Getting Around Puerto Vallarta: Taxi, Uber, Bike, Bus, or Car Rental [2024] (2024)

Puerto Vallarta is a small and quaint beach town, so it is very easy to walk to just about anywhere you need… but if you are looking for all the transportation options to get around town or to check out other areas of the bay, below we cover all the best ways for getting around town, including Puerto Vallarta taxis, ride-sharing apps, city buses, or maybe even a bicycle rental!

Taxis

Taxis are not usually metered; instead, you usually pay by zones. Be sure to establish the fare before you ride to avoid any surprises. Most trips should be reasonably affordable and you can probably negotiate a better price on slow days. Include a tip if you feel it is warranted.

Bicycle

Renting a bike is one of our favorite ways to get around Puerto Vallarta. Explore the cobblestone streets or cruise through the palm-lined bike pathway of the Malecon boardwalk.

Taxi Apps: Uber & Indriver

The taxi union obviously tried to keep them out of town for as long as possible, but the ride-sharing service, Uber, became available in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit back in June 2017.

Due to Uber’s high commission rates, another ridesharing app called InDriver has become very popular as well. If you open up your Uber app and see that there are very few cars in your area, this may be why! Most drivers have now switched over to this InDriver app, and it is now the most reliable ride-sharing app in the area.

Both ride-sharing apps are great options for getting around town, checking out other parts of the bay, or for airport transportation.

Note: Some users have said they could not find the app, so they had to switch the App Store country settings to Mexico temporarily to download the inDriver app.

Car & Motorcycle Rentals

Whether you are looking for a short-term or long-term car rental in Puerto Vallarta, you have multiple options. Another option is to rent a scooter to zip around town. The greatest part of a scooter or motorcycle rental in Puerto Vallarta is flexibility. You basically get priority parking wherever you go! With a car, it is much harder to find a parking place, especially in the downtown area. It works out to be a much better value than renting a taxi or using Uber. Plus, it allows visitors to fit lots of different attractions into a single day.

Bus

Public transport and the bus system in Mexico can be very inexpensive. It can also be a bit daunting if you don’t speak any Spanish and are not accustomed to traveling on buses and metro systems… but there is no need to be afraid of the city buses!

If you are a budget-conscious traveler and you aren’t afraid of a little adventure, you can get all around the bay at an extremely affordable price. If you are coming from or going to the airport and have a bunch of luggage, it is probably best to take a taxi or Uber since buses don’t have racks and may be crowded.

Airport Transportation

For information about getting from the Puerto Vallarta Airport PVR to Puerto Vallarta and back, check out our article with all the best transportation options below: