My Experience on the Mayan Train from Cancun to Merida
- Carlos Barraza
- Mexico around the World, Visit Mexico
On the trip I made to Cancun and Merida in the month of September 2024, I wanted to try and venture into the Mayan Train experience.
So much has been said about the great project of the federal government of my little cotton head, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, that as a good Mexican traveler, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to see first hand what it is like to travel by Mayan train through the Mexican southeast.
In this article I share my experience answering some of the frequently asked questions about the Tren Maya that I get on Google.
Where to buy tickets for the Mayan Train?
Upon my arrival at the Cancun airport, I could already see the signs indicating a shuttle to the Tren Maya station.
As hungry as I was, my first thought was to get to the hotel in Cancun for lunch, so I didn’t stop to ask about the Tren Maya at the airport, and eventually I even forgot to ask the Uber driver if he knew more about the train.
It wasn’t until I was more relaxed at the hotel the next day that I could think about it, where will I buy the tickets for the Mayan train?
I went to Google and first I went to the official website of the Tren Maya, but that same site redirects you to where you can actually buy tickets online.
https://reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx/es/web/portal/inicio
*Tickets can also be purchased at the train station, but at the time of my visit, there were temporary ticket booths at the Cancun station.
Within the website portal you can select the origin and destination you want.
In my case it was from Cancun Airport station to Merida Teya, which is a suburb of Merida.
How much does it cost to ride the Mayan Train?
As my planned route was from Cancun to Merida, the cost that appeared was $735.
It is worth mentioning that there are different types of prices, whether you choose to travel in premier class or economy class.
Another point that caught my attention is that they classify according to whether you are a special, local, national or international tourist.
Below is the image I took of the price list that was in the Cancun station as of September 3, 2024.
What is the schedule for the Mayan Train?
As for the departure times of the Tren Maya from Cancun to Merida there were 4 options, 9:30, 11:45, 16:40 and 18:50.
I doubted whether to take the 11:45 or the 16:40, since of course I wanted to enjoy the hotel until check out time, 12:00, so in the end I opted for the 16:40 option.
In between the checkout time and the train departure time, I went with my bags to visit the sanctuary of the Desatanudos virgin in Cancun.
Where are the Mayan Train stations?
Other big questions I had were, where is it, and how do I get to the Tren Maya station?
I understood that by the airport, but I didn’t know exactly where.
I took a look at Google Maps, and saw that it was south of the Cancun airport.
Well, I ordered an Uber.
I was near the area of the sanctuary of the Virgen Desatanudos, and we headed towards the Mayan train station in Cancun.
The Uber took all of avenida 135 south, and then took avenida Huayacán.
Once we arrived at the junction of highway 180, we turned east, both the Uber and I were guided by the GPS.
We passed some buildings that said Tren Maya, and I thought, we’ve gone too far, but those buildings were not the station buildings, they were offices.
The Uber continued straight until we saw a construction zone and a lane ready where some cars turned.
The driver asked me if it was that way, to which I replied, I don’t know the place but I guess it is that way.
He didn’t know the place either.
We went up the road to the small hill that leaves you at the entrance of the station, and that’s it, I arrived at the Mayan train station in Cancun.
Boarding the Mayan Train in Cancun
Since I arrived an hour and a half before departure, I had to wait outside the entrance.
During that time I could see how they were still working on the station, on one side they were putting the wood laminate around some seats that surround some structures.
In another area they were finishing putting up some plaster on the walls.
Because of the height of the station, I could see how they were working on the entrance area and I guess what will be the parking lot.
Although the train is already in operation, there is still a long way to go.
No food allowed
As the time approached to enter the inner section of the station, I saw a National Guard bulkhead.
The first thing was the symbol of No Food.
Se me partió el corazón en ese momento.
Me acerqué al guardia para señalar eso mismo, que traía alimentos y agua, a lo que prefirió consultar a su superior.
La guardia, eso sí, muy cortésmente me comentó que no sería posible ingresar con alimentos.
En un estante que tenían a lado de la zona de revisión, dejé mis manzanas, plátanos, yogurt y mis papitas blancas, y le dije, bueno al menos no lo tiren y que se los podían comer.
Anyway, I went through the review they do, and to wait in the section before going down to the trains.
As it is not completely finished yet, there were not many places to wait seated in that area.
I get a downpour
Within about 10 minutes of entering, it became cloudy and started to rain.
But eventually that drizzle turned into a downpour that allowed me to see that the resort has a lot of room for improvement.
Being a resort with open areas, rainy drafts came in easily.
I took shelter by the entrance to the restrooms to avoid getting wet.
Some other people stood near the walls or by the ticket office area.
On the roof of the station, it could be seen how the leaks were running.
Notably, at the intersection of the skylights and the rest of the roof, it appeared that they were not properly assembled or sloped to prevent the rain from being transmitted and generating the leaks that fell especially in the area of one platform.
Time to board
Eventually as the minutes passed, the rain stopped.
We were called to line up with our sample ticket and ID.
I suppose that since it is a relatively new process, it will change as time goes by.
They scanned the tickets one by one on a tablet, and asked us to wait a moment longer in an area near the escalators leading down to the platform.
After about 5-10 minutes, we were called down to the platform and boarded the train in the car corresponding to our tickets.
I had seat #3 in car #2, which was a seat with plenty of leg room since the front was a free area with no seats that is used for wheelchair users and in the back was the cafeteria.
I had to place my small suitcase in another area of the car, since there is no shelf above that seat and the attendants asked me to place the suitcase in the other area across the cafeteria.
How long does the Mayan Train from Cancun to Merida take?
What did surprise me about the Tren Maya was the punctuality.
Compared to trains in Germany, Deutsche Bahn has really struggled with punctuality.
The train departed at exactly 16:40 Cancun time.
The ticket mentioned that the arrival time would be at 19:16 Merida time.
It is important to note that there is a one hour difference between each city, being one hour less in Merida.
Therefore, it is estimated that the time it takes for the Mayan Train from Cancun Airport to Merida Teya is approximately 3 hours and 36 minutes.
On the way from Cancun to Merida, the train made stops at 6 stations before arriving at my final destination.
The stops were Leona Vicario, Nuevo Xcan, Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Izamal and Tixkokob.
During my trip, on a stretch in front of Chichen Itza, the train was stopped for about 5-10 minutes.
I was told by the ticket attendant that we were waiting for a track change, or something like that due to another train passing by.
Even with that waiting time, we arrived at approximately 19:16.
Where is the Mayan Train approached in Merida?
In Merida, the Maya train station is located in Teya, a small town 30 minutes from downtown Merida.
This was the station where I arrived from Cancun.
Since I was already looking forward to getting to the hotel, I didn’t stop to see or record the station.
I just took a quick photo of the Maya train letters.
I went to pick up the bus for downtown Mérida, but it was not leaving for another hour, about 8:20 pm.
The attendant mentioned that they would be waiting for passengers on another train that would be arriving later.
Tired, I went back to get a cab, which charged me $300 from the station to my hotel on Paseo de Montejo.
The bus cost about $50.
Aspects to consider if you are going to travel on the Mayan Train
Here are some points that I consider important to consider if you are going to travel on the Mayan train.
It is not allowed to enter with food after passing the inspection
As I mentioned, there was a sign on a no food sign before entering the checkpoint.
The national guard would not allow me to enter with food past the inspection area.
Of course, it made me uncomfortable to have to leave what I had bought earlier in a supermarket without knowing that eventually I would not be able to bring them in.
At the time of my visit, there were no convenience stores operating once inside the internal waiting area at the Cancun Train station.
I assume that there will be stores operating once the project is more advanced.
Once on the train, I did not stop to investigate food prices.
I kept thinking how in European trains you can easily get on with your suitcases, snacks and even bicycles.
I was also thinking about a comparison with airports, where they don’t let you go through with your water bottle and they sell you small bottles of water for $35-$50 pesos.
In the refrigerator next to my seat #3, I could only see sandwiches, so if you like me avoid foods with gluten, I think there are few options to eat.
So be well fed before you travel.
Number and size of suitcases
Another aspect that caught my attention was that the ticket mentions “Baggage allowance includes one suitcase and one piece of carry-on baggage per person.”
With the sample of 10 kg and size of 55 x 40 x 25 cm.
Since I was traveling light, I didn’t have as much concern in this regard, but I did see a young couple enter with large suitcases.
Likewise it came to my mind, why limit the space of the suitcases.
Although this time the train was not so crowded, as it would be packed if there were more passengers.
In car #2, above the seats there are shelves for small suitcases, and there is also a space allocated for larger suitcases between the seating area and the cafeteria.
Bathroom use
My seat #3 was right behind the bathroom.
I think it was “how to open the door to the bathroom on the train” that caused doubt.
Since there was no other seat in front of me, I could see directly into the aisle and the people looking for how to open the bathroom door.
On the side of the door was the button to open.
After pressing the button, you had to wait a few seconds for it to open automatically.
Once inside, you also have to press the internal open/close button, and at the bottom there is another one which activates the door lock.
This also activates the busy signal outside.
To open the door again, first press the lock button and then the open/close button.
Electrical connection for your devices
One of the conveniences offered by the train is that mobile devices can be plugged in under the seats, so if you are running low on power, you can use a USB cable or the power outlet directly.
There is little data signal on the route
I didn’t try to connect to any WiFi signal, but as far as I understand there is still no signal on board.
Where I did struggle for long stretches of the trip was with the mobile data connection.
Since the station stops are not close to the cities or towns, I was not able to connect my cell phone either, except in a few places.
The train is air-conditioned
The train has its own air conditioning, which can even feel cold.
If you are a cold person, consider bringing a jacket.
Attention on rainy days
And just as it was my turn, although it looked like it would be sunny with clouds, showers can come.
I don’t know how the construction of the station will proceed, but the fact that it will be an open space is an important aspect to consider.
Connectivity to cities or towns
Note that several of the stations are on the outskirts or outskirts of the towns or villages.
As in the case of Mérida Teya, there is a bus that will take you to the center of town but it seems to be every few days.
Or there is the option of taking a cab.
ADO Bus vs Renta de Auto vs Mayan Train
With this trip, I have traveled 3 times from Cancun to Merida.
Two by bus and one by train.
On one of those trips I rented cars in each city.
I rented first in Cancun, and drove through Playa del Carmen, Cenotes and Holbox.
I moved to Merida by bus, and rented a car with a local agency, and traveled through Izamal, Telchac, Progreso and Celestun.
I can say that the advantage of the ADO buses is that they have departures almost every half hour from Cancun to Merida, and the prices range from $450 to $1000.
The transfer time is approximately 4 hours.
Buses can be taken from the Cancun airport or the ADO bus station, and you can choose between arriving at the historic center of Merida, the Paseo 60 Terminal or Merida Altabrisa.
And well, you can bring food.
As I have mentioned in another post in my blog, there are a lot of services that offer to rent a car without a credit card in Cancun.
With these car rental services, the great advantage is the flexibility of time and mobility, although you do have the responsibility of taking care of the car.
Daily rental prices start at $700, depending on the type of car and the company.
In addition to the expense of having to put gas in the car.
An advantage of this service is that they pick you up at the airport, saving you in transfers.
But you should also check where you will be able to deliver the car. Some companies allow delivery in different cities or only in Cancun.
Approximate driving time from Cancun to Merida is 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Conclusion
For me, taking the famous Tren Maya was more of an adventure than just getting from point A to point B.
As of September 3, 2024, I can say that there is still quite a bit of work ahead of them to have the project itself fully ready.
If you ask me if I would take it again, maybe it would be to go to other destinations, but in a few years down the road, when the project is really finished.
I would recommend taking it in another year or two.
If what you are looking for is a practical trip between Cancun and Merida, then I don’t think the train is the option, as you have to consider the transfer times to and from the stations, and the expense of these transfers.
Also, departure times are still limited to 4 per day.
If you are open to adventure, the Mayan train is an option to try for the travel experience, plus the train itself is comfortable.
Recommendations for Improvement of the Mayan Train
If any of the corresponding authorities of the Tren Maya were reading me, I would recommend the following to improve the whole experience of the Tren Maya and increase the number of tourists using it.
Homologate National and International prices
This is something that causes me noise, but the truth is that it has always existed.
In Mexico, “for looking like a tourist” or being “güerito” they try to charge you more.
And so it has been with cab drivers, street vendors and handicraft sellers.
In my opinion, I don’t know how attractive the idea of having to pay more just for the simple fact of being a foreigner is for foreigners.
And yes, around the world each country has its own policies regarding foreigners, but to my way of seeing things, if I were a foreigner coming to Mexico for tourism, I would look for the comfort of traveling at a good price.
But what is a good price?
If as a foreign tourist I have the option to travel from Cancun to Merida from the Airport or either downtown Cancun for the amount I mentioned of around $450 to $1000, I think I would choose this option if my factor to consider was price only.
The buses offer a lower price compared to the train.
Also consider that the bus drops you off in downtown Merida, thus eliminating the cost and time of transferring from Teya station to downtown.
Departure Times
This is an aspect that I expect will change much faster in the next year or two, as the work is much more advanced.
Perhaps we will see a greater number of departures, which would make it much more attractive to have more scheduling options.
Increased connectivity to and from stations
This is a key point that needs to be worked on to make the Mayan train more attractive.
In my mentality as a tourist, when you want to travel in a certain way, you want to be sure that you will be able to travel easily, comfortably and quickly to your destination.
The bus schedules should also be improved.
Displays or an app with descriptions of points of interest at stations
Maybe this is a point that would be a bonus for me.
As I was traveling, mostly vegetation and train stations were visible.
It could be an amenity to add audios or informative videos of the stops, although the screens already installed are a bit small for this kind of content.
Focus on experience
I think this is the point where the focus should be on attracting more tourists.
As any other analysis of competitors with their products and services, the same analysis can be done for this project.
While the Maya train ticket price is not a strength over buses, the focus should be on giving the passenger the best possible experience.
The treatment and kindness of those who were working with me was very good.
The focus could be on the waiting rooms prior to boarding the train.
The informative details I mentioned in the previous point could be a plus.
Reconsider food restriction
As stores open inside the station, this perspective could change.
It remains to be seen whether the stores will sell at airport prices or at normal prices.
But this does cause me some doubt, as I do not see why the restriction.
Maybe in airports because of the liquids issue, but in other trains around the world this is possible.
We will see in a few more years how this work progresses.