|  Getting Around
The two main tourist areas in Los Cabos are the towns of Cabo
San Lucas and San José del Cabo. The towns are 28 kilometers, or approximately 20 miles, apart and the resort area between them is called the Tourist Corridor. There is only one main highway in Los Cabos, the Carretera Transpeninsular #1, which traverses the entire length of the Baja Peninsula, terminating in Cabo San Lucas.
Renting a car in Los Cabos is generally more expensive than back home, but may be actually less than taking taxis depending on where you are staying. If you are in the middle of the Tourist Corridor, taxis may be as high as $30 US one way to either town. Car agencies are at your hotel, the airport, and in both downtown areas. You must have a valid driver’s license, credit card, and be at least 25 to rent.
With only one major highway, local drivers can be aggressive, especially to rental cars. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drive, you just need to learn the lay of the land. Many rental vehicles drive in the left lane, going slower than the traffic in the right lane. On federal highways in Mexico, the left lane is used only for passing. Stay in the slow lane until you know your way around.
Although English is widely spoken, Mexico is a Spanish speaking country, with road signs in Spanish. In the state of Baja California Sur, it’s obligatory to wear a seatbelt and stay within the speed limit. Speed limits are in kilometers, not miles. A mile is 1.60 kilometers. When driving on the highway the speed limit is 90 kilometers or 55 miles per hour. City speed limits are 30 to 50 kilometers, roughly 20 to 30 miles per hour. Highway enforcement is less rigorous than in the US and Canada, even more reason to drive responsibly and defensively. In town, where many police direct traffic by hand, speeds are enforced. Be careful not to enter one-way streets the wrong way. Both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo’s downtown areas are predominantly one way. Check the traffic flow before you make that turn.
Making your way around can be confusing. Ask your Concierge or rental car agent for maps, the more the better.
When gassing up, pay particular attention. There’s only one station available, the national government-owned franchise called PEMEX. There are locations in Cabo San Lucas, in the Corridor, and in San Jose del Cabo, all easily identified by their distinctive green signs.
Most stations in Los Cabos are clean and modern with restrooms and convenience stores. Credit cards are not accepted. Gas is pumped by attendants, most who speak little or no English. All gas prices are fixed and should not vary from station to station. Tipping is discretionary. If you are paying in US cash, the exchange rate will be lower, around 10 pesos to $1 US.
Buses
The buses are a very convenient way to get from Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo and the beaches and resorts in the Tourist Corridor. Three lines service the Los Cabos area - SuburCabos, InterBaja, and Transportes del Norte buses run every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between Cabo San Lucas and Santa Anita (north of the International Airport), with bus stops in the Tourist Corridor. Fares are about $1.50 each way from town to town; drivers will change small bills. To get to Tourist Corridor beaches, tell the driver your beach when you board.
FLIGHTS AND AIRLINES
The Los Cabos International Airport is seven miles north of San Jose del Cabo and 45 minutes from Cabo San Lucas. There is a private jet terminal; and two commercial terminals serve Alaska, America West, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Northwest, United, Aeromexico, and Mexicana airlines. Direct flights are available from Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Mexico City, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and other gateways. Flight times to Los Cabos are one and a half hours from San Diego and Mexico City; two hours from Phoenix; two and a half hours from Los Angeles and Dallas; three hours from San Francisco; four hours from Atlanta and Seattle; and five hours from New York, Chicago, and Vancouver, Canada.
FLIGHTS AND AIRLINES
Both terminals offer shops, currency exchange, magazine and gift stores, fast food restaurants and several bars, within the check-in area and inside the boarding lounges.
Telephones in the airport have Telmex public phones, using Ladatel cards, generally available at airport magazine shops in denominations of 30, 50 or 100 pesos - for international calls, the minimum amount left on the card must normally be at least 20 pesos to make a call.
Passengers departing on International flights are asked to check-in a minimum of two hours before departure. Both terminals are relatively small with several departure gates each and minimal walking. Flights are boarded on the tarmac at both terminals, wheelchair and boarding assistance is available in both terminals and at the private jetport.
AIRPORT TAXI RATES
Rates to the International Airport by private taxi will vary depending on your departure point and can be as high as $75 US one way, Check with your Concierge for the rate from your hotel. Shuttle services run from hotels but your fare must be purchased in advance, generally before arriving in Los Cabos. It’s a good idea to arrange your round trip airport transportation when you book your airline ticket.
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