This means that you can take the transfer service from Cancun to Playa del Carmen or from Playa del Carmen to Cancun. And how much do I have to pay to use this service? You only pay 55 Mexican pesos, which is an equivalent of almost 3 dollars.So everything seems perfect, but it is necessary to mention that this service has a few limitations which we will tell you about in this article.
Playa Express
Playa Express is a shared shuttle service that operates in the city of Cancun and Playa del Carmen.
The purpose of this service is to help travelers save on transportation costs to get from Cancun to Puerto Morelos, Playa Paraiso, Playa Maroma and Playa del Carmen. Of course, the list of places that can be reached with this means of transportation is very extensive.
Playa Express is an excellent means of transportation from downtown Cancun to Puerto Morelos or Playa del Carmen, but as such it will not "drop you off" at the door of your hotel and if what you are looking for is a private, safe and secure service that will take you to where you need to go, then book our private transfer service now.
Limitations of Playa Express
Being a shared and public use service, the service as such has a few limitations that you have to consider before taking such transfer service.
It is not a direct service: As such it is not a direct transfer service and therefore may be making several "stops" along the way which increases the "arrival" time from Cancun to Playa del Carmen or from Playa del Carmen to Cancun.
Cannot be taken from Cancun Airport: As such Playa Express cannot be taken from Cancun airport, in fact to make use of this service you would have to "go down" to downtown Cancun to board it.
However, if you prefer, you can walk about 20 minutes to the airport exit where you can take the Playa Express shuttle, but it "depends" a lot on whether it is already crowded or not.
Each base leaves you in different places of arrival: The Playa Express service has different bases of operation in the city of Cancun and therefore, depending on the "base" from where you take the transfer it can leave you on Fifth Avenue or in the center of the city of Playa del Carmen. The same happens if you take it from the city of Playa del Carmen to get to Cancun.
You will not arrive directly to your hotel: No matter where you are staying, with the Playa Express service you will never arrive directly to your hotel door. Therefore, you will have to take other transportation.
Basis of operations
Playa Express is a shared transportation service that currently has 2 bases and routes in the city of Cancun. Its first base was the first to be born in the city and can be found in downtown Cancun and the second base is located at the end of Nichupte Avenue, with Lopez Portillo Avenue.
The base in downtown Cancun normally follows a route that leaves from Tulum Avenue and arrives at the ibis Cancun downtown hotel where it makes a short stop to pick up more passengers. After that, it continues its trip out of Cancun and arrives first to Puerto Morelos and finally to its base near the fifth avenue in Playa del Carmen.
Its second base covers all of Nichupte Avenue and from here it goes directly to Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. It should be noted that Puerto Morelos is located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, therefore: The shared shuttle service makes short stops there to drop off and pick up passengers.
How much does the Playa Express shuttle cost?
The Playa Express shuttle service costs 55.00 MXN and departs every 30 minutes from its location in downtown Cancun. Specifically, in front of the ADO terminal. It takes approximately 1 hour to get to Playa del Carmen and starts operations at 5:00 AM.
After that, it is available every 30 minutes. That is to say: Its departure time is from 5:00 AM and the next timetable is at 5:30 AM, the next at 6:00 AM and so on, successively every 30 minutes. It should be noted that its last departure time is at 11:30 PM.
Is it safe to take the Playa Express shuttle?
Like any transportation service in Cancun, this service has its advantages and disadvantages. First of all, it is a shared service and therefore, you will be traveling with other people who are strangers to you.
Secondly, this service has to follow a "route schedule", so the drivers tend to drive very fast, aggressively and without much respect for traffic regulations.
Lastly: There is no insurance for passengers in case of accidents. This means that, if for any reason an accident occurs along the route, the company will not be held responsible.
Playa Express Schedules
The Playa Express terminal located in downtown Cancun, less than 50 meters from the ADO terminal, is the busiest terminal for hundreds of locals and visitors. Therefore, it is the one with the most departure and arrival schedules and we will present them below.
| Cancun to Playa del Carmen | Playa del Carmen to Cancun |
| 05:00 a. m. | 05:00 a. m. |
| 05:30 a. m. | 05:30 a. m. |
| 06:00 a. m. | 06:00 a. m. |
| 06:30 a. m. | 06:30 a. m. |
| 07:00 a. m. | 07:00 a. m. |
| 07:30 a. m. | 07:30 a. m. |
| 08:00 a. m. | 08:00 a. m. |
| 08:30 a. m. | 08:30 a. m. |
| 09:00 a. m. | 09:00 a. m. |
| 09:30 a. m. | 09:30 a. m. |
| 10:00 a. m. | 10:00 a. m. |
| 10:30 a. m. | 10:30 a. m. |
| 11:00 a. m. | 11:00 a. m. |
| 11:30 a. m. | 11:30 a. m. |
| 12:00 p. m. | 12:00 p. m. |
| 12:30 p. m. | 12:30 p. m. |
| 01:00 p. m. | 01:00 p. m. |
| 01:30 p. m. | 01:30 p. m. |
| 02:00 p. m. | 02:00 p. m. |
| 02:30 p. m. | 02:30 p. m. |
| 03:00 p. m. | 03:00 p. m. |
| 03:30 p. m. | 03:30 p. m. |
| 04:00 p. m. | 04:00 p. m. |
| 04:30 p. m. | 04:30 p. m. |
| 05:00 p. m. | 05:00 p. m. |
| 05:30 p. m. | 05:30 p. m. |
| 06:00 p. m. | 06:00 p. m. |
| 06:30 p. m. | 06:30 p. m. |
| 07:00 p. m. | 07:00 p. m. |
| 07:30 p. m. | 07:30 p. m. |
| 08:00 p. m. | 08:00 p. m. |
| 08:30 p. m. | 08:30 p. m. |
| 09:00 p. m. | 09:00 p. m. |
| 09:30 p. m. | 09:30 p. m. |
| 10:00 p. m. | 10:00 p. m. |
| 10:30 p. m. | 10:30 p. m. |
| 11:00 p. m. | 11:00 p. m. |
| 11:30 p. m. | 11:30 p. m. |
| 12:00 a. m. | 12:00 a. m. |
Conclusion
The Playa Express service is a shared service and as such, it is very economical to travel from Cancun to Puerto Morelos or Cancun to Playa del Carmen. However, there are usually many risks. But we would be lying if we told you that these are very common, as there have rarely been accidents involving this transportation service.
Therefore, if it is not possible for you to take a private transfer service or through ADO. Then, we advise you to take this service without fear.