9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

BLOG ABOUT CONTACT DISCLAIMER PORTFOLIO   

PLACES FOOD + DRINK CULTURE OPINION MOVING ABROAD PLAN YOUR TRIP 

METRO DIARIES MEXICO MEXICO CITY MEXICO TIPS TRAVEL TIPS

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO USING THE

MEXICO CITY METRO
 LAUREN -  20th October 2017 (Last Updated: 23rd December 2017) -  2

j 38 s b 3 q 1 h f o 42
SHARES

I LOVE the Mexico City metro (a.k.a. the Mexican subway) and I love navigating the
subterranean stations and tunnels to get me where I need to be, 365 days a year. And so do 1.6
billion other people. Seriously, using the Mexico City metro will give you a true insight into daily
life in the capital, but it is also hectic as fuck. I swear it sometimes feels like the entire Mexico
City population is in your carriage during rush hour.

Even so, and such is my love of the ve pesos per journey metro, I’ll actively not go to things if
they’re out of the way of a metro station. (Although, if we’re being honest, I love an excuse to
cancel plans, so it’s ne.) However, while I am well-versed in the ways of getting around Mexico
City using the public transport system, many visitors to the Mexican capital are really, really not.
For that reason, and to stop me wanting to scream at bewildered tourists who are in the wrong
carriages or faf ng around at the ticket barriers, I’ve put together this user’s guide to
navigating the Mexico City metro system.

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO USING THE MEXICO CITY

METRO

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 1/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren
TICKETS + PRICES | LINES, STATIONS + OPENING HOURS | METRO ETIQUETTE | SAFETY
TIPS | INSIDER INFORMATION

TICKETS + PRICES
The great thing for travellers who want to know how to get around Mexico City and try their
hand at using one of the world’s most overcrowded metro systems is that you can use both
paper tickets or a pre-pay swipe card, akin to the Oyster card in London.

BUYING YOUR TICKET/ PRE-PAY CARD 

To buy your tickets for the metro de México, you need to make your way to a taquilla (ticket
window) in any metro station and, if you want paper tickets, simply specify the number and
hand over the cash. Yep, it’s cash only.

E.g. ‘Dos, por favor.’/ ‘Two, please.’

If you want to buy a swipe card (which I recommend even though it costs 10 pesos, because
those paper tickets are ddly and easily lost), you instead need to rst buy the card (‘quiero
comprar una tarjeta’) and then top it up. To top up, head to the window (make sure it
DOESN’T say ‘solo boletos’ in the window, which means paper tickets only), and specify the
amount of money you want to put on, before handing over the cash and the card. If you also
want to use the MetroBus, you’ll need to buy a pre-pay card anyway.

E.g. ‘Treinta pesos, por favor.’/ ‘Thirty pesos, please.’

And that’s how to buy tickets for the Mexico metro, which is incidentally one of the few places
you’ll ever see Mexicans in an orderly queue.

But how much money should I top up? Well, I would say that if you’re hopping around the
various sights and know you’re going to use the metro at least a few times, budget enough for
four journeys per day (20 pesos). There is an upper top-up limit though, which I think
currently stands at 120 pesos, so do keep that in mind.

Metro pre-pay card © Esparta Palma/Flickr

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 2/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

TICKET AND PRE-PAY CARD PRICES

From an external perspective, public transportation in Mexico, and especially Mexico City’s
metro, is incredibly cheap. Each ticket, whether paper or pre-pay card, costs just 5 pesos per
journey. Yes, you read that right, it doesn’t matter if you’re going one stop or twenty, you’ll only
have to pay 5 pesos per metro trip. This includes changing lines at the main stations. (An
interesting point to note, though, is that while the price seems miniscule from an external
perspective, public transportation in Mexico City is actually one of the most expensive systems
in the world, once you take into account the average wage of the population of Mexico City.)

Related Post: Moving to Mexico? Here’s What to Pack + What to Leave

Behind

USING YOUR TICKET/ PRE-PAY CARD

To get past the barriers in the metro station, you need to either insert your paper ticket into
the barrier (it will be sucked in and you won’t get it back), or tap your pre-pay card on the
indicated swipe zone. You can easily do this through a purse or wallet, so there’s no need to faff
around getting it out. The display (unless broken) will show you how much credit you have left
on the card and if you’re having trouble, there are always police of cers at the barriers who can
help you out.

When exiting the station, you simply go through the barriers that are marked salida (exit)
(they usually also have green tick sign LED lights on them, to let you know you’re going
through the right barrier). You do not need to swipe the Mexico City metro card again to
exit.

© ProtoplasmaKid/WikiCommons

LINES, STATIONS + OPENING HOURS

LINES

There are 12 lines on the Mexico City metro, each of which has its own colour and
number/letter. This makes the Mexico City metro lines really easy to navigate, because you can
just look out for the colour-coded signs in the stations, instead of ailing about looking for

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 3/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren
names or numbers. You can also do the same for the individual stops, which all have their own
logos, as well as names. (Fun fact: this was because a lot of the Mexico City population was
illiterate when the rst metro line was inaugurated.)

Here’s a full list of the lines you’ll come across when using the Mexico City metro, including
their number/letter and colour, plus their start and end stations.

Line 1 (Pink): Observatorio (West) + Pantitlán (East)

Line 2 (Blue): Cuatro Caminos (West) + Tasqueña (South)

Line 3 (Olive): Indios Verdes (North) + Universidad (South)

Line 4 (Pale Blue): Martín Carrera (North) + Santa Anita (South)

Line 5 (Yellow): Politécnico (North) + Pantitlán (East)

Line 6 (Red): El Rosario (West) + Martín Carrera (East)

Line 7 (Orange): El Rosario (North) + Barranca del Muerto (South)

Line 8 (Green): Garibaldi (North) + Constitución de 1917 (South)

Line 9 (Brown): Tacubaya (West) + Pantitlán (East)

Line A (Purple): Pantitlán (North) + La Paz (South)

Line B (Grey/Green): Ciudad Azteca (North) + Buenavista (South)

Line 12 (Gold): Mixcoac (West) + Tláhuac (East)

In my opinion, if you’re a casual visitor to Mexico City, the main line you’ll be using is the Blue
Line (which stops at many of the historic centre’s main sights), as well as the Pink Line and
possibly Olive Line. Lines you’re unlikely to need (unless you’re heading extremely north or
south to some of the city’s more underrated destinations) are the Red, Grey/Green and Pale
Blue lines, as well as the Orange, Brown and Purple Lines. You might need the Green line and
the Yellow line is great because it features stops at both the Mexico City Airport and the
northernmost Mexico City bus station, the Terminal del Norte.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 4/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

Metro route map, Mexico City © Battroid/WikiCommons

STATIONS

The Mexico City metro has 195 stations, each with its own individual logo, as well as
corresponding name and colour.

Mexico City metro stations are easy to identify on the street, and they all look like the picture
below. Most stations will have entry points on all four corners of the intersection that they’re
found beneath, but some of the larger stations, that cross two or even three lines, sometimes
have a TON of entrances placed all over the place. Make sure you look carefully at the street
names printed underneath each exit sign when leaving the metro station, so you know exactly
where you’re going to emerge, blinking and disorientated, into the sunlight.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 5/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

© Dan Cortés/Flickr

TRANSFER STATIONS

Of the 195 stations in the CDMX metro, there are 24 main stations, by which I mean, they fall
on two or more lines and are where you’ll need to change. The main ones that travellers to
Mexico City are likely to use are as follows:

La Raza (Olive and Yellow) The change at La Raza, which can be necessary if you’re taking
the metro to either the airport or north bus terminal, is the longest in the whole Mexico City
transportation system (a good 15-minute walk between lines).

Garibaldi (Green and Grey/Green) This is a change you might need if you want to visit the
Santa María la Ribera neighbourhood.

Hidalgo (Blue and Olive), Bellas Artes (Blue and Green), Salto del Agua (Pink and Green),
Balderas (Pink and Olive), Centro Médico (Olive and Brown), Pino Suárez (Pink and Blue)
These transfer stations all centre around the historic heart of Mexico City and the Roma-
Condesa area.

HOW TO CHANGE LINES 

As mentioned above, there are 24 stations that cross multiple lines in the Mexico City metro
system and some of them make changing lanes easier than others. La Raza, for example, has a
notoriously fucking awful change (read: 15 minutes of walking to get from the Olive to the
Yellow line). However, they’ve accounted for that by adding in a so-called Science Tunnel,
which has a blacked-out section with stars painted on the roof and science exhibits lining the
walls.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 6/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

© Sharon Hahn Darlin/Flickr

La Raza aside though, most line changes are quick and easy. When you get off at a main
station, you need to look for signs that direct you to the line you wanna swap to and head
to wherever they’re pointing.

In Mexico City, that’s actually super easy as each line has its own colour. Look for the signs that
match the colour of the line you want, then, as you get closer, make sure you’re headed to the
right side of the platform.

PLATFORMS

You need to know the end station of the line you want to gure out the direction to travel in.
Each platform will be labelled with the name of the nal stop on that line. For example, if
you’re going north on the Olive Line, all the platforms will be labelled ‘Indios Verdes’ (a.k.a. the
most northern stop on that line). Also, andenes means platforms.

I recommend acquainting yourself with where you want to go, which line you’ll need to take
(plus the colour and end stations of that line) before you even venture into the metro station
itself. This is because, while there are Mexico City metro maps dotted around the stations, it
can be hard to nd them or just too crowded at peak time to stop and take a look. I swear by
this Mexico metro map app which works of ine, for those times when I just can’t remember
which station I’m looking for.

OPENING HOURS

All metro stations are open from 5am to midnight on weekdays, 6am to midnight on
Saturdays and 7am to midnight on Sundays and holidays.  

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 7/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

© Eneas De Troya/Flickr

METRO ETIQUETTE
(A.K.A. Metiquette)

The metro in the Mexican capital is a lawless place, with very few unwritten rules, so here are
some other snippets of information that will be useful if you want to use this particular form of
transport when travelling in Mexico.

1. You’re going to want to shuf e towards the door a few stops before your destination,
otherwise you run the risk of being pinned in the carriage by a surge of angry Mexicans
going about their daily business. So, gure out both where you are and how many stops
you have until your destination by using the maps that are stuck above the windows on
every carriage. Alternatively, if you speak Spanish, ask someone.
2. The doors open automatically, so don’t worry about having to push a button.
3. Coming from London, where standing still on the left of the escalator is a crime
punishable by audible tuts? Yeah, don’t expect that here. People stand where they
please and they’re brazen about it. I personally advise standing on the right-hand side of
the escalator, just to be polite, but I think those are my British sensibilities talking, and
there’s no guarantee anyone else will be doing the same thing.
4. Similarly, while there are signs that indicate which side you need to be walking on, or
which stairs are for exiting metro users only, people tend to just go wherever they want.
Again, follow the signs as much as possible but don’t lose sleep if you accidentally go the
wrong way.
5. When entering the metro carriage, let other people get off rst. Some stations now
have markings on the oor to (literally) keep you in line. Follow them, don’t be that
ignorant tourist who thinks the rules don’t apply to them. There are enough locals who
take that opinion.
6. If you’re a man, or identify as such, stay out of the women and children’s carriages. I
don’t care if they look less crowded, they’re not designated for you and they exist for a
reason, so whether you agree with that or not, at least respect it. This, in my eyes, is the
one true cardinal sin of the metro in Mexico City: men in the women and children’s
wagons.
7. If you don’t want to piss off everyone in your immediate vicinity, you need to read my post
about How NOT To Piss People Off on the Mexico City Metro.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 8/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

Mexico City’s metro has a French metro sign © Carlos Adampol Galindo/Flickr

SAFETY TIPS
Compared to buses in the Mexican capital, and even taxis, using the Mexico City metro is (in
my opinion) one of the safer modes of transport. The biggest threat faced by users of the
Mexico City metro are pickpockets and, especially (but not only) if you’re a woman, sexual
harassment, such as groping and being ashed at. I’d like to take a second to say that I’ve
been lucky enough to never experience either of those things personally, but they de nitely do
happen, so be aware.

Open mugging and robbery is unlikely on the metro, given that it’s an enclosed space and I’ve
never even felt afraid of that happening on the metro, whereas I de nitely have on the city
buses, for example. The only time I’ve been freaked out on a metro was when some
‘performers’ got on with, umm, a t-shirt full of broken glass. Read more about that here.

And can you use your phone on the metro? Well, you can (I’ll get into that later) and you are
certainly safe to whip it out, but take the normal precautions. If you’re in a completely empty
carriage late at night, maybe keep your expensive belongings under wraps. If it’s moderately
full up and during the day, I feel safe using my phone. I do, however, always travel with it
tucked in my bra, rather than in my bag or pockets. The risk of the train suddenly lling up and
there being the opportunity to pickpocket me is too great and I’d rather avoid that happening.

To me, the danger with the metro lies outside the stations, so always be careful to stow your
valuables and be aware when leaving a metro station, especially early in the morning or late
at night.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 9/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

Murals in Insurgentes Station © Panchosama/WikiCommons

INSIDER INFORMATION
Anyone who’s ever lived in a city, travelled to a city, or heard word of a city that has a major
metro, subway, or tube service crisscrossing beneath its hectic streets knows that travelling
underground can be either a delightfully convenient experience, or a literal living hell. Here are
some insider tips from yours truly to make navigating the Mexico City metro a smoother
experience.

1. THERE ARE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT UPCOMING STATIONS (except on the Gold

Line)! You just have to know when and where to get off.
2. Similarly, there are no times displayed on the platform. You just turn up and wait for the
metro to arrive, although most tend to come way before that ve-minute limit when
people start getting tetchy. Except on the Gold Line, which is the newest, the nicest and
the best air-conditioned line, but de nitely the slowest too.
3. You can use your phone on the metro, both in terms of safety and in terms of actually
getting signal. As someone who’d only really travelled on the tube before arriving in
Mexico, I found it bizarre that people could still chatter on their phones on the Mexico City
metro.
4. Don’t travel during the Mexico City rush hour, a.k.a. the hora pico. You will immediately
regret it. (The rush hour tends to fall between 7am-10am and 6pm-9pm, but it can also
spill over on either side of those times too.)
5. In a morning, traf c tends to be heavier heading north to south, and vice versa in the
evening. This is because most people live in the north but work in the south.
6. There are elevators and escalators in all (as far as I know) stations, but if you’re travelling
with a disability, you will want to make sure the metro station you intend to use is user
friendly for your particular set of needs. I know, for example, that the Polanco station (and
basically most of the stops on the Orange Line) is very deep underground and so there
are a ton of escalators and stairs to navigate, which could prove tricky for some visitors.
7. There’s a Mexico City metro museum (Museo Metro) at the Mixcoac station, if you want
to learn more about this overcrowded, underfunded, crazy subterranean system.
8. If you’re tall, the likelihood is you’ll have to shove your armpit in the faces of tiny Mexicans
on the daily. Sorry.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 10/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren
9. If you’re short…well, you’ll t right in.
10. Using the Mexico City metro when it rains is the worst. First of all, each carriage starts
to smell like one giant wet dog, it gets incredibly crowded as people ee from the streets
to the subterranean tunnels below ground and it becomes interminably slow. Some
stations even fucking ood.

ABOUT LAUREN

Do you think the metro system is the best way to get around Mexico City, or would you
recommend another form of Mexico City public transportation? Leave any other tips for how to I’m Lauren, a Mexico City based, British
get around in Mexico City metropolitan area in the comments! freelance writer and blogger.

If you like slightly sarcastic, often

Also, if you found this information useful and can spare a couple of quid to say thanks, donate
subjective but always informative and
to my coffee fund using the button below! This blog runs entirely on caffeine.
amusing travel, food and cultural guide
then you should really stick around,
because I post (at least) weekly. And I'm
hilarious.

   

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 11/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren

Northern Lauren
661 Me gusta

Te gusta Registrarte

Te gusta esto

FEELING GENEROUS?

If you nd my content amusing, vague

useful or all of the above, buy me a cof
using the button below to say thanks

j 38 s b 3 q 1 h f o 42
SHARES

Guardar 3

 Previous Article Next Article 

GLOBAL STREET ART: TRAVELLERS THE SURREALIST CHARM OF XILITLA, A
SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE ... MEXICAN ...

RELATED POSTS

TRAVEL TIPS GUADAL A JARA

HOW TO UNBLOCK A TOILET ON 10 MORE THINGS NO ONE TELLS

YOUR TRAVELS YOU ABOUT LIVING IN ...
BY LAUREN -  2nd April 2017 -  2 BY LAUREN -  23rd March 2017 -  2

2 COMMENTS

Pamela
6 January, 2018 at 02:01
Reply

Hi Lauren, I am coming to Mexico City in a few days as a solo female traveler. Your post has
been really informative as I’m a bit nervous to take the tube! I was wondering what you would

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 12/13
9/1/2018 A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro - Northern Lauren
recommend as transport from the airport to el centro – I’ve got a backpack and will be arriving
around 3 so in the rush hour. Would taxi or Uber be better do you think? Thanks so much.

Lauren AUTHOR

7 January, 2018 at 00:28

Reply

De nitely an Uber. Be warned that the pick up point outside the airport can be a bit crazy,
but just keep a look out for the number plate and you’ll be good to go. I honestly can’t say
whether the wi is any good there, as I have a data plan but I’m pretty sure there IS open
wi !

LEAVE A REPLY

Comment

Name*... Email*... Website...

SEND

INSTAGRAM

COPYRIGHT © LAUREN COCKING - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NORTHERN LAUREN IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERT
PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON.COM/AMAZON.CO.UK/AMAZON.CA AND AFFILIATED SITES.

http://northernlauren.com/beginners-guide-using-the-mexico-city-metro/ 13/13