After years of anticipation and controversy, the Tren Maya finally arrived in Felipe Carrillo Puerto this September, opening up a new way for people to visit our town nestled in the Maya jungle and giving a new travel option to those coming to study at Na’atik.

Tren Maya Background

The Tren Maya, or Maya train, is an ambitious large-scale transport infrastructure project that was a key part of the platform of outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The goal was to build a high-speed train network loop around the Yucatán Peninsula, connecting major tourist towns and local population hubs. This would provide low cost travel options for local people who often have few transportation choices while also making tourist travel in the region easier and opening up new and exciting destinations.. 

The train network is being opened in sections, with the lines in the Yucatán and Campeche states through to Cancun airport being the first to start operations. Since then, further sections to Puerto Moreles and Playa del Carmen, and now Tulum, Tulum Airport and Felipe Carrillo Puerto have been opened. In the coming months, stations in the towns and cities to the south including Bacalar and Chetumal will open before the loop around to Campeche is completed.

Traveling By Tren Maya

Buying Tickets

There are two different ways to buy tickets to ride the train Maya, either in person at the station where you are beginning the journey, or online on the official website which is available in English. Some stations may also have ticket machines, although these are not always available. 

There are a number of different ticket options available, and it is important to ensure you purchase the correct ticket type whether you are buying in person or online or travel may be denied. For ‘Premier Class’ there are two different ticket types and for ‘Tourist Class’ there are four. The ticket types are as follows:

Local Tourist - This ticket is only available for Mexican citizens who are registered as living within the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche, Chiapas or Tabasco.

Special Tourist - This ticket is available for those with Mexican ID proving they are either above retirement age, a teacher or a student.

National Tourist/National Premier - These tickets are only available for Mexican citizens who are not residents of the Peninsula states.

International Tourist/International Premier - These are the only tickets available for foreign visitors or those living in Mexico without proof of citizenship (INE). If you are visiting from the US or any other country you should purchase one of these two tickets.

Premier class cars feature larger and more comfortable seats with additional aisle space. The seats themselves have more comfortable headrests and foot rests than those in tourist class. There is also complimentary food available on journeys longer than 70km (43.5 miles). All seats regardless of class have access to power and USB ports. There is also a cafeteria available with a range of snacks, drinks and meals. Some longer distance trains will have a full restaurant car.

Seat selection is available for all ticket types when purchased online, using the website's dynamic car map.

If you purchase your tickets online you will be required to input your details, such as your name, and also the type and details of the ID document you will be carrying. All of this information must match the ID you have on the day or you may be refused travel.

If you are traveling to Felipe Carrillo Puerto it is also worth double checking that you have selected the right stations before finalizing your ticket purchase, as there is another station named Carrillo Puerto Camp., which is in another town located in the state of Campeche.

At the Station

Each of the stations on the network have their own unique design intended to highlight the local area, however they are all large modern buildings and have been designed as tourism hubs. Many of the units within the stations are still not up and running, however there is space set aside in most for local businesses, food options, bus and taxi companies as well as car rental. Many of the stations are positioned outside of the towns which they serve, meaning it may be necessary to use one of these local transport services for the short journey into town. The stations at both the Cancun and Tulum Airports have complimentary shuttle bus services from the arrivals and departures terminals. The Felipe Carrillo Puerto station is a 10-minute taxi ride away from the town center, and Na’atik will arrange pickup and drop off for students arriving or departing through the station.

Timetable

At the moment the network is running a reduced timetable as we await the delivery of more rolling stock and the completion of the final sections. At the time of writing there are two daily departures in each direction between Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Tulum airport, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, with only one to and from Cancun. We expect this to increase soon. 

The journey times for each of the common trips to Felipe Carrillo Puerto are:

Tulum Airport - Felipe Carrillo Puerto - 1 Hour 27 Minutes

Tulum - Felipe Carrillo Puerto - 1 Hour 49 Minutes

Playa del Carmen - Felipe Carrillo Puerto - 2 Hours 39 Minutes

Cancun Airport - Felipe Carrillo Puerto - 3 Hours 27 Minutes.

Your Journey

If you travel to Na’atik, or any of the other amazing destinations served by the Tren Maya, be sure to let us know on social media, we would love to see your pictures or videos!

www.facebook.com/naatikmexico

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If you have any additional questions about using the Tren Maya or getting to Na’atik by other modes of transportation you can either visit our How to Get Here page or contact us on mas@naatikmexico.org. With the opening of the train and the new international airport near Tulum, there has never been an easier time to visit Na’atik for a Spanish or Maya immersion experience, book your visit today and become part of the sustainable language travel solution!