World Travel Guide Search for a City   Destination Guides > North America > Mexico > Mexico City and around > Mexico City Mexico City -- Neighborhoods -- Central Mexico City North of the centre South of the centre -- Sights -- Bosque de Chapultepec •  Mexico City •  Health And Safety In Mexico City •  History •  Mexico Versus Mexico City •  Orientation •  City Transport •  Eating •  Entertainment And Nightlife •  Best Of •  Information •  Arrival •  Markets And Shopping •  Sport •  Listings •  Explore Mexico City •  Hotels in Mexico City MEXICO CITY - ARRIVAL Hotels in Mexico City   •  Mision Zona Rosa Hotel Mexico City from  $74.00  USD     •  Galeria Plaza Mexico City from  $96.00  USD     •  Sheraton Centro Historico Mexico City from  $149.00  USD   More Hotels in Mexico City >> Arriving unprepared in the vastness of Mexico City may seem daunting, but in fact it's not hard to get into the centre, or to a hotel, from any of the major points of arrival. The only problem is likely to be hauling large items of luggage through the invariable crowds - take a taxi if you are at all heavily laden. The airport and all four major bus terminals have a system of authorized taxis designed to avoid rip-offs, particularly prevalent at the airport where people will offer rides at anything up to ten times the going rate to unsuspecting newcomers. The authorized system is the same wherever it operates from - you'll find a large map of the city marked out in zones, with a standard, set fare for each; you pick where you're going, buy a ticket at the booth, then walk outside and present the ticket to one of the waiting cabs. One ticket is good for up to four people to one destination. The driver may drop you a block or two from your hotel rather than take a major detour through the one-way systems (best to accept this unless it's very late at night), and he may demand a large tip, which you're in no way obliged to pay. Most hotels are used to late arrivals, so don't be overly concerned if your flight gets in late at night, though it would be wise to have somewhere booked in advance for your first night.   By bus There are four chief long-distance bus stations in Mexico City, one for each point of the compass, though in practice the northbound terminal handles far more than its share while the westbound one is tiny. All have guarderías , and hotel reservation desks for both the capital and the major destinations served, and all have authorized taxis. Apart from the major terminals we've listed, there are large open-air bus stops at the end of all the Metro lines, with slow services to places up to an hour or so outside the city limits. For destinations in the capital's hinterland it can be quicker to leave from these. By plane The airport (Metro Terminal Aérea; line 5; tel 5571-3600 ext 2208 for international arrivals and departures, or ext 2259 for domestic flights) is 5km east of the Zócalo and still very much within the city limits - you get amazing views as you come in to land, low over the buildings. It is an initially confusing place, with several arrival halls (Sala A-Sala F) arranged along a broad concourse, with the bulk of the departure lounges on the upper floor, poorly sign-posted above Salas E and F. Most international arrivals reach the concourse on the ground floor at Sala E1 or Sala E3. Here you'll find numerous ATMs and several casas de cambio , open 24 hours a day and with reasonable rates for US dollars (rates do vary, so shop around), but a poorer exchange for other major currencies. There are also plenty of pricey restaurants and snack bars, major car rental agencies (see "Listings), a post office (in Sala A), a few bookshops and left luggage facilities (in Sala A and Sala E3; US$5.50 a day). There are several airport enquiry desks dotted around, and a small tourist office in Sala A (open for most arrivals; tel 5786-9002), with a limited range of city information. As you emerge from Customs and Immigration, or off an internal flight, you'll be besieged by offers of a taxi into town. Ignore them; by the main exit doors in Sala A you'll find a booth selling tickets for Setta authorized taxis with a scale of fares posted according to where you want to go: bank on roughly US$8 to the Zócalo, US$10 to the Alameda, US$11 to the Zona Rosa and US$13 to Polanco. If you're travelling reasonably light you could also go in on the Metro (out the doors at the end of Sala A then follow the covered walkway for 200m) or continue past the Metro station out to Boulevard Puerto Aéreo and catch a city-bound bus. Visitors reasonably familiar with the city can walk just past the Metro station and pick up one of the waiting green-and-white taxis (usually VW Beetles), which should use their meter. Depending on traffic they'll cost between half and two-thirds of the SETTA fare, though you risk getting ripped off. If you don't fancy heading straight into the city so soon after arrival, you can get a direct transfer to nearby cities . There's a bus stop right outside Sala D where you can pick up first-class buses to Cuernavaca, Pachuca, Puebla, Toluca and Querétaro. There are also luxury car and van services, but they're almost ten times the price of the buses. By train All mainline trains arrive at the Estación Central de Buenavista just off Av Insurgentes Nte, about nine blocks from its junction with Reforma, and right by the Metro station (Metro Buenavista; line B). Most train services have been suspended in recent years and the only services now operating are those to Querétaro and Tlaxcala. There are several cheap hotels within easy walking distance.