What I learned from traveling on the Maya Train

It was a joy to ride the rails and complete the whole route of the Maya Train in the process of writing this guide. And yes, I’m talking the whole enchilada, from top to bottm. From my state of Quintana Roo in the east, all the way across the Yucatán Peninsula and southern Mexico, crossing five states to Chiapas in the west. And back again, of course. 

We saw everything from the golden city of Izamal to Bacalar’s Lagoon of Seven Colors. Add the stunning rainforests and ruins of Palenque and we explored a total of three Pueblos Mágicos. I got to scratch them off my Pueblos Mágicos scratch map, which is still the most fun way I’ve found to explore Mexico. 

I love that the Maya Train has included stops to or nearby so many Pueblos Mágicos and given us a luxurious way to get there. 

So, what do you need to know before you go? Here’s what I learned. 

Get tickets early

Ticket lines can be quite long, so plan on getting to the station an hour early if you want a good seat. This will help because buying a ticket takes a while. It’s not as simple as buying a bus ticket, where you state your destination then pay: it took us nearly ten minutes to get two standard tickets.

The ticket office workers take down a lot of information, so have your email address and phone number ready. This will save time and, if you don’t speak Spanish, any miscommunication: we found that most of the time, ticket office workers didn’t speak any English. Don’t worry though, the station managers often do, so there’s usually someone nearby to help out in a pinch. 

Alternatively, you can buy your tickets online on the Maya Train website or download the railroad’s app to get tickets before you go. 

Check the timetable before you go

At many stations, the Maya Train leaves just once a day, so be sure to check the schedule before heading out.

If you’re leaving from a popular tourist destination like Bacalar, get tickets in the morning: they’re likely to sell out. There, the train only leaves once a day at 5 p.m. and it fills up fast. But the good news is that if you do miss the train, ADO buses leave about every half hour, so you won’t be stranded (but it’s much less fun). 

Take the Maya Train bus

We started out adventure at Cancún airport, because a dear friend flew down from the United States to join me on this adventure. Here, a taxi tried charging us 500 pesos to go to the station. The railroad’s official bus arrived within ten minutes, and it was 35 pesos; less than US $2, so don’t risk getting scammed.  

Luckily, along the rest of the route, on all of our stops, the taxis were lovely. If there is no shuttle, bus or other form of transport, don’t be concerned about being overcharged. There is a set price and a lot of stations have a taxi booth that will call for you and tell you the price up front.

It’s really safe

My friend was very impressed with the trip’s safety. Coming down from the United States and being used to some of the unfriendliness of the U.S. news cycle, she felt very safe. More than once, she mentioned the friendliness of the guards on the route.

It’s true. Each time we arrived at a station, National Guard (GN) agents were there along the platforms to greet us, always polite and smiling. When we left a station, they would often wave goodbye.

On the train itself, we noticed there were always a couple of GN agents traveling aboard, smiling when passing you in the aisles. The Maya Train feels like a very safe way to travel around southern Mexico. 

The bathrooms are awesome

Compliments for public bathrooms are not something you hear every day. But the cleaners on the Maya Train do an amazing job. 

The bathrooms even smelled good. If you’re like me, then you probably only use public bathrooms when you can’t hold it any longer. It’s not something I look forward to, ever. But the cleaners travel on the train with you and are constantly cleaning both the floors and the bathrooms.

It’s okay to take snacks

We traveled on the train for long periods. There’s a dining car with a great menu, but we always had a big breakfast off the train. Aboard, we just wanted snacky things, like when you go on a road trip. 

So, we had our snacks but — oh no! — that produced a lot of crumbs. If you’re a snacker, you know what I’m talking about. Everything was okay: within five minutes of us finishing our snacks, the crumbs were swept away by the cleaners and our seats were back to being pristine.

The Maya Train is a smooth ride

If you get motion sickness, as my friend does, you’re in for a treat. We traveled for over ten hours on the train one day and she didn’t once need her Dramamine. 

Best of all, I could sketch in my travel journal from place to place. Using a pen. Without mistakes or a rattling train causing boo-boos. That in itself, is amazing to me. 

Overall, it was a fantastic trip on the Maya Train. I sincerely hope you take the chance to explore some of the Pueblos Mágicos and other sites along the route. It’s a wonderful way to get around Mexico.