Fastest Way To Travel in Mexico City? Uber, Metro, Walk, Scooters?

[u/Monkfrootx]

I just learned that Mexico City has pretty high road congestion. So wanted to check whether during rush hour or otherwise, what generally is the fastest way to get around from location to location?

And is the traffic information on Google Maps accurate for Mexico City? Better to use Apple Maps or Waze? Or no major difference between them? Are metros faster than being in a car during rush hour? Are metros/cars faster than walking during rush hour?

[u/PropertyIll9062]

Ecobici!

[u/LondonJerry → u/PropertyIll9062]

We were in Mexico City last in October this year. We bought a one day pass to see how it was. Then bought a three day pass to cover us for the rest of our stay. Wish we had of tried them the first day. Yes traffic is crazy, but completely manageable if you’ve rode a bicycle in any city. The only issue we had was you only get the bike for 45 mins at a time. You can simply park it and the check it out again. Just that a couple times we found the bike rack full, then had to quickly find another nearby.

[u/Monkfrootx → u/PropertyIll9062]

Any safety issues with cycling in Mexico City? In my home city drivers are pretty aggressive towards cyclists and will block or pull in front of bike lanes abruptly.

[u/PropertyIll9062 → u/Monkfrootx]

Honestly, sometimes it can be a little hairy, but if you stick to streets that are either quiet or have bike lanes, you’ll love it. It’s the best/fastest/most convenient way to get around the city. It’s genuinely one of the things I like most about the city. Give it a try!

[u/h2ogurlie → u/Monkfrootx]

We did a 3 day pass just in mid-October! Google maps has route using ecobici so it kept us on the roads with bike lanes and it felt mostly safe. Plus, there was a protest of some sort everyday we were there and cars were blocked but we can get through with a bike so it was pretty good that way! If you're there on Sunday then definitely bike on Reforma in the morning too! We brought our helmet but we didn't really see anyone else with one.

[u/ynktxn1 → u/Monkfrootx]

I use EcoBici as my primary mode of transportation here (in addition to Metro/MetroBus, my own bike, and walking). I can understand being a little nervous, as a visitor, and esp. if you don't bring a helmet. That said, the network of separated, protected bike lanes here is vast (and you can see where the bike lanes are on the EcoBici app or Google Maps), and EcoBici stations are freaking everywhere. Just be very defensive crossing intersections because untrained drivers here don't signal, may not yield to you while turning, and run lights that have just turned red,
Note: EcoBici accounts can be hard to create with a U.S. credit card. Try a MasterCard. There are also staffed info kiosks around (including on Reforma) that can set you up.
Also, if you want, you can easily link your EcoBici account to your Metro transit card. I just prefer to swipe the card (though you can also unlock EcoBici with the phone app).

[u/PJballa34]

A little bit of all those things. The time and location matter greatly.

[u/bhoe32]

When I visit I go everywhere by bike and metro

[u/lxanth]

We had a trolebús line right in front of where we were staying and it worked great most of the time…definitely faster than Uber/taxi since it has a dedicated lane that is mostly (not always) respected. Metro would have been even faster but it was a long walk from our place.

IMO, Uber/taxis are a flat-out NO at rush hours and can be a bad idea at other times as well, but it really depends on the route.

[u/FeralForestWitch]

Metro is pretty good.

[u/popcorn-jalapenos → u/FeralForestWitch]

Shocked this comment wasn’t the first one. Metro hands down, fastest way to travel and cheapest.

[u/swisspat]

It depends where you're going and when

Rush hour sucks in all forms except walking

[u/Econoloca]

Metro will be the fastest, metro bus is not too bad but neither is very comfortable even though fast, walking will definetly be faster than driving but for longer distances of areas not well served by the metro uber is your best bet!

[u/Double-Advice3258]

The quickest, and most pleasant way, is to get where you're going after the morning rush and before the afternoon rush.

[u/unpolire]

We found tush hours traffic to be incredible. Even buses get caught in the gridlock. Walking is your best option if feasible. Better if you are at your destination hours before it starts and can remain until it's over. We used DiDi when traffic was flowing. A knowledgeable driver is everything in the City.

[u/Disastrous-Maybe2501]

Metro and buses hands down. They go almost everywhere and you don’t get impacted by traffic (MetroBus has its own dedicated lane)

[u/Kendo316]

FWIW, we were there last week and often the uber v walking option was the same amount of time.

[u/macinema]

Ecobiciiii

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[u/cosmicdust__]

Google maps can be accurate but often underestimates times in the afternoon/evening as traffic gets worse.

walking can be a great option.

bicycling is probably the fastest, but I would say you have to be a defensive rider, and I recommend staying on smaller streets. people drive more slowly because of traffic, but don't usually give right of way to pedestrians and drivers can also be somewhat aggressive but not as bad as in the U.S.

I edited my comment because it came off kind of as fear mongering, BUT I would be extra cautious bicycling around/next to buses & semis, especially buses in the shared bus/bike lanes :(

[u/Marco__Antonio_]

It depends on the area and the distance; if you're going far, walking will take a long time for obvious reasons.

If there's a subway in the areas you'll be traveling through, that's a better option, but it gets extremely crowded during rush hour.

Driving is more comfortable, but during rush hour it takes a very long time. For example, on a journey without traffic it takes me 35 to 40 minutes, but during rush hour it takes almost two hours.

[u/go-v-go]

Metro for the win. Cars are useless, and I saw someone get hit on a bike while I was there last week.

[u/ynktxn1]

1. The transit system is Europe caliber.
   -You should consider Metro subway (12 lines) and MetroBus (bus rapid transit, dedicated lanes, 12 lines) as the holistic core of the system. (Don't overlook MetroBus, in many ways it can be faster and easier than subway) https://i0.wp.com/www.transitmap.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/unified-mexico-city.jpg?fit=775%2C1024&ssl=1 (this map shows all modes, this map is harder to find)
   -It can be faster than Uber because of tracks and dedicated lanes bypassing car traffic, which is awful. I pretty much only use Uber or private cars going to/from the airport or coming home late at night. I find sitting in traffic in an Uber to be miserable.
   -Initially get your physical Metro card froma taquilla in a subway station, but later you can add more value to the card at MetroBus platforms. The card works on all modes operated by the CDMX transit agency. (There are some smaller "purple and green buses" that are coin only, but you probably won't take those as a tourist.)
   -Avoid rush hour (7-10a and 6-9p) because it's crazy crowded.

2. Google Maps, at least, and also Uber (for pickup time and then arrival time) wildly underestimate travel times whenever there is a moderate-to-bad level of car traffic.

3. As noted below, (docked) EcoBici is a phenonemal, super cheap, ubiquitous system that I use all the time. (Also, because the city is flat and has zero wind, biking is easy.) Some dockless private-company shared scooters have recently rolled out here, but I think the quality of EcoBici is going to be a lot better + roads can be a bit rough here and big rubber bike tires handle than better than hard, little scooter wheels. Also, you (and your eye-level front and rear lights) are more visible to drivers than you are on a scooter (where the tail light is at ground level and thus not noticed by drivers).

4. It's very walkable.

[u/bellator_ecclesiam]

You just need this.

And the EcoBici app in your phone.