# Queretaro to SMA



## upfront (Apr 20, 2012)

Arriving around lunch into QRO.

The hotel in SMA is pushing for a private car or shuttle but I have to wonder if just getting taxi wouldn't be just as cost effective and maybe even easier? I flew into this airport before and the taxi stand just outside of customs seemed well run but I don't have a clue as to the cost to SMA and I can't seem to find it anywhere online. 

There will be 2 of us and the shuttle seems to require 3 so we might end up having to wait for another person, or take a "private" shuttle which I am sure is quite pricey.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

The upside of utilizing one of the private car/van services to get from Queretaro to San Miguel de Allende, as compared to choosing to utilize a taxi from the QRO airport, is that the driver from SMA will know and understand the layout of the streets and traffic pattern in SMA and the location of the hotel .... and the driver will speak English sufficient to communicate with you. The last time I had a conversation with someone about making the same journey by van/car the price being charged was approx. MX$900 (or, US$75) ... for two or three people traveling together. I have no idea what a QRO airport taxi will charge for that trip but maybe someone else reading this discussion will. There's an excellent and very active Yahoo forum for SMA populated by SMA residents which you could search for on the internet (we're not allowed to provide a link to it on this forum, because of website rules here) and you could register (for free) and cross-post your question to see what local residents recommend. When is the trip?


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## upfront (Apr 20, 2012)

We go in October.

I can get by in Spanish and my trusty google maps app seems to guide me around Mexico very well so even if the driver doesn't know the way, I could get him there. The hotel seems pretty easy to find by looking at the maps. The main concern is the time difference if we have to wait on another party if we take the shared shuttle. If the costs are equal, I would certainly prefer a taxi. I just can't seem to find the taxi cost anywhere.

If you are talking about the very active yahoo groups "forum" I have tried to join several times but they don't respond and its a private group so I guess they are not taking new members.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Civil SMA is the group and I believe it's still allowing people to join; but I can't say that with certainty. About your map reading abilities: You're kidding yourself ... if you don't already have a good knowledge of SMA. With two people traveling together the per person cost will be about US$40 with a tip for the driver included. It seems foolish to me to quibble about a 45 minute to one hour drive at that cost when you consider the cost of your visit overall. What do you think you'll save if you find a taxi which will have to charge you a fee with will also have to include a round-trip? $5? $10? p/p.

I may be in SMA the first week of October ... a time which I consider one of the best of any time of the year ... because of the festivities celebrating the patron saint.


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## upfront (Apr 20, 2012)

Longford said:


> What do you think you'll save if you find a taxi which will have to charge you a fee with will also have to include a round-trip? $5? $10? p/p.



What??? I really don't understand what you mean here?

If we are looking at $80 for a shared shuttle, and possibly have to wait for other people, then it could ad time to the trip. If we can immediately walk out and get in a cab for $80 then I would prefer that.

I have driven around many cities in Mexico this past year, and back and forth to the border 3 times using google maps GPS, it has been very accurate. We are staying near the main plaza, there is a very tall church that could guide us even without GPS I am guessing


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

I did a web search in Spanish and came across an article in which a newspaper did a survey of taxi costs in different major Mexican cities. The average cost per Km in Queretaro was by far the highest at 13 pesos/km, compared with an average in Mexico City of approximately 5 to 8 pesos/km. It's 85.5 km one way from the Queretaro airport to San Miguel - when a taxi goes that far I don't know if they would calculate based just on how far it is to get you there, or add on for their required return trip (or an intermediate figure). Based on these numbers a one way trip would be $1111.5 pesos, approx. US$85, round trip 171 km x 13 pesos/km it would cost $2,223 (pesos) or about US $170.

This article is from June 2013 so things could have changed. The article is in Spanish, and is lamenting the high cost of taxis in Leon - stating only Queretaro has more expensive taxis than Leon. 

Taxis cobran el doble que en DF y Monterrey - Periódico am

If your Spanish is adequate, you could call the taxi service number on the website of the Queretaro airport and ask what they would charge. The number is tel: 011 -52- (442) 1 48 62 72


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