How to get around

The general idea. Mexico City has one of the largest and cheapest public transport networks in the world, and moving on it is faster than by car on almost any journey inside the city. The first thing to do on arrival is buy the Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada: one card for the Metro, Metrobús, Tren Ligero, Trolleybus, Cablebus and Ecobici, sold at ticket windows and machines in the stations and topped up with cash.

Metro. Twelve lines covering nearly the whole city, with a very low flat fare per journey, transfers included. It is the fastest way across town at rush hour. Every station has an icon as well as a name, designed for orienting yourself without reading. At the busiest hours the first carriages are reserved for women and children. Approximate hours: 05:00 (07:00 on Sundays) to midnight.

Metrobús. Articulated buses in dedicated lanes; Line 1 runs the length of Insurgentes, the north-south axis most useful to a visitor, and Line 4 connects the airport with the historic centre and San Lázaro. Card only: no tickets are sold on board.

The other networks. The Tren Ligero runs from Tasqueña down to Xochimilco. The Cablebus — an urban cable car — serves the high ground of Iztapalapa and Gustavo A. Madero and, incidentally, offers the best views in the city for the price of a ticket. The trolleybus and the RTP buses cover axes the Metro does not reach. Ecobici works well in the centre, Roma, Condesa, Juárez and Polanco, with daily or weekly registration.

Taxis and apps. The recommended approach is to use apps or the authorised taxi ranks at hotels and shopping centres rather than hailing in the street. They are cheap compared with Europe or the United States and they solve night journeys and the districts with no Metro, such as Santa Fe.

Practical advice. Fares and timetables change: confirm the current price when you buy the card. Avoid the Metro with large luggage and at peak hours (07:00–09:00 and 18:00–20:00). Allow double the time if you travel by car in those windows, and remember that the Hoy No Circula scheme restricts some vehicles by sticker and day. To cross the city end to end, combining Metro and Metrobús is usually the best answer.

Renting a car: almost never necessary, and when it is. For moving around inside the city the car is the worst option: traffic, expensive parking and Hoy No Circula, which restricts circulation by sticker and day and applies to rental cars too. It only makes sense if you are leaving the metropolitan area: Teotihuacán, Tepoztlán, Valle de Bravo, Puebla.

What to check before signing. The main agencies — Hertz, Avis, Europcar, National, Alamo, Budget, Sixt, Thrifty, Dollar, Fox — operate at Mexico City International Airport, and the price you see online is almost never the final price. Three points: third-party liability insurance is compulsory in Mexico and your credit card's cover does not replace it, so it is bought at the counter; the security deposit is blocked on the card and can be high; and it is worth asking about the excess and photographing the car from all four sides before you leave the car park.

Alternatives without a steering wheel. For a day trip, the first-class coaches from the Terminal del Norte, the TAPO or Taxqueña are comfortable, punctual and cheap; inside the city, an app taxi costs less than a day's rental with fuel and parking.