Getting to Puebla
From Mexico City by bus
The bus is the easy, honest answer, and the way most people should come. First-class coaches run constantly from Mexico City to Puebla’s CAPU station, taking roughly 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic leaving the capital. ADO and its sister line AU run from the TAPO terminal in the east of the city; Estrella Roja runs the direct service straight from Mexico City airport (MEX), which lets you skip the capital entirely if you’re connecting through. Fares are modest — approximately 200–350 MXN one way (approximate) for a comfortable reserved seat. Book the airport-direct Estrella Roja bus if you’re flying in; it’s smoother than it sounds.
Flying
Puebla has its own small airport, Hermanos Serdán (PBC), out at Huejotzingo about 30–45 minutes from the centre, with limited domestic routes and a few US connections (Houston among them). Most travelers still fly into Mexico City (MEX) and take the direct airport bus, because the flight options into PBC are thin and often no cheaper once you add the connection.
Driving
The Mexico–Puebla highway (150D) is good and fast, roughly two hours, with a toll booth or two along the way. The hard part is the city itself: a dense one-way colonial grid, aggressive lane-changing, and scarce, expensive parking in the centre. If you drive in, park at your hotel and leave the car there. Approaching from the west you’ll pass close to the volcanoes on a clear morning — worth the early start.
Getting around once there
- On foot. The Centro Histórico is compact and flat enough to cross in twenty minutes. This is how you’ll spend most of your time, and it’s the whole point of staying central.
- Uber and DiDi. Both work well across the city and are cheap — a ride across town runs roughly 50–120 MXN (approximate). Use them for the bus station, late nights, and the run out to Cholula (15–20 minutes).
- Street taxis. They exist but have no meter and will quote a tourist price. The apps are easier, cheaper and safer; skip flagging cabs.
- Buses and colectivos. Local buses and combis serve Cholula and the outer neighborhoods for a few pesos, but they’re slow, crowded and confusing for a short visit — fine for the adventurous, unnecessary for most.
Honest notes
The CAPU station sits northwest of the centre, so budget a short cab or app ride at each end of your trip — don’t try to walk it with luggage. The highway drive is smooth and rarely a motion-sickness problem, unlike the winding mountain roads further into the sierra toward Cuetzalan. Avoid arriving or leaving during Mexico City’s rush hours if you can, when the highway out of the capital backs up badly. For where to base yourself once you land, see where to stay.