Transport within Vallarta after you’re here

Buses

Although it might be intimidating at first to use, the city buses in Vallarta are inexpensive and efficient.  Although they might look a lot to you like old school buses repainted quite colorfully, they are all in reasonable repair and we have never encountered people moving livestock on them!  Buses in town travel in front of Club Paco Paco and have their destinations and routes written in shoe polish on the front window.  Fares are 3.5 pesos (where else can you get a city bus ride for so little).

Taxis

There are over a 1000 taxis licensed in Vallarta.  They are all painted yellow and are safe and reliable.

Fares are reasonable and are based on a zone system.  There are no meters in Vallarta's taxis.  Always ask about the fare before you get in to avoid any problems.  There is no surcharge at night nor a charge for extra passengers.  Tipping is generally not necessary but is always appreciated, of course.  If the taxi driver helps with luggage or packages, you should always tip him.  Many taxi drivers can understand a little English, but it never hurts to have your hotel´s name and address written down so you can show him where you are going.

When going to restaurants in taxis, you should know that some restaurants pay taxi drivers a commission for delivering tourists to their location.  This can sometime mean you will be told nonsense by a taxi driver like that a restaurant is closed so he can divert you to another one that pays his commission.  Be aware this sometime happens and insist on what you want.

Rental cars

While there are several rental companies here we recommend Prestige who are located close to the gay beach and are used by almost all the gay hotels and guesthouses.  If you plan to drive you'll need a valid drivers license and some considerable adaptability at driving, as Mexican drivers seem to have a different (almost nil) set of rules on the road.  Do be careful!  And don't drive at night outside of the city.

If you are up for it, you can get cheap rentals through the timeshare places by agreeing to go to their presentations, however we certainly don't recommend using your valuable vacation time in exchange for a cheaper rental car.