Hello All, I just returned from Cancun and Playa Del Carmin and thought I wud share some GOOD / MONEY SAVING info with ya as well as what the mexican authorities are doing to protect the tourist. First of all let me say we had a great / fun time in both Cancun and Playa Del Carmin. We stayed at the Hilton in Cancun for a GREAT rate of $78 per night for two nights. This rate was obtained thru Priceline. Upon arrival on a Friday it was a breeze getting thru Mexican Customs as there was hardly any lines. This was probably mostly due to spring break having just concluded as we arrived Friday apr. 17th. Now getting from the airport to the hotel there are a few options. First, u can take a Cab which will cost u $60 bucks per cab. Or, u can take a Shared Ride Van which will cost u $15 per person. OR, U can take Bus transportation which will cost u about $3.00 per person. If u want to take a cab or shared ride van, u can set these two options up at the Greyline booth just before u exit the terminal. Now, no one will tell u about the $3 bus ride option... So,, i'll tell ya how this option works. First u must know this option is the most time consuming option in getting u and ur party to the hotel. So, if u are in a hurry to get to the beach, take a cab if there are atleast 4 of ya or take the shared ride van if there are less then 4 of ya. To take the bus - U must exit the terminal and go to terminal 2 if u arrived in terminal 1 or 3. Then if u are coming out of termial 2 proceed to the far Right. This will take u away from where the taxis and shared ride vans are. Keep walking till u see a big white bus with big red letters saying ADO along the side. This is the bus that will take u to either DOWNTOWN Cancun or Playa Del Carmin every 30 minutes. U can purchase the tickets just inside across from the bus or possibly from the driver. To be safe, ask the driver where to get the tickets. If going to the Cancun Hotel zone hotels be aware this bus takes u to downtown Cancun, then u must get off and take the Hotel Zone City buses that run every 5 minutes infront of the downtown bus station. The city bus cost about .60 cents but make sure u have peso's for the driver. If there are a bunch of ya with alot of luggage i wud advise taking a shared ride van or taxi. SECURITY in Cancun and Playa Del Carmin Security in both places was very tight and noticable. There where mexican police everywhere. There where also security checkpoints and roadblocks everywhere. Walking around at night did feel safe although alittle uneasy as the Mexican police are everywhere with some carrying machine guns. The police where nice and friendly and there for ur safety so i wud go back. We also took a day trip to Playa Del Carmin on Saturday. To do this we took the Hotel Zone R-1 bus to the Downtown bus station. Then we purchaced a $3 one-way ticket on the ADO bus to Playa Del Carmin. These nice buses leave every 30 minutes from downtown Cancun and run non-stop. Its about a 1 hour bus ride in a nice and comfortable bus, they even showed an American movie on the way to and from Playa Del Carmin. Playa Del Carmin was Awesome !!!! The beaches are very nice with the water being much more calmer. Also, all the stores and restaurants are mostly located on 5th street which is blocked off from traffic. Playa Del Carmin seemed to me to be very family friendly with a older crowd when compared to Cancun. We stayed in Playa Del Carmin till about 11pm then took the bus back to downtown Cancun and then jumped on a city bus back to the Hilton. The buses going back also ran every 30 minutes up until 12 midnight and cost about 3 bucks too. After midnight the busses start up again around 4:30am. OK, hope this helps with ur trip planning :) If ya have any questions ... let me know. Mr. Hay Now
