Getting there & around

Getting there

By air. Chihuahua’s Aeropuerto Internacional General Roberto Fierro Villalobos (CUU) sits northeast of the city, about 20 to 30 minutes from the centro by taxi or rideshare (approximate). It has regular domestic flights from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana on the likes of Aeroméxico, VivaAerobús and Volaris, plus some cross-border links to Texas. This is the fastest and usually the sanest way in.

By bus. Chihuahua is a major northern hub with frequent first-class service from the Central Camionera, out east of the center. Omnibus de México, Chihuahuenses (Grupo Estrella Blanca) and Turistar run the main routes. Rough durations and costs, all approximate: Mexico City is a serious haul at around 18 to 20 hours and roughly 1,600–2,200 MXN; Torreón about 6 to 7 hours; Durango several hours; Ciudad Juárez around 4 to 5 hours. Buses are comfortable and safe, but the distances are genuinely long, so budget a taxi at each end since the terminal is not walkable to the centro.

By train. This is why most people come. The El Chepe Express and the cheaper El Chepe Regional depart from the station on the west side of the city, heading west into the Copper Canyon toward Creel, Divisadero and Los Mochis. Departures are early morning and not daily, so book ahead, sleep near the center the night before, and taxi to the station. Full canyon planning lives on the Copper Canyon and Creel pages.

Driving. Doable on the main toll roads. From Ciudad Juárez the cuota is around 4 to 5 hours; from Torreón, longer. Stick to the cuotas rather than free backroads, keep the tank above half, and drive in daylight, which is the standard local rule for the state. See is it safe for why.

Getting around

The centro histórico is small and flat, and you can cover every sight in it on foot; you will not need transport once you are based near Plaza de Armas. For the Villa museum in Colonia Santa Rosa, the airport, or the bus and train stations, use a taxi or a rideshare app, both of which work well here and take the guesswork out of fares. Rideshare is the easy default after dark.

City buses (the ruteras) exist and are cheap, a handful of pesos a ride, but the routes are opaque and not worth the trouble for a one- or two-day visit. There is no metro. The desert sun and wide avenues make the outer city unpleasant to walk in summer, so for anything past the centro grid, ride rather than hoof it. The good news: the walk that matters, the historic core, needs nothing but your feet.

Comfort and timing notes

The El Chepe out of Chihuahua does not make people carsick, but it is slow and long; the payoff is the scenery past Creel, so settle in. If you drive west toward the canyon, the mountain roads beyond Cuauhtémoc get winding and the altitude climbs fast, which can unsettle sensitive stomachs, so sit up front and go easy on breakfast. In the city itself, taxis are metered loosely at best, so agree a fare before you get in or use a rideshare app to skip the haggling. And keep cash on you: smaller taxis, mercado counters and the ruteras do not take cards.