Mexico City Metro Guide: Cards, Routes and Safety

A smooth Mexico City transit day often comes down to two small decisions: carrying the right card and standing in the right boarding area. The Metro is cheap and wide-reaching; Metrobús can be just as useful when its corridor matches your route. The short answer: get a Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada, check the current route map before you leave, respect women-and-children and accessibility areas, and build in extra time at busy stations.

STC Metro publishes a network of 195 stations. Metrobús is the city’s bus rapid transit system, with platform stations and validators. Together, they handle many trips visitors actually make, from museum days to downtown exploring like our Mexico City Historic Center walking tour.

The short answer for using Metro and Metrobús

Use the Metro when your start and end points are close to stations and you want the lowest fare. Use Metrobús when its line runs directly along your corridor, especially for trips where a Metro route would require awkward transfers. Use an authorized taxi or another private option when you have heavy luggage, a late-night arrival, or a destination far from a station.

For most visitors, the MI card is the simplest payment tool. SEMOVI describes the Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada as the access key for Mexico City’s integrated mobility network, including Metro, Metrobús, RTP, Tren Ligero, Trolebús, Cablebús, ECOBICI, Corredores, and the Tren Interurbano El Insurgente.

Check current fares and service updates before relying on exact details. Metro and Metrobús prices, card rules, station access, renovation closures, and temporary bus bridges can change.

Step by step: your first ride without guessing

1. Check the official map before you leave. Metro publishes its network map and service hours. Metrobús publishes route information and warns that different routes can run at different hours, so check the exact route if you are traveling early or late.

2. Buy or load an MI card. For Metrobús, the listed new card purchase is $21 pesos: $15 for the card and one $6 trip. For the airport route, the listed purchase is $45 pesos, including the $15 card and one $30 airport trip.

3. Use small cash at Metrobús machines. Metrobús says its fare machines do not give change. Machines accept $1, $2, $5 and $10 coins, plus $20, $50 and $100 bills for card purchase.

4. Tap in and keep the same payment method for transfers. On Metro, a single unit ticket allows line-to-line transfers without paying again, with an exception noted for Line A. On Metrobús, transfers between Lines 1–7 are free only within the first two hours, in a single direction, using the same card or payment method.

5. Board from the correct area. Metro has exclusive cars and platform areas for women and children under 12, and Metro says those spaces apply during the whole service day. Metrobús also has exclusive spaces inside buses for women, people with disabilities, and children under 12, signed Monday–Sunday, all hours.

6. Check your exit before you follow the crowd. Some stations have several exits onto different avenues. Pause at the exit signs, not in the train doorway, and match the street name to your destination.

Fares, cards and payment options compared

Option	Where it works	Current listed cost	Best for	Watch out for
Metro standard fare	Metro	$5 pesos	Cheapest single rides and line transfers	Line A has an exception noted by Metro
Metrobús regular fare	Metrobús	$6 pesos	Corridor trips and platform boarding	Transfer rules are strict
Metrobús airport route	Line 4 to AICM	$30 pesos	Public transport to or from the airport	First/last departures and airport doors can shift
New MI card via Metrobús	Metrobús machines	$21 pesos with one regular trip	First-time riders	Machines do not give change
Contactless payment	Metrobús bus validators	Regular fare	A backup way to board	Keep an MI card in case equipment varies

Metrobús completed a payment and access modernization in 2023. On buses, riders can tap a contactless bank card, phone, or smart watch with a configured digital wallet at validators. Still, keep an MI card as a fallback; validator and station equipment status can vary.

MI card balance can also be topped up through App CDMX and Mercado Pago’s external recharge network, in addition to system recharge points, according to SEMOVI. If you are only in town for a few days, cash at a machine is still straightforward.

Hours, transfers and route planning

Metro’s published service hours are weekdays 5:00–24:00, Saturdays 6:00–24:00, and Sundays and holidays 7:00–24:00. Metrobús’s system map gives general hours of Monday–Friday 05:00–01:00, Saturday 06:00–01:00, and Sundays and holidays 07:00–00:00, but individual routes can have their own first and last departures.

That difference matters after dinner. A trip that looks simple in the afternoon may need a taxi or a different route late at night. Before a late return, check the official Metro and Metrobús sites or social channels on the day.

Metro transfers are usually simple: follow the color and line-number signs inside the paid area. In some stations, the transfer walk can be longer than expected, so avoid tight connections to timed tickets or reservations.

Metrobús transfers are more rule-based. You must transfer within two hours, go in a single direction, and use the same card or payment method you used to enter. If you leave the system, reload your card, or reverse direction, expect to pay again.

If your day is built around neighborhoods, museums, and food stops, group places before choosing routes. Our Mexico City travel guide can help you reduce cross-city backtracking.

Airport links: AICM by Metrobús, Metro or taxi

For Mexico City International Airport, public transport is possible, but choose based on luggage, timing, and your tolerance for transfers.

Metrobús Line 4’s airport route connects Amajac with AICM Terminals 1 and 2. Metrobús lists MI card machines at Terminal 1 doors 7 and 8, and Terminal 2 doors 3 and 4. AICM’s own Metrobús page lists airport boarding areas at Terminal 1 gate 7 and Terminal 2 gate 2, and says the service connects the airport with downtown Mexico City.

Metro Terminal Aérea station is on Line 5. AICM places it at Terminal 1, at Boulevard Puerto Aéreo and Avenida Capitán Carlos León González; Metro’s station page also notes connections with Metrobús Line 4 at AICM Terminal 1 and Trolleybus Line G at Boulevard Puerto Aéreo.

If you are arriving with big suitcases, children, or jet lag, an authorized airport taxi may be calmer. AICM lists authorized companies including Yellow Cab, Sitio 300, Nueva Imagen Taxis, Confort Unlimited, CASADEY, Porto Taxi, Prho Taxi, T&M, PSTA, and Aerotaxi.

Women-and-children cars, accessibility and bikes

The women-and-children sections are part of a long-running safety policy. Metro says the first separation of women and men began in late 1970 after women complained about discomfort and crowding on packed trains. The current arrangement evolved over decades, including official allocation of the first two cars on several lines in 2000 and the Acoso Cero program in 2007.

For visitors, the rule is simple: respect the signs and staff instructions. If you are not eligible, do not board or stand in exclusive areas. Enforcement, platform layouts, and reserved-car positions can vary, especially during crowded periods.

Metro says all trains have reserved seats in each car for people with disabilities, older adults, pregnant women, and women carrying children. Metrobús prohibits non-eligible riders from traveling in exclusive zones for people with disabilities, older adults, and women, and its system map says all stations have universal accessibility.

Bike rules differ by system. Metrobús says bicycles may be transported any day and at any time, as long as there is enough space and the wheelchair area remains free. Metro allows non-folding bicycles after 22:00 every day, while properly packed folding bicycles are allowed during the full daily service schedule.

Rush hour and safety habits that actually help

The simplest safety improvement is timing. If your schedule is flexible, avoid peak commuting periods and build in extra time around major hubs. Crowding patterns change with school calendars, events, and line works, but recent Metro figures placed Constitución de 1917, Cuatro Caminos, and Indios Verdes among the highest-average weekday ridership stations.

On platforms, stay behind the yellow line and let passengers exit before boarding. Metro specifically recommends not interfering with train doors, using emergency levers only in strict emergencies, and asking staff for help if an object falls onto the tracks.

Do not enter tracks or restricted areas, block doors, smoke in stations, throw objects onto tracks, or cross safety lines except for boarding and alighting. In crowded cars, keep your bag close, avoid standing in the doorway if you are not getting off, and step aside on the platform to re-check directions.

Public transport is excellent value, but it does not need to win every trip. Switch to a taxi or private ride when the route requires several transfers, you are carrying luggage, or fatigue changes the equation.

Mistakes to avoid

• Assuming all Metrobús routes run the same hours. The system has general hours, but route-specific service can differ.
• Putting a large bill into a Metrobús machine casually. Machines do not give change.
• Reloading before a Metrobús transfer. It may invalidate the free transfer.
• Entering women-and-children or accessibility spaces when not eligible. These restrictions apply throughout the service day.
• Counting on airport rideshares without checking AICM rules. Airport federal-zone rules can change.
• Planning a tight last train or last bus. Closures, renovation works, and station access changes can alter a good plan quickly.

Quick checklist before you ride

• Check the official Metro or Metrobús map for your route and current service.
• Carry an MI card with enough balance for the day.
• Keep small bills and coins if buying or recharging at Metrobús machines.
• Confirm airport doors and boarding points if using Line 4 to AICM.
• Look for women-and-children, accessibility, and bike signage before boarding.
• Add extra time for transfers, crowded stations, and evening route changes.

For sightseeing days, the smartest transport plan is often the least frantic one: group nearby stops, ride at calmer times when possible, and save your patience for food, museums, and long walks. Our 4 days in Mexico City itinerary is built with that rhythm in mind.