Getting There & Departing
By Plane -- Most visitors still fly to Mexico City and then take the bus that leaves directly from the airport's main terminal to Querétaro. Look about for an escalator in the E-2 area. Take it up to an elevated concourse, which leads to the bus ticket counters. A one-way ticket costs 256 pesos. Departures are about every half-hour, and the trip takes 3 hours.
Querétaro's airport (airport code QRO) has limited international service and is a half-hour from downtown. Continental ExpressJet (tel. 800/231-0856 in the U.S., or 01-800/900-5000 in Mexico) flies to and from Houston. American Eagle (American Airlines' subsidiary; tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. or Canada, or 01-800/904-6000 in Mexico) offers daily nonstop service to and from Dallas/Ft. Worth. You can also fly here from the northern Mexican city of Monterrey on Aeroméxico Connect (tel. 01-800/021-4000 in Mexico), which has nonstop daily service.
By Car -- From Mexico City, take the super toll road Hwy. 57D (2 1/2 hr.). From San Miguel, take Hwy. 111 to Hwy. 57D, and then turn right (1 hr.). From San Luis Potosí, take Hwy. 57D south (2 1/2 hr.). It's now possible to drive between Querétaro and Puebla without passing through Mexico City. A toll road called Arco Norte connects to 57D just south of the turnoff for Tula, Hidalgo and connects to Hwy. 150D near San Martín Texmelucan, west of Puebla.
By Bus -- From Mexico City's northern bus terminal (Central del Norte), buses leave every 15 minutes. Make sure you get a directo (nonstop). From San Miguel, second-class buses leave every 20 minutes. The bus station is south of town. Look for a booth in the terminal that sells cab tickets. A cab ride downtown costs about 45 pesos. There are now direct buses to/from Puebla. Futura/Chihuahuenses has nine departures per day. The trip takes 4 hours and costs 335 pesos.
Visitor Information
There is a good tourism information office at Pasteur Norte 4, just off the Plaza de la Independencia on the north side. It's open daily from 9am to 8pm. The phone numbers are tel. 888/811-6130 in the U.S., or 442/238-5067; or visit www.venaqueretaro.com. One-hour tours of the city by trolley-style bus are now operated by private companies that also staff the information kiosks in some of the plazas. You can get info from the staff at these kiosks, but you'll also get a pitch to take a bus tour. These concessions are, thus far, on a trial basis. Tourism still offers a self-guided audio walking tour of the centro histórico. At the information office, you can rent a digital player for 60 pesos per day, using a credit card voucher for a deposit.
City Layout
The heart of downtown is the Jardín Zenea, at the intersection of the main north-south and east-west streets, Corregidora and Madero. Just east is the Plaza de Armas, and farther east are the Convento de la Cruz and the famous aqueduct. West of Jardín Zenea are several plazas, churches, convents, and museums.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
