Puerto Vallarta Airport to the Zona Romántica Transfer
South through the city to the old town, at a fixed price for the whole vehicle.
- Distance
- 6 miles
- Drive time
- About 10 min
- Highway
- MEX-200
- From, one way
- $145
The drive
PVR to the Zona Romántica, through the city
The Zona Romántica is 6 miles south of the PVR terminal, about 10 min with the roads empty — which in the middle of Puerto Vallarta they seldom are.
This is the one regular transfer that heads south, and the one that never leaves Jalisco. It runs down MEX-200, which through the city is Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascencio: past Marina Vallarta, along the Hotel Zone, and into the center.
In the center the route leaves the boulevard for the downtown streets, crosses the Río Cuale and arrives in the Zona Romántica on the south bank.
This transfer at a glance
- Distance
- 6.0 miles, MEX-200 south, then the Centro streets
- Drive time
- about 10 min without traffic
- State
- Jalisco
- Fixed price
- Per vehicle, set when you book.
Prices
What a Zona Romántica transfer costs
The price is fixed per vehicle when you book, and traffic on the boulevard does not move it. On a city transfer that matters: the distance is short, but the time is not predictable.
| Vehicle | Seats | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | Up to 2 | $145 | $290 |
| Premium SUV | Up to 5 | $165 | $330 |
| Executive SUV | Up to 5 | $190 | $380 |
| Sprinter Executive | Up to 12 | $450 | $900 |
| Sprinter Coach | Up to 14 | $450 | $900 |
| Executive Coach Bus | Up to 40 | $885 | $1,770 |
| Motor Coach | Up to 55 | $990 | $1,980 |
Old Town
What visitors call Old Town is two neighborhoods with a river between them. North of the Río Cuale is the Centro: the Malecón along the sea and the crowned church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. South of it is the Zona Romántica, with Los Muertos beach, the pier and a dense grid of small hotels, guesthouses and restaurants.
Both are priced the same from the airport. The difference is in the streets: steeper and narrower the further you go from the water, and on the south side up into the hills behind the beach.
Arriving
The old town was not built for vans. Many streets are cobbled, many are one-way, and those running up from the beach can be steep. None of that stops a transfer, but it does shape where the vehicle can stop.
Send the exact street address with the nearest cross street. A guesthouse or rental that is easy to find on foot can be a long way round by car, and the cross street lets the driver choose the approach before arriving.
Where a large vehicle cannot use a street, the driver stops at the nearest corner it can reach and carries the bags from there. Tell us if anyone in the group needs the car at the door, and we will size the vehicle for that.
For the old town, send
- The street and number.
- The nearest cross street.
- The hotel or rental name as it is signed.
- Whether anyone needs the car at the door.
On the way
The free-flow time assumes the boulevard is empty. It is the city's main road, lined with hotels, shopping centers and stoplights, and it carries the airport traffic, the Hotel Zone traffic and the traffic into the center all at once.
The table shows where the Jalisco zones fall along it. The Zona Romántica is at the far end, so it collects every delay on the way.
| Zone | Miles from PVR | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Marina Vallarta | 0.9 | about 5 min |
| Hotel Zone | 3.7 | about 10 min |
| Zona Romántica / Old Town | 6.0 | about 10 min |
Jalisco
Every other long transfer from PVR goes north into Nayarit, across the Ameca River 3.7 miles from the terminal. This one turns the other way and stays in Jalisco from start to finish, in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, the same as the airport itself.
At PVR
Everyone on an airline flight comes out of the same main terminal. Between the baggage belts and the exit there is a hall of desks; the airport operator lists timeshare sellers among them, alongside transport companies. Walk through them all.
The driver stands outside, beyond the final doors, holding your name. The flight is tracked, so a delay costs nothing, and the first hour after landing is free waiting.
Luggage
Rolling cases do not roll well on the old town's stones, and some guesthouses are up a flight of stairs from the street. If the vehicle has to stop at a corner, the driver takes the bags to the door rather than leaving you to drag them.
Pack accordingly if you are staying up the hill: fewer, lighter bags make the last few yards much easier than one very large case.
Going home
The return is the same road in reverse, and the boulevard is just as busy northbound. Give us the flight time and we will suggest a pickup with a margin for the city, not just the miles.
If your street is hard to reach, tell us where you would rather be collected — often the nearest wider street — and the driver will be there.
Groups
A wedding party or a group of friends spread across several small hotels in the old town is common, and one vehicle can make several drops in the same neighborhood. Send every address with the booking, and we will quote the vehicle for the whole group with the stops included.
Booking
The flight number, the street address with its cross street, and how many people and bags.
A Zona Romántica transfer is quoted with any toll included. Gratuity is discretionary; a child seat is free when booked; there is no fee to cancel until 24 hours before.
The Puerto Vallarta hub has every zone. The nearest resort area across the river: PVR to Nuevo Vallarta.
Frequently Asked Questions
6 miles south of the terminal, about 10 min without traffic. Allow more at busy times.
From $165 one way in a Premium SUV for up to five, or from $145 in a Business Sedan for two. Round trip is twice the one-way price.
It is the southern half of it. Old Town usually means both the Centro, north of the Río Cuale, and the Zona Romántica, south of it.
Usually. Some streets are narrow, steep or one-way; the driver stops at the nearest point the vehicle can use. Send the cross street so the approach is planned.
No. The price is fixed when you book.
Yes. Send every address and the stops are included in the quote.
Outside the arrivals exit at PVR, at a sign with your name.