Getting to the Casita once in San Miguel. The Casita is located in a small private walkway and rather hard to find, even for many local taxi drivers. A map with our exact address will be sent to you with your reservation confirmation. (See below for tips on traveling to San Miguel.)
If you're arriving in a Viajes San Miguel Shuttle, the driver should know to call us about 15 minutes before arriving. Can't hurt to remind him.
If you have any more travel questions or concerns, please email us.
Getting to San Miguel isn't exactly easy (but what really good thing is?) Still, it's also not as hard as, say, driving in L.A. Here are the easier ways...
Getting to San Miguel de Allende by plane. If you're flying into Mexico, there are three main ways to get to San Miguel de Allende.
1) Fly into Leon, Guanajuato (BJX) and get a shuttle from the Leon airport into San Miguel de Allende. The shuttle takes about an hour and a half and costs about US $29 per person, if there are two people or more on the shuttle. Here's the shuttle company we always use. They are very polite, reliable, they give our guests a good rate, and they know how to get to us.
http://www.viajessanmiguel.com/
FYI: The airport is about 20 minutes outside of the city, at Silao—so staying in Leon is not your best option if you have early or late flights. (Read on.)
2) Fly into Mexico City (MEX) This alternative, which may be less expensive, airline ticket-wise, is more time consuming and more of a hassle. There is a very cushy first-class Aeroplus bus with ample, reclining seats and loud movies that leaves just about every hour, directly from the Mexico City AIRPORT (so you don't have to mess around with Mexico city taxis and traffic and such), to Queretaro. (The bus takes around 3 hours and costs around US $20.00 each way.) At Queretaro, you can take a very inexpensive bus to San Miguel (an hour and a half or so) or you can grab a cab for around US $30 (about 45 minutes, and they'll bring you to our door, if they can find it. Get a map from us.) This is the least painful and least expensive way to get to SMA from Mexico City.
3) Fly into Queretaro. This is a relatively new option and flight availability is improving. Rumor has it there are direct flights from Oakland and elsewhere. The same shuttle company will bring you to San Miguel, but prices are higher because arrivals are less frequent. A cab might actually cost less...but they won't know how to find us, so be sure and get a map from us.
Note: if you misguidedly decide to take the four-hour bus from the Mexico City Norte bus station, be aware that there are only three departures a day, and the last (5 pm or so) is too late to get you into your nice warm bed at the casita. (We don't do check-ins after 10 pm.)
Less painful but a bit more expensive: You can also book a shuttle from Mexico City airport to our door via the shuttle company above. It runs around US $70 per person. They'll meet you at your gate and put you safely on board the Queretaro bus. Then they'll pick you up in Q and bring you on home (to our door).
Schedule Suggestions. Try to avoid very late-arriving flights and very early outward-bound flights, as the roads from/to Mexico City and Leon are not ideal in the dark (not because of banditos, but because of rambling livestock, iffy narrow lanes, non-existent shoulders and a general lack of lighting). If you come in late, you might have to spend the night in Mexico City or near Leon, which would be more complicated and expensive—but then, maybe you want to see the Mexico City lights and sights (and smog) or spend a morning shopping for shoes in Leon, Mexico's leather capital...
If you come into the Leon Bajio airport (BJX) very late, and prefer to stay the night, consider staying in Guanajuato instead of Leon. Guanajuato is a really great little city, and it's the same distance as Leon from the airport. (About a US $20 cab ride.) Then, after a can't-miss breakfast at Truco 7 (on Truco Street in the centro), pay the famous mummies a visit, and catch an inexpensive hour-and-a-half bus to San Miguel the next day.
Getting to San Miguel de Allende by bus. Within Mexico, the bus is often the best way to travel. Unless you're a die-hard cultural witness or a masochist, first class is worth the extra cost, as it means fewer or no stops and much faster trips, not to mention air conditioning, cushy chairs and sometimes a free drink and even a (loud) movie. Below are links to Mexico's two major bus lines:
Primera Plus http://primeraplus.com.mx
Getting to San Miguel de Allende by car. If speed limits aren't sacred to you, it's a twelve-hour drive from Laredo, Texas to San Miguel. (Leave at 8 am and be here in time for a margarita with dinner!) San Miguel de Allende is about a fourteen hour drive from Austin. (It took me, my mother, my two dogs and one cat 3 days to get here from San Diego, but we made a LOT of stops. That's another story. Did I ever tell you what the guy at the border said? See about us.) It's pretty hard to get lost, given there are only 2 or 3 major freeways in Mexico. Just head South from the US and turn left at Albuquerque. We'll send you a map so you can find us easily once you get here.
San Miguel de Allende is about a four-hour drive from both Mexico city and Guadalajara. Eight hours from Puerto Vallarta (via Guadalajara). The Leon (BJX) airport is 90 minutes away. Guanajuato is about an hour's drive away, and it takes about 45 minutes to get to Queretaro and Celaya by car. Dolores Hidalgo is around 30 minutes away.
Renting a car in Mexico tends to be pricey. If you've got a town-hopping road trip in mind, it might be a good idea. If you just want to be in San Miguel and take a few day trips, save the car rental fees and pay for a tour or private driver. Trust us, San Miguel is best experienced without a car. Everybody walks. Buses and taxis are plentiful and very inexpensive. Parking and traffic are challenging and taxing, especially here. If you really want a relaxing (and green) vacation, leave your license at home. Embrace vehiclelessness. Om.
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