Getting there & around

Getting there

By air. Aguascalientes has its own airport, Lic. Jesus Teran Peredo (code AGU), about 20 to 30 minutes south of the center by car. It runs mostly domestic routes, with strong links to Mexico City, plus a handful of US flights (Houston, Dallas). It is small and painless. There is no train or cheap shuttle worth the hassle, so a taxi or rideshare into town is the simplest way in; agree the fare or use the app before you get in.

By bus. This is a well-connected Bajio hub. The Central Camionera sits south of the center, roughly a 15-minute taxi ride in. First-class operators that serve it include ETN (the most comfortable, wide reclining seats), Primera Plus, and Omnibus de Mexico. Approximate first-class times and the ballpark you should expect: Guadalajara about 3 to 4 hours, Zacatecas about 2 hours, Leon about 1.5 to 2 hours, San Luis Potosi about 2 to 2.5 hours, and Mexico City (Terminal Norte) about 6 to 7 hours. First-class fares are modest and the buses are air-conditioned, reliable and safe; the small extra over second-class is worth it.

By car. The city sits right on the federal highways linking Guadalajara, Zacatecas and the central highlands, which is exactly why it makes such an easy overnight stop on a longer drive. The main roads in and around the city are in good shape and mostly flat, so no white-knuckle mountain driving here. As anywhere in Mexico, prefer the toll roads (cuotas) over free roads for speed and condition, and avoid driving intercity after dark out of habit rather than any specific local danger.

Getting around

Once you are in the center, you barely need transport. The historic core is flat and compact, and you can walk between Plaza de la Patria, the museums, the rail district and the San Marcos gardens in fifteen minutes or less. There are no motion-sickness roads or hills to worry about; it is one of the easier Mexican cities to be on foot in.

• On foot covers essentially everything a visitor wants. This is the default and the best way to see the place.
• Rideshare (Uber, DiDi) works well here and is the smart pick for the airport, the bus station, or the malls out on Avenida Universidad. It saves haggling and you skip the fare negotiation entirely.
• Taxis are plentiful and cheap. Agree the price before you get in, since meters are not the norm.
• City buses exist and are very cheap but the routes are confusing for a short visit. Skip them unless you are staying a while and have time to figure out a line.

Honest note: during the April feria, traffic and parking near the center get genuinely bad, and the streets around the fairgrounds clog up. Leave the car parked, walk, and take rideshares for anything beyond walking distance. The rest of the year, none of that applies and getting around is as easy as it gets. For where to base yourself so walking covers it, see where to stay.