Transportation in Guadalajara

Guadalajara is a big city, and so you will definitely need transportation. Providencia, Chapultepec, downtown and Andares are the most walking-friendly places in the city; however they're a bit far from each other.

Of course you can always rent a car when you get to the airport, but if you're not the kind that likes to be stuck in traffic at rush hour -roughly 730am-830am, 2pm-4pm, 6pm-8pm- then you would most definitely try to pick up another means of transportation.

First off, there are airlines that offer the airport shuttle. For example, vivaerobus the most economic, domestic flights airlines has two shuttle routes: Plaza del Sol and Downtown Guadalajara. These two locations will leave you around the Expo Guadalajara and the Historical downtown sites respectively.

Once you get into the city, public transportation is made up mostly of public buses. Routes can be found online at rutasgdl.com . There is also a line of "light train" (tren ligero in Spanish), however it only covers a certain part of the city, so you will definitely need the help of the bus routes.

If you are the eco-friendly type of person, then Guadalajara is the city for you. There is a rent-me public bycicle program called Bikla. You basically log into their website and use your credit card or paypal account to enter the Public Bicycle club. This means that you will have access to the bicycle network that Bikla offers around the city. You can find a map of the bicycle parking spots where you can find them and return them.

Moreover, every Sunday is "Via Recreativa" day. This subject is actually extensive, so it will have its own spotlight later on. However, it's important to know that if you have any set of wheels that don't involve a car, or you're simply in the mood for a walk or a run, this program is what you've been looking for.

And last but not least, taxis. The yellow little Nissan Tsurus (although there are plenty of other models) have the Cathedral line drawn on the back of their cars. They are mostly safe and cheaper if you call for a "Sitio" or cab station for them to pick you up.