Half-price rides vs airport taxis if you’re willing to walk
Uber runs at Monterrey International Airport (MTY) across Terminals A, B, and C, and regulars report paying about $12–15 USD to San Pedro instead of the $25+ USD fixed airport taxi rate. The tradeoff: you usually need to step away from the official taxi line to keep everyone calm.
Pickup rules at MTY shift often: some weeks drivers prefer the departures level, other times a specific door at Terminal A or B. Reddit users say they confirm the exact meeting point using the Uber in‑app chat or WhatsApp as soon as the driver accepts. Build in an extra 5–10 minutes the first time you do it.
At peak times like Sunday evenings or right after late‑night US arrivals around 23:00–01:00, surge pricing can kick in and narrow the gap with the airport taxi booths in each terminal. Travelers report that even with surge, rides usually stay below $20 USD for central Monterrey, but it’s not the rock‑bottom deal you get midday.
Late arrivals work: one frequent visitor says they’ve landed at 01:00 and still found cars, though pickup stretched to 10–15 minutes instead of the usual 3–5. That’s still often faster than queueing at the taxi counter in Terminal A during busy bank arrival waves from the US.
One quirk at MTY: some drivers quietly ask riders to sit in the front seat to avoid attention from sitio taxi staff near the official ranks outside A, B, and C. Another recurring annoyance is drivers cancelling after 5–10 minutes when airport traffic or security checks tighten, so don’t start a tight conference call from the curb.
Payment can get messy. Several riders complain that drivers sometimes push for cash even when the trip shows card in the app, echoing reports from other Mexican cities. If you want to keep it on card, confirm “tarjeta” before the car moves; typical fares to central Monterrey sit in the MXN $250–350 range depending on time and demand.
What regulars do: they walk up one level to the departures curb or down past the official taxi line by at least 50–100 meters before requesting. Many open both Uber and DiDi at the same time and pick the cheaper or faster option, then tap a saved hotel or home favorite so they’re not fumbling with addresses outside Terminal B at midnight.
Simple MTY Uber playbook:
- Exit your terminal (A, B, or C) and walk away from the taxi rank for about 1 minute.
- Check both Uber and DiDi for fare and ETA; pick the better one.
- Request the ride, then immediately message the driver your exact door/level (e.g., “Terminal B, departures level”).
- Confirm plate, model, and driver name before getting in; clarify “tarjeta o efectivo?” if you care about card vs cash.
- If pickup looks messy or the pin is wrong, cancel fast in the first 2 minutes and re‑request from a clearer spot.
One last tip: at MTY, walk first, then call the car—standing in the official taxi line with the app open just creates drama and slows everything down.