Visiting Puerto Vallarta - Part 4

Arriving in Puerto Vallarta

Due to many factors Puerto Vallarta is one of the most popular international vacation destinations for North Americans. Most of them will travel to Puerto Vallarta by plane as it is a fairly short direct flight from most major U. S. airports.

If you are flying from the West coast or Central area of the U. S. then the flight is about three hours. If you travel from the East coast or further up into Canada then you are looking at flights takes around four and a half hours. Puerto Vallarta has its own international airport with the catchy name of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz and an international code of PVR.

The airport has been recently been remodelled and now offers most of the important services that can make travel convenient and efficient. However there is no hotel onsite but with so many available nearby this is not a problem. There is free WiFi throughout the airport, plus the normal car rental companies, currency exchange services and bank ATMs. You will also find the normal range of souvenir shops and airport restaurants which includes Starbucks, Sbarro and Wings Restaurant in addition to many others. The PVR airport is very conveniently located close to many of the area’s major hotels, resort properties and condo complexes. Once you are out of the airport getting to your destination will be both quick and easy. There are lots of taxi cabs waiting at the airport and their rates are very reasonable.

Best way to clear Immigration and customs

When you travel make sure you have a pen and that it is readily accessible aboard the plane. You will be given two forms to fill out, the first is a Mexican immigration form and the second is a custom’s form. These follow the pattern of the old U. S. system before they changed to ESTA’s. Be sure to complete these on the plane, you will not be allowed to move forward to the immigration area with the other arrivals if they are not complete. You will be asked to stand aside to fill out the forms and only allowed to join the queue once you have finish.

When you go through immigration the federal officer will stamp your immigration form, tear the form in two and hand you back the smaller portion of the form. It’s important that you retain this small form and secure it along with your passport in a safe area as this little stub is your tourist visa. Unlike the old U. S. system they do not staple it into your passport.

If you do lose it then there is a fine of $400 pesos, you also need to get a replacement before you can board your flight and this can be a problem if you are tight on time. If you know you have lost it then I would suggest you arrive at the airport 2 hours earlier in case there are queues.

Arriving in Puerto Vallarta continued in 5.