Best way to Cozumel from San Francisco?

[KRL1973]

Planning 1st trip to coz end of April start of May for a week and finding no direct flights and most economical flight options require overnights or red-eyes to houston or denver. Out of curiosity I checked on flights to Cancun and found them abundant and very cheap. Anyone tried flying to cancun from SF bay area and then doing a bus/ferry thing to get to coz?

Intially I ruled this out due to the hassel but it almost seems like just as much a hassle with the lousy flight times and time killed in airports waiting for transfers. If I'm going to have to do an overnight getting to coz I'd rather do it in Cancun or in the town the ferry runs out of (playa del carmen?) than in Houston. (no offence to SBer's from houton )

I'd really like to hear from those who a regulars to coz from the SF bay area. What do you find works best, least headache.

thanks!!

 

[jjwdiver]

I'm from Minnesota, and used to always fly into Cancun, then bus to Playa and ferry across as it usually saved over $100 from direct into Coz. Very easy trip - no hassles and only eats up an extra 2 - 3 hours.

 

[MMM]

Lots of posts on here about flying into Cancun and doing the bus/ferry thing. Check them out

You might look into Northwest if they fly to SF. Time zone differences might work in your favour. They've got a direct flight to Coz leaving Minneapolis at around 9:30 a.m. an the price is pretty good.

 

[driftwood]

Planning 1st trip to coz end of April start of May for a week and finding no direct flights and most economical flight options require overnights or red-eyes to houston or denver. Out of curiosity I checked on flights to Cancun and found them abundant and very cheap. Anyone tried flying to cancun from SF bay area and then doing a bus/ferry thing to get to coz?

Intially I ruled this out due to the hassel but it almost seems like just as much a hassle with the lousy flight times and time killed in airports waiting for transfers. If I'm going to have to do an overnight getting to coz I'd rather do it in Cancun or in the town the ferry runs out of (playa del carmen?) than in Houston. (no offence to SBer's from houton )

I'd really like to hear from those who a regulars to coz from the SF bay area. What do you find works best, least headache.

thanks!!

We always fly into Cancun from Austin. Right after you pass through customs you can buy ADO bus tickets that will take you from the airport to the old bus terminal in Playa del Carmen (5th and Juarez). The bus runs about once a hour and costs 90 pesos. I think that the last bus leaves Cancun at 10 or 11pm. The ferry terminal is about 150 yards away.

The ADO bus's are roughly the same as a Greyhound. Nice, modern and the least expensive way to get to PDC from the airport. The bus and ferry will run you $35 US and typically take between 2 and 3 hours. It can take longer if you are very unlucky with your timing. A real pain to see the ferry pull away just before you buy your ticket. Not really a problem since you can 'check' your bags at the ferry terminal and there is enough to do within a five minute walk in PDC.

If you fly into/out of Cancun, I would spend your last night in PDC. 5th Ave is a lot more lively than San Miguel and you will not have to mess with the ferry while you are getting to the airport.

 

[NudeDiver]

Planning 1st trip to coz end of April start of May for a week and finding no direct flights and most economical flight options require overnights or red-eyes to houston or denver. Out of curiosity I checked on flights to Cancun and found them abundant and very cheap. Anyone tried flying to cancun from SF bay area and then doing a bus/ferry thing to get to coz?

I gave up trying to find flights into Coz. Flying into Cancun seems to be a lot cheaper and open up some possibilities. A lot of trip guides I have read recommend it as a way to save money. The bus/ferry is a lot cheaper/faster than even changing planes in Cancun to get to Coz.

Originally, I was going with ANC->SEA->LAX (overnight) ->CAN and back.

but through a series of miracles, I got my flights changed, at no extra fee, to go ANC->SEA->CAN and back - without an increase in miles. The way to go.

 

[Brian Gilpin]

Planning 1st trip to coz end of April start of May for a week and finding no direct flights and most economical flight options require overnights or red-eyes to houston or denver. Out of curiosity I checked on flights to Cancun and found them abundant and very cheap. Anyone tried flying to cancun from SF bay area and then doing a bus/ferry thing to get to coz?

Intially I ruled this out due to the hassel but it almost seems like just as much a hassle with the lousy flight times and time killed in airports waiting for transfers. If I'm going to have to do an overnight getting to coz I'd rather do it in Cancun or in the town the ferry runs out of (playa del carmen?) than in Houston. (no offence to SBer's from houton )

I'd really like to hear from those who a regulars to coz from the SF bay area. What do you find works best, least headache.

thanks!!

We fly into Cancun then take the ferry to coz so we dont get stuck in Houston. Flights are cheaper and we get there faster, We will be doing this Jan 10. I would rather spend time on a ferry rather than being stuck in an airport. Good Luck. Good news is you wind up in Coz either way.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

my friend Panchita is from SF and goes to Coz very often via Houston....but I am sure she can answer your questions as soon as she wakes up on the west coast

 

[Panchita]

Hey there,
I always fly Continental and have been doing the midnight red-eye so many years I'd be lost without it. I hate wasting valuable vacation time when I can be sleeping across country, and I connect in Houston, have breakfast, get another hour or two of shut-eye and arrive at 11:30 in the morning with the whole day ahead of me to lay on the beach and aclimate. It's not for everyone, but the price has certainly been right lately - I saw r/t for $323 the other day - lowest I've ever seen it. I've never done the bag drag - with a suitcase, dive bag, carry on, it seems like a lot of hassle after 5 hours of flying. I did fly into Cancun this past summer to go to Holbox though, and I saw the signs for the Playa del Carmen buses clearly marked.

 

[KRL1973]

Thanks Everyone, very helpful!!!! Sorry about posting a question that had already been addressed in previous posts. I have spent countless hours pouring over trip reports etc. and hadn't run into this issue already ( guess I was too focused on dive ops and hotels etc. in my searches)

-KRL1973

 

[KRL1973]

Thanks Panchita, as far as the timing of booking your flight do you find you get a better deal booking early or do prices tend to drop more last minute? I am going early May which I beieve is a slow season (in-between Spring break and before summer vacation) so thought maybe holding out longer might result in better prices both for flight and hotel. Also have been looking at expedia and orbitz etc. for the flights. Do you find that to be the way to go?

thanks again!