Getting to Oaxaca

Travel by air

There are a number of easy and affordable ways to get to Oaxaca. Most flights make a stop in Mexico City, so you have the option of finding a flight with Oaxaca as the destination, or you can book one round-trip ticket to Mexico City and a second roundtrip ticket from Mexico City to Oaxaca. We did this on our recent trip and it was super easy (and gave us a chance to hang out in Mexico City for a couple of days on our way back). If you do this, just look for flights on one of three Mexican airlines that flies to Oaxaca: Interjet, Volaris, or Aeromexico. These tickets cost about $75-$100 roundtrip; flight time to Oaxaca is about 45 minutes.  

If flying by way of Mexico City: Mexico City International Airport has two terminals. You will likely arrive in Terminal 1, and then pass through customs to have your passport stamped and receive a form (which you should keep safe as you'll need it for departure from the country). If you purchased a ticket on a separate airline, you will proceed to locate the ticket desk for your airline and pick up your boarding passes before heading to your gate. It's a good idea to give yourself 1.5-2 hours for the layover.

Direct flights: There are direct flights to Oaxaca from Los Angeles and from Houston. There is a direct flight from LAX to Oaxaca on Wednesday afternoon; otherwise the direct flights appear to run mostly on Saturdays.  The aiport in Oaxaca is super chill, making passage through customs a breeze

Getting from the airport to Centro Historico: It's very easy to get from the airport to the central district and takes about 20 minutes. Once you exit from the gate, you'll see a counter where you can buy a ticket for transportation. There are a couple of options:

• Shared colectivo/van: this is a safe, easy, and cheap way to get to town. You buy your ticket at the window - tell them you are going to the centro historico (Zone 1). The driver will ask what hotel you are staying at and take you there, but you may stop to let other riders off along the way. This costs about $80 pesos, or $4 dollars.
• Private taxi (travel up to four passengers): you can get a ticket for a private taxi/'especial' at the same counter as the colectivo. This costs about $320 pesos, or $16 dollars.

Nearby Destinations

We know this might be a long trip for some folks, and that you may be thinking of making a proper vacation out of the trip. Here are some suggestions on some interesting things to do nearby if you have some extra time to spend in Mexico.

Oaxacan Coast

It's a windy road to the coast and a bit of a drive, but it's worth it. The Pacific kicks out some awesome waves in Puerto Escondido and the beaches up and down the coastline are stunning. Here's a short article about the draws of a few of the key places to consider. 

Mexico City

We spent a few days in Mexico City on our way back from our last visit to Oaxaca and loved it. For a short-list of things to see and do around the Condesa/Zona Rosa neighborhood, see this article.