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One Thing Travelers Hate About Visiting Los Cabos Right Now & How To Avoid It

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There is not generally much that tourists dislike about Los Cabos, one of the most popular beach resort destinations in Mexico.

However, when they do come up with something that is the sore spot with travelers, often the consensus is that it is the roadways.

Especially the Transpeninsular Highway between the Los Cabos International Airport and the tourist hotel zone.

Recent complaints are on the increase from travelers.

Los Cabos travel destination Playa Divorcio and Playa Amantes near Arch of Cabo San Lucas.

Slow Traffic Ahead

Los Cabos is breaking records for visitors to the beach resort destination this year. Along with the increased number of tourists, there have been some notable infrastructure issues.

The main one is related to the traffic on the roadways.

Not only are the roads around El Médano Beach choked with cars, but also the Transpeninsular Highway, which connects the airport to the hotel zone for visitors.

Medano Beach and the Arch with Boats and Tourists in View

While the delay in getting to a restaurant, beach or nightclub can cause a small inconvenience in a traveler’s vacation, arriving last minute at the airport can really get the heart rate racing.

Ways To Avoid Traffic Stress

Pesos Only Please

The Federal Government complicated the issue even more earlier this year with the development of toll booths on the popular Transpeninsular Highway connecting the airport and the tourist zone.

This is especially a problem since they inconveniently do not accept U.S. dollars or even credit card payments.

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Drivers must pay cash in the Los Cabos toll booth to reach the airport

The result has been a backup in traffic at the toll booths, and an increasing number of Los Cabos visitors irritated about one of their first impressions of the tourist destination.

Either tourists knowing they need pesos to get past the tollbooths or the tollbooths actually accepting at least credit card payments would help to solve this problem.

Avoid Peak Times

Another way for tourists to avoid getting caught in heavy traffic on the Transpeninsular Highway is to avoid peak travel times.

Departures board at Los Cabos International Airport showing flights to US cities

For example, Sunday morning and afternoon are popular times for international flights to depart from the Los Cabos International Airport.

Knowing this in advance and either planning ahead or better yet, avoiding this time altogether, could reduce this stressful headache situation for visitors to Los Cabos.

Three Hour Rule

While travelers are always advised to arrive at least two hours before an international flight, the fact is many do not follow this recommendation, especially in Los Cabos.

Visitors clearing security at an airport in Mexico

Who can blame tourists? It’s nicer to spend an extra hour on the beach than sitting at an airline gate.

However, the drawback is that most tourists flying out of the Los Cabos International Airport do not plan enough time to check luggage, find the gate, and even grab a snack before their flight.

On a low-traffic day, it can take at least 45 minutes to an hour to travel from El Medano Beach to the international airport.

Arriving two hours ahead of time would mean leaving the hotel three hours before departure. That’s a lot to ask of visitors.

Road to San Jose del Cabo with a sign also pointing toward La Paz and the airport

However, visitors looking for a stress-free departure experience should plan for that amount of time.

Even an unusual 30-minute traffic jam on the Transpeninsular Highway won’t cause much stress if a traveler leaves at least three hours before flight departure.

Plan Ahead

The old Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” comes to mind here. It’s always good to have a plan in place in advance, especially when traveling.

Uber ride share vehicle

Have a backup in mind and anticipate delays on the roadways or even when tracking down a ride share or taxi for a ride to the airport.

Many ride-share apps will not only allow travelers to reserve a time for pickup, but it will also give an estimated needed time of departure based on the desired arrival time and potential traffic conditions.

Planning in advance with transportation tools available can lead to a stress-free transfer to the airport.

Stress is definitely something travelers should avoid during their dream beach resort destination vacation in Los Cabos.

Plan Your Next Cabo Vacation:


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