In & Out of the Puerto Vallarta Airport
Flying into and out of a modern international airport like that of Puerto Vallarta is easy. Tickets are electronic and check in is relatively straight forward and simple.
Revised May 28, 2010
CUSTOMS
For most international travelers, passing through customs at the Puerto Vallarta Airport is simple.
On your airplane, the stewardess/steward should give you two forms, an FMM (visa form) and a customs declaration form (where you list items and currency – above $10,000 – being brought into the country). Some airlines do not do this and passing through immigration and customs will be a more difficult experience because you will have to find the forms in the airport.
VIDEO on filling out the FMM visa form:
http://www.inm.gob.mx/EN/index.php?page/New_FMM
After getting off of their planes, fliers line up and pass through immigration officers who do little more than look at passports and issue a temporary (up to 180 days) “FMM” Visa. This visa must be kept until your departure or you will be fined approximately $40 (US) for failure to present it. All classes of visitors must complete this form, whether they are temporary tourists or residents with FM2 or FM3 visas.
If you hold an FM2 or FM3 visa, you will have to fill out one of these FMM forms before you leave Mexico and turn in the second half of it when you return (this is opposite of the procedure of visitors).
Then passengers pick up their luggage off of the carousals. Before arriving at the carousels, there are free luggage carts available.
When you pick your luggage off of the carousels, you then proceed to a customs inspection point. For most passengers, involves only putting all of their bags (including purses and other carry-on items) onto an X-ray machine and then pressing a button which shows either a red or green light. If green, the passenger proceeds into the main airport area and on to their hotel or condo. If red, a quick manual search is made of the luggage. Manual searches may also be required at the whim of the X-ray machine operator.
The items of most interest to customs officers are those new or used items being brought into the country to sell. They have little interest in other items although they may confiscate food or other “illegal” items occasionally or randomly. See your airline for lists of “illegal” import items.
THE SHARK TANK – BEWARE
The only tricky part for many tourists in this process is passing through the two rooms upon exiting through large, automatic sliding doors immediately after the customs “inspection” area.
These two rooms are known colloquially as the “shark tanks.” Here passengers are propositioned, often quite obnoxiously, by time share salespeople under the guise of being “official” welcoming personnel and officers. There are even official looking counters where unsuspecting tourists are suckered into signing up for “free” items with their attendant time share presentations.
The best advice we can give you here is to just say “No, gracias” and to keep walking on to the *real* terminal (you’ll know when you’re out of the timeshare tanks when you see car rental booths and crowds of people waiting for their friends. Even if you were to be interested in time share, the offers made in the airport shark tanks are much lower than would be made on the streets of Vallarta. Just say No.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
There are currency exchange booths (cambios) and ATM machines in the Puerto Vallarta Airport. ATM machines are recommended for the best exchange rates and these cambios should used only as a last resort because their exchange rates are quite a bit lower than you will find in banks and in other cambios in town.
American and Canadian dollars are readily accepted for tips and most purchases (although at very bad exchange rates) in Puerto Vallarta if you don’t have the time or energy (after a long flight) to exchange currency at the airport. Many banks in town no longer exchange money except for their regular customers but cambios and ATM machines are available almost everywhere. At our last check, only Scotia Bank (3 branches in Vallarta open 9 am to 5 pm) had an open exchange policy. This policy could change at any time.
AIRPORT TAXIS
There are 3 taxi companies that operate out of the Puerto Vallarta Airport. Fares for transportation are by zone or distance from the airport and these fares are approximately double what you will have to pay for the return taxi fare to the airport when you leave.
Specially licensed Airport taxis are stationed solely at the airport and are not allowed to pick up passengers anywhere else. Likewise, no non-airport licensed taxis are allowed to pick up passengers at the airport. The 3 companies have approximately the same prices and sell their rides out of the same booths.
Tickets for Airport Taxis should be bought at one of two stands that look like the illustration here. It is possible, if you have little or no luggage to get approximately half fare taxis if you walk across the elevated bridge over the highway next to the airport where you will find ‘normal’ Vallarta yellow and white taxis waiting and often bidding for your fare.
BUSES AND PARKING
Public buses are also available to downtown Puerto Vallarta if you go out of the glass front doors of the airport, past the tour buses that will be parked immediately in front of the doors, to a spot under the elevated pedestrian bridge over the highway (usually people will be standing there waiting for a bus). City buses stop here and cost 6.5 pesos to anywhere south of the airport. Take one marked “Centro” to go to the Puerto Vallarta downtown area. These buses generally stop at or near all major hotels on the way to town and the routes end on the south side of Vallarta in Old Town.
If you wish to take a bus north from the airport to anywhere in Nayarit (Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias, La Cruz, Sayulita, Punta Mita, etc) the process is a bit more complicated. You have to cross the elevated pedestrian bridge and wait for a bus (not a city bus, but, rather, an ATM (grey) or Compostela (white) bus with the name of your destination on it. The price is usually 25 pesos or less. Ask the driver if he is going to your location. He will answer even if asked in English.
Bus travel from or to the airport is recommended only if you have very little luggage. As a common courtesy, it is best to sit in the back of the bus if you are carrying anything larger than a handbag. Buses often become crowded quickly.
Parking at the airport for private cars is limited in busy periods but normally there is ample parking. The rate, as of summer, 2009, is 19 pesos an hour.
TAXI RATES
Airport Taxi fares are determined by the zone of the destination. Below is the official Airport Taxi Zone Map. Current Airport Taxi Rates may be found on signs at the taxi booths. Prices range from 130 pesos to around 400, depending on the destination zone. The rate to Old town Vallarta, the last time I checked (November 2009) was 230 pesos total for up to 3 people. Vans (for more than 3 people) cost more. A standard taxi, anywhere in Vallarta, will charge the same for 1-3 people (…4 if you’re lucky or small).
Puerto Vallarta Airport Website (English)
ONE LAST THING about the Puerto Vallarta Airport: There are many arrival and departure screens scattered all over the airport, but this is the only airport in the world without a clock or any time reference at all. Wear a watch.
