Cancun is a different animal when it comes to the airport and many first-timers might get totally confused, lost, and perhaps even ripped off unless they pre-plan their airport transportation. Most tourists coming into the Cancun airport will either have their transportation arranged by their tour company, hotel or have already pre-booked and paid for it themselves. If you show up without having booked transportation, there are options for you, but it’s a jungle out there and be super overwhelming.
Having traveled all over the world the past decade, I know first-hand that booking airport pickups without knowing the company, especially online, can lead to all kinds of problems. I’ve experienced everything from drivers not showing up to paying for a luxury vehicle and getting picked up in a rusty compact car, and everything in between. That’s why when I find a good service that has consistently impressed me from start to finish, I’m going to share it.
By the way, this post is not sponsored, and we are not receiving compensation from the company for this review, it’s an honest posting about the transportation we personally use and love when arriving or departing from Cancun airport.
The Best Cancun Airport Transfer
We started using Van Travel by Cancun Transfers and have had nothing but 5-star service the entire time. They are always prompt, the vehicles are always clean, and they have been able to accommodate our last-minute bookings and changes. We use them so much now that we’re actually on a first-name basis with them and feel comforted when a familiar face is always there to pick us up. Travel days are crazy enough, so I’m done playing Russian Roulette with airport pickups.
Budget and Luxury Options
If you want a clean and safe ride that is very budget-friendly, their van transfers are cheap and economical.
The vans fit up to 8 passengers, but they are private, so if there is only 2 people in your party, you’ll enjoy all the space and won’t have to worry about sharing with strangers or making extra drop-offs to hotels not on your route. This means getting to your hotel faster, which is important because if you’re staying in Cancun, you’re probably paying a pretty penny for your accommodations.
Roundtrip Prices For Vans
Roundtrip prices for the vans (with up to 3 passengers, after that, prices might vary more), start at:
- $55 usd for the Cancun area
- $110 usd for Playa Del Carmen
- $200 usd for Tulum
Vans can be booked easily online
VIP Pickups
For luxury VIP transfers, they have a Chevy Suburban or a Cadillac Escalade to pick you up in style. I’ll admit, I’ve gotten very picky with my airport pickups over the years, so this is the service we typically use from them.
The VIP vehicles can carry up to 5 passengers, and just like the vans, they are a totally private ride.
The price is totally fair for the type of vehicle provided, the amenities like beer, water, or wine ready on ice, and the distances they take you.
Roundtrip Prices for VIP
We pay around $120 usd for the Cancun area, $200 usd if we need to go to Playa Del Carmen, and $300 usd all the way to Tulum and back, roundtrip.
What I like about the VIP service
Now, I know the drivers personally, so the experience is even warmer, but I’ll share the very first experience I had with them when I was trying out the service for the first time.
My husband and I made a last-minute trip to Cancun the night before and he was worried we wouldn’t get a transfer booked in time. (If you have been to the Cancun airport before without transportation booked, you’ll understand the fear!) A friend told him about Van Travel and we called them to see if they can do a last-minute booking, which they can as long as it’s at least 12 hours until the pickup.
We went with the VIP Escalade since the price was super reasonable and everything else about this last-minute trip seemed stressful enough. We paid online (they take credit cards or PayPal) and got our confirmation voucher emailed to us.
Upon arrival, we walked through the area we call ‘the gauntlet’, ignoring all the timeshare and transport sales guys until we were outside the doors where the pickups for pre-arranged transportation are done. Even though our flight was early and we were the first ones off the plane, with no bags to pick up, our agent Jose was there with our name on a sign.
He took our bags, welcomed us to Cancun, and walked us over to the Escalade, and introduced us to our driver Gustavo.
The Escalade was clean, already nice and cool inside, and had a cooler with lots of beer, soda, and water. I’ve now learned that white wine can also be provided upon request.
Since we are still in covid-times, I should mention that both Jose and Gustavo wore masks the entire time, plus a bottle of hand sanitizer was in the backseat that we could use whenever we needed it.
Our first ride was to the TRS hotel in Playa Mujeres, which is about a 45-minute drive. It was nice the Escalade rode as well as it looked. MANY vehicles in Mexico can look nice but have trashed suspensions, making for an awkward, noisy, and extremely bumpy ride. Thankfully this wasn’t the case, and the ride was super smooth.
The way back to the airport a few days later was the same experience. Gustavo arrived at our hotel a few minutes earlier than scheduled and flawlessly got all our bags and us inside the Escalade on time.
Since that first trip, we’ve taken them to other properties in the Cancun area, and even the Escalade down to Tulum and back. Every time, they are on time, and everything is done super professionally.
I personally think it’s finding a company in that ‘sweet spot’ of not being so huge they lose all personal touch, but not being so small that they’re never available to book when you need them. Van Travel is right in the middle, as they still have a lot of personality, the ability to contact them when you need them, but still enough vehicles and staff to accommodate.
For anyone looking for easy, affordable, and professional transportation to and from the Cancun airport, we cannot recommend Van Travel by Cancun Transfers enough.
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