife gets the camaron.

Our taxis from the airport to Los Tules in the Hotel Zone have averaged $20, and they're glad to take our dollars. We walked over once; it was $12, which is still more than twice as much as coming from the other direction.. Another time, using the spare change we kept from the previous year, we took a local bus, which stops [i]under[/i] the bridge. That was about a dollar's worth of pesos. This year, we'll probably take the official cab, as usual.

This is a perennial question, and I think it's in the category with ATM fees: With the overall cost of a vacation, it really doesn't make a difference. If you just plain need the money, take less luggage and take the local bus.

The guys who eat in the little restaurants on the other side of the bridge really do have the right idea: enjoy it to the max.

glacierroasters wrote:but, IF you do ever decide to venture across the street to grab a cab (I got called a "Cheap Charlie" by one of the hawkers )

Before grabbing a cab, there is an amazing place there that sells the BEST smoked marlin burrito I have found in Vallarta. Very much a locals type place - but all were very friendly too us, and they set us up with beers from the store next door. It was one of my favorite memories...we even found a cab with air!!! (it was 95 degrees and 90% humidity)

It was a great way to start my last Mexico adventure!

Can't wait to try it again!

We did this last feb and will do the same 2012. This was some of the best Fish Taco's and Buritos of PV..