Getting to Puerto Vallarta

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I wanted to post a few quick tips for people flying to Puerto Vallarta (Airport code PVR). My city guide is here.

Last update Jan 2023

  • This chart on Wikipedia lists every direct flight destination to/from Puerto Vallarta. Some are seasonal (i.e., only in winter). This is a good reference point if you're confused about why you're not finding a flight you wanted. Many of the flights aren't 7 days a week!
  • American citizens need to have a passport to go to Mexico

  

from NYC

  • JetBlue now offers seasonal, daily service from JFK. The flight is around 6 hours.
  • United offers direct service from Newark 1 day a week on Saturdays.
  • Delta no longer offers direct service from the New York area.
  • It's nearly impossible to leave NYC early enough to fly via SFO or LAX. Though due to 2016's big blizzard, I can now say with first-hand experience that yes, you can do JFK-LAX-PVR if you don't mind getting up at 4am. It's a very tight connection, but we landed at LAX like 5 gates away from the departure gate. 
  • There is no international-style lie-flat First Class service into Vallarta from NYC, it's all the 38" recliner seats you see on most US domestic First. 
  • Aeromexico's 787 connecting service though Mexico City (with lie flat seats) is now much later in the day and requires and overnight stay in MEX. [My trip report]
  • Other common one-stop routes: American via Phoenix or Dallas, Air Canada via Toronto

 

from San Francisco

  • Alaska Airlines and United have direct service 7 days a week. The direct flight takes 3 hours and 40 minutes.
  • Common one-stop itineraries: US Airways via Phoenix, Delta/Aeromexico via Mexico City, Frontier via Denver

 

after you land

  • When you arrive in Mexico, there's a big button in customs that you push in front of an officer, if it turns red, s/he searches all of your bags. If the light is green, they don't. Luck of the draw... 
  • It's best to pre-arrange an airport car service through your hotel. The car service offices are in the main lobby of the airport AFTER the gauntlet of people trying to sell you vacations and "car services" outside of security.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Vallarta is on the state boundary between Jalisco and Nayarit (the Ameca river separates the two), and the two are in different time zones. Triple check your departure times and your plans with friends if you stay north of the river.
  • Prices are in Pesos, but are shown with a $ (sometimes MX$). The exchange rate is 19 Pesos per dollar (Jan 2023). We usually bring enough Pesos with us to at least cover the taxi and any emergency needs.
  • We usually use an indoor ATM to take out Pesos. The bank exchange rate is usually favorable, but we've seen a lot of insider fraud recently, so on this last trip we just canceled our cash cards as soon as we got back home just to be safe. 
  • My custom (but very out of date) google map 🗺 of Vallarta with a few noteworthy places on it
  • My Vallarta city guide is here


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