Puerto
Vallarta Arriving, departing, etc..........
What should I expect at Customs and Immigrations when I arrive?
Do I tip a taxi driver? How do the busses work?
This is your place for
all those miscellaneous pieces of information about Puerto Vallarta
that don't quite fit in any other section! Be sure to look for
the HOT TIPS for 'insider' information.
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On
the plane before you arrive to Puerto Vallarta International
Airport, you'll be given a Tourist Card. Fill out BOTH the
top and bottom parts while on the plane. Inside the terminal,
your first stop will be Imigrations, where you should present
your passport or birth certificate and Tourist Card. Your
Tourist Card will be stamped and the bottom part returned
to you. DO NOT LOSE THIS! You will need to return it when
you check in for your departure. (If you DO lose it, contact
your consulate and Mexican Immigrations immediately, and
be prepared to pay a hefty fine.)
After Immigrations,
pick up your baggage from the carosel, and go through Customs.
There is a 'stop light' here...press the button, and most
people get the green light...just walk on through and into
the terminal. The light is set to randomly give a RED light...if
this happens to you, they'll direct you to a table where
gloved customs agents will give a cursory look through your
baggage. (Even if you get the green light, they CAN if they
want, inspect your luggage..this usually only happens if
you have a large amount of luggage or if they get bored.)
Pass directly through the sliding glass doors, turn to
your left, and through another set of glass doors (best
to move quickly here to get past the throngs of taxi-hawkers,
friends awaiting other arrivals, etc.). Once in the main
terminal, car rental counters are ahead and to the left.
There's also a bank and an ATM on your left. If you are
being met by a tour or vacation package company or otherwise
have transportation to your hotel already arranged, look
for a representative in the throng of reps holding signs
up.
If you need a taxi, you will see (and hear) plenty of taxi-hawkers,
or continue straight towards the glass wall and doors of
the terminal, where you can buy a taxi ticket from a booth.
HOT TIP: Only
two companies have the franchise to take passengers FROM
the airport, so of course the rates are much higher. Locals
know to walk out of the terminal, turn left, and cross the
highway via the pedestrial sky-bridge. At the bottom are
nearly always a few of the 'regular' yellow taxis, whose
rates are considerably cheaper. Some of them, however, are
trying to take advantage of this situation...if you're going
South into Puerto Vallarta, you shouldn't have to pay more
than 100 pesos, even if you're going to the far-South-end
of town. |
| Taxis |
Taxis are an efficient
way to get around Puerto Vallarta, and fares are inexpensive.
Supposedly the fares are set by zone or distance (there is
no meter), and most hotels post the correct taxi fares in
their lobby. A little 'haggling' is in order if you feel you're
not getting the best fare, but ALWAYS determine how much the
fare will be BEFORE you get in the cab. By custom, you should
not feel required to tip your taxi driver, but tips are certainly
appreciated for good service, helpful advise, or simply friendly
conversation. HOT TIP:
Every taxi driver knows a LOT about good places to go for
whatever you want, but be aware he may also be collecting
a kickback from the establishment. You may find an un-discovered
gem (or a bum deal), but it's always worth asking if you want
advise. In any case, never let a taxi driver convince you
to go someplace other than where you've directed him to go
if you've already decided. (MORE
on Taxis HERE) |
| Buses
(local) |
A ride on the local
buses can be a bumpy adventure...the drivers have perfected
a technique of switching between full-brake and full-accelorator
instantly. Nonetheless, the buses run VERY often, and their
safety record is good (at least for the passengers...pedestrians,
on the other hand, had better beware!). Nearly all the local
Puerto Vallarta buses cost a lousy 4-1/2 pesos, and nearly
all begin and end their journey in Viejo Vallarta, so it's
easy to hop on any bus that says 'El Centro'...when the bus
is empty, you're in Viejo! HOT
TIP: The bus is an excellent
way to adventure further out, as far as the beautiful Punta
Mita at the North tip of the bay. Fare is only 20 pesos each
way. Catch the bus to 'Mita' at the 2nd bus stop in front
of Sam's Club / Walmart, and take any bus that says 'Mita'
or 'Punta Mita' on the windshield. During the day the buses
run to Mita at least every 10 minutes! (MORE
on buses HERE in "Getting Around") |
| Buses
(long distance) |
The long-distance busses
in Mexico put the USA's bus system to shame. The first class
buses are modern Mercedes, Saab, or Volvos, and have seats
as big as a recliner. The floor plan is 2 seats on one side
and 1 on the other, and there are television monitors on the
ceiling for watching movies enroute (often in English with
Spanish subtitles). You'll get a little sandwich, cookie,
and soda when you get on. The Puerto Vallarta bus station
is modern and clean, about a mile North of the airport. HOT
TIP: An excellent bus trip from Vallarta is
to Guadalajara, about five hours away, and costing about 450
pesos for the First Class ('Clase Primero') each way. Take
the last bus of the day at 12:30 or 1:00 am, sleep all the
way, and wake up in Guadalajara. Take a taxi to nearby Tonola
for the biggest arts and handicrafts market you've ever seen.
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| Driving
Rules |
RULE NUMBER ONE:
EVERYbody in Puerto Vallarta drives fairly aggressively, and
uses their horn regularly. If somebody successfully cuts in
front of you, don't get mad, simply congratulate him/her on
skillfull driving. RULE NUMBER TWO: Traffic lights
and stop signs here are often treated as mere suggestions
rather than rules. As a tourist, you will be wise to obey
them yourself, and be aware of the locals who don't. RULE
NUMBER THREE: Vallarta has a unique way of handling left
turns on the big main road through town. When you want to
turn left, you first get in the separated lanes on the RIGHT,
then wait for the turn arrow. It's wierd at first, but it's
effective. You just have to know well in advance where you'll
be turning left. HOT TIP:
Except for trips out of town, you're probably better off letting
the bus and taxi drivers get you around, at least until you've
experienced the driving situation here. (MORE
on driving and traffic HERE) |
| Cash
or Credit? |
Cash is always accepted,
including U.S. and Canadian Dollars. However, since nearly
all prices are posted in Pesos and exchange rates can be less
than in your favor at most shops and restaurants, you should
attempt to carry Pesos with you for you purchases. ATMS will
give the absolute-best exchange rate, but check with your
bank before traveling to see if (and how much) a service fee
is charged for you to use an out-of-country ATM. Credit cards
are widely accepted at hotels and larger restaurants and stores.
HOT TIP: You
will be well advised to not let the credit card out of your
site when paying for a meal or purchases. This is to avoid
a world-wide credit card 'swiping' fraud makes a duplicate
of your card in some other city nearly instantaneously. While
your bank will protect you financially from this fraud, it's
a hassle to make things right while you're on vacation. (More
on money HERE) |
| How
to use a Mexican Telephone |
There are many public
phones in Puerto Vallarta, but coin-operated phone are rare.
Most phones use a pre-paid phone card, like a credit card
with a small microchip in it. You can buy them in nearly any
'convenience'-type store or neighborhood store...just ask
for a TELMEX or LADATEL card. The smallest amount available
is 30 pesos, and a local phone call is just a couple pesos,
depending on the time of the call. Pick up the handset, insert
the card chip-side up, and dial your call. The phone has an
LED display telling you how much value remains on your card.
If the phone 'beeps' at you after you've hung up, it means
you've left your card inserted into the phone! If the number
you are calling is a local cell phone (and there are a LOT
of cell phones here), you must dial 13 digits (beginning with
044). HOT TIP:
Calls to the USA and Canada are only 5 pesos per minute using
the card-phones. While that may sound expensive compared to
back home, phones advertising foreign calls using your credit
card will charge OUTRAGEOUS sums...AVOID THESE PHONES unless
your life depends on it or you have more money than you know
how to spend. Your hotel will likely stiff you for ridiculous
rates as well, so stick to the card-phones. To call the USA
or Canada, dial 001, followed by the area code and phone number.
(More
on Telephones HERE) |
| Electricity |
Electricity
in Puerto Vallarta is just like in the USA and Canada: 110
volts...anything you bring with you will plug in and work
just fine. If you're arriving from a country that uses 220
volts, bring your own adapters!
HOT TIP: 3-prong 'grouned' outlets are not
always available...if your laptop, hairdryer, or whatever
has three prongs, buy and bring with you a 3-prong adapter.
(More
on Electricity HERE) |
| Consulate
Contacts |
Just
in case you need help from your friendly government, here's
who to call:
USA
CONSULATE: 222-0069
CANADIAN
CONSULATE: 293-0099
HOT TIP: Don't
get arrested...it's even less fun here than at home, and
your consulate will only be able to offer VERY limited assistance. |
| Airport
(Departure)
|
We wish you wouldn't
leave, but we know you'll be back! Here's how to leave: Go
to the airport. Stand in long line for what seems forever.
Let the security people rummage through your checked luggage.
Give your Tourist Card (the one you haven't lost, remember?)
to the airline rep with your tickets, and also have all your
passports or birth certificates ready. The departure lounge
is up the escalator, to your right. There are shops, restaurants,
bars, and duty-free stores here to kill time in before you
flight is called. There are screens everywhere showing the
status of all flights. HOT TIP:
Find out what time the ticket counter opens for your airline,
and plan to be there as early as possible to beat the long
line. Then tote your carry-ons out of the terminal (the same
way you went out when you arrived), and walk over the highway
via the pedestrian bridge. At the bottom of the bridge is
TACON DE MARLIN, a friendly little restaurant that has the
most DELICIOUS smoked-marlin and shrimp burritos you've ever
had. (You'll likely see airline flight crews here grabbing
a bag of burritos to eat on the journey home.) TACON DE MARLIN
has even been recommended by BON APETIT Magazine! They're
about 40-50 pesos each, big enough that two people can share
one if you're not famished, and come with a tasty salad of
jicama, cucumbers, and carrots in a yummy sauce. Get one or
two to go if you want, and you'll make your fellow passengers
envious as they smell your food and stare at the paltry food
(if any) served by the airline. |
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More Mexico....
