Best Kept Secrets: Navigating Mexico City Like a Local
Some neighborhoods in Mexico City offer different comfy and affordable ways to get around. You can stroll along the streets or jump on public transport. Here’s a guide that makes it easy and budget-friendly to move around, inviting both locals and visitors to explore without any hassle.
Looking for walking distance gems in La Roma? Click here to discover them.
Public Bicycles: green transportation in Mexico City
If you are looking to transport in Mexico City effortlessly and in zero-emission transportation, we recommend you move in Ecobici or E-bikes, as they are more practical and ecological for short trips to get to know CDMX in broad daylight.
ECOBICI is Mexico City’s public bicycle system. It is a simple, fun and ecological way to move. Once you register in the system, you have unlimited trips of 45 minutes each.
When can I travel in Ecobici?
From Monday to Sunday, from 5:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. There are plans for a year, a week, three days or one day, and people 16 years of age and older can subscribe.
It is important that you know this membership is personal and non-transferable.
How do I register to Ecobici?
- One option is to register from the website, and here’s a quick guide:
- Enter this link and fill out the form to create your account (you will receive a confirmation email).
- Choose a plan and add your payment method.
- In the “Get a pass” option, select the plan of your preference.
- Fill out the form to generate your account and add your payment method.
- You can also go and register in any of Ecobici’s Customer Service Centers, which are open from Mon-Fri from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sat-Sun from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You must have in hand your official ID and a payment method.
Complete guide to start a trip with Ecobici around Mexico City
ECOBICI is the perfect option if you want to make combined trips with other modes of transport. We recommend you have track of their map in the app to find the nearest cycle station. Once you arrive to a station, choose a bicycle.
You can find the Station map here.
There are three ways to start using a bicycle:
- MI Card – If you have your card linked to your account, you just have to approach it to the right side of the anchor, in a few seconds the system reads it and releases the bike.
- QR Code – ECOBICI have a QR code on the handlebars. With the app, in the “scan to unlock” option you can read that code and then take the bike.
- Bike ID – There is a number on the tire of the ECOBICI, this is its ID, and with it you can also unlock it. You just need to enter the app, in the “scan to unlock” option, select “Enter the bike ID”, enter the corresponding number and that’s it!
At the end of your ride, you must return the bicycle to the nearest cycle station. The return process is very easy, here’s what you have to do:
- In an available port on the bike station, center the front triangle and push the bike until you are sure it has entered correctly.
- A green light will turn on and an alert will sound indicating that the return was successful. If you activate app notifications, you will receive one informing the closure of your trip.
Be careful, if a red light comes on, the bicycle has not been anchored correctly. Try again until you see the green light and confirm that the bike does not release.
Tip: Remember always to park your scooter inside the blue squares when you park temporarily.
Some details make the beginning of the trip much more agile and easier, such as leaving the helmets properly positioned, the scooter correctly parked or closing the trip in the indicated place.
Always leave the scooter like you would like to find it.
Metrobus
It is a system of red buses with its circuit circulating on the most important avenues, such as Avenida Insurgentes from north to south. Thus, the modern Metrobus does not stop even if there is traffic and is also a good alternative to get to the Benito Juárez International Airport for a special cost of 30 pesos.
Metrobús will be your best option to get around CDMX quickly and economically.
Did you know about the integrated mobility card?
CDMX finally joins the global trend of smart transportation cards or smart cards that simplify urban mobility for a city that never stops moving.
It includes the following services:
- Metro (price of $5 pesos per trip)
- Metrobús (price of $6 pesos per trip)
- Zero Emissions Corridor Trolleybus ($4 pesos per trip)
- Light Train ($3 pesos per trip)
- Ecobici (annual plan of $480 pesos, there are also planes per day)
- RTP: Passenger Transport Network by bus (from $4 to $2 pesos per trip)
Where to get it
You can buy it at the ticket offices of any of the CDMX metro stations.
How much does it cost?
It costs $15 MXN plus a minimum recharge of six pesos up to a maximum recharge of $120.
How does it work?
Through the automatic machines of the CDMX integrated mobility system, electronically recharging the plastic that works without making direct contact with the entrance sensors.
What public transportation services do they include?
- Meter
- Metrobus
- Trolleybus
- Light Rail
- ECOBICI
- RTP (Bicentennial Circuit)
- Mexibus
- Cablebus
Here’s a map with the multiple plans and stations of each means of transportation necessary to move around the gigantic capital of Mexico, preventing losses and avoiding delays.
Remember to always ask your local guides for their tips on how to move or where to go in La Roma. We’re here for you! And we hope this guide will give you all the information you need to move in our beautiful neighborhood.
Looking for places to go during your stay in La Roma? Here’s our complete guide.
