Tren Maya trains from Cancun leave from the Cancun Aeropuerto station, by the airport, not the Hotel Zone. Valladolid is 1 h 43 min away, Chichen Itza 2 h 7 min, Tulum 1 h 33 min and Bacalar 4 h 42 min. Children under 3 ride free on a lap; in our price checks on the official booking site, older kids paid the adult fare. Valladolid, Chichen Itza and Tulum work as day trips; Bacalar and Merida deserve a night.
If your kids love trains, they will ask for this one, and a day on the rails can be the best of the trip, or the longest. We checked the official timetable, fares and rules on November 14, 2026, to show which trips fit one day with children, and where the photos fit.
Start at the Airport Station, Not the Hotel Zone
Every Tren Maya trip from Cancun starts at the Cancun Aeropuerto station. It sits by the airport, on the mainland; there is no station in the Hotel Zone, so each train day begins and ends with a ride across town.
Go by taxi, private transfer or Tren Maya Conecta, the connecting service the railway launched on August 15, 2026 to link its stations with Cancun's airport, hotel zones and shopping centers; its availability and times vary by station, so ask first. With young children, a transfer that confirms car seats in writing is the calmest start; see our guide to Cancun airport transfers.
Under the 2026 passenger contract, be at the station at least 15 minutes early: the platform gate closes 15 minutes before departure, and a missed train counts as a used ticket.
Routes, Times and Fares
Here are the trains and one-way international fares for January 15, 2027, as the official booking site showed them on November 14, 2026. When we also checked March 15 and July 15, 2027, the Chichen Itza trains and fare were the same.
| Destination | By train | Trains each way | Tourist / Premier, MXN | By car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valladolid | 1 h 43 | 6 | 539 / 647 | 1 h 31 |
| Chichen Itza | 2 h 7 | 6 | 669.50 / 803 | 1 h 50 |
| Tulum | 1 h 33 | 5 | 467 / 560 | 1 h 33 |
| Merida (Teya) | 3 h 28 | 6 | 1,041.50 / 1,250 | 3 h 9 |
| Bacalar | 4 h 42 | 2 | 1,163.50 / 1,396 | 3 h 58 |
Six trains a day leave for Valladolid, Chichen Itza and Merida (8:00 and 9:20 am, noon, and 4:40, 6:30 and 8:04 pm) and five for Tulum (9:00, 10:30 and 11:39 am, 3:40 and 6:20 pm); the 9:00 am and 3:40 pm continue to Bacalar. The 11:39 am takes 1 h 37 to Tulum, the ride back from Bacalar takes 4 h 46, and the 10:30 am and 6:20 pm Tulum trains, numbered in the 400s, cost less: 315.50 pesos in Tourist, 378.50 in Premier. Premier is the upper class.
Times are local: Valladolid, Chichen Itza and Merida are in Yucatan, one hour behind Cancun under Mexico's time zone law, so the 8:00 am train reaches Chichen Itza at 9:07 am. The train is not faster than a car; it wins because nobody has to drive, there is an accessible restroom on board, and the ride itself is part of the fun.
Tickets for Foreign Visitors and Kids
Buy only through official channels: the booking site, reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx, which has an English version, the Tren Maya app, the phone line or a station ticket office. From the US or Canada it works the same way, with prices in pesos.
Foreign visitors pay the international fare; for a tourist from the US or Canada, the contract accepts only a valid passport, the physical document, shown when buying and before boarding. Names must match, tickets cannot be transferred, and a ticket on your phone is enough.
- Under 3. Free on a parent's or guardian's lap, one baby per adult, stroller included. Register the baby on the booking and bring a paper birth certificate.
- Children with a seat. The booking site lists children up to age 12 with their own seat, and in our price checks a child's seat cost the same as an adult's.
- Family example. Two adults, two children and a baby to Valladolid on the 8:00 am train, international Tourist fare: 2,156 pesos one way, the baby free.
- With grandparents. A child traveling with an adult who is not a parent or guardian needs a parent's signed letter, the child's birth certificate and the parents' ID.
- Changes. One date change by email, at least 48 hours ahead; no refund if you cancel.
Luggage, Food and Boarding
- Luggage. Up to three pieces, 50 kg (110 lb) in total, ride free, including a cabin bag of up to 55 x 40 x 25 cm and 10 kg. The FAQ and the contract give different limits for the main bag (75 x 40 x 33 cm and 66 x 42 x 26 cm), so pack to the smaller one.
- Food. No food or drinks from outside unless bought at the stations, no coolers, and food preparation on board only for babies or a documented medical need. Chichen Itza and Tulum do not allow food inside either.
- The rest. Tablets and games are allowed, though staff can ask you to use headphones, and the railway may refuse boarding from the seventh month of pregnancy.
Which Day Trips Work With Kids
Valladolid, the easiest day. The 8:00 am train arrives at 8:43 am local time; the 2:45 pm back, local time, reaches Cancun Aeropuerto at 5:28 pm, the 5:05 pm at 7:48 pm. The railway's map pins the station about 6 km north of the center in a straight line, so plan a ride. The railway's station page describes brightly colored colonial houses and the convent of San Bernardino de Siena; our notes on Valladolid's colonial streets show more.
Chichen Itza, for kids who travel well. The 8:00 am train arrives at 9:07 am local time, at a station about 4.5 km in a straight line from the archaeological zone. INAH opens at 8:00 am; its zone page, updated October 6, 2026, gives last entry at 4:00 pm and its Lugares page 3:00 pm, so do not cut it close. A foreign adult pays 697 pesos, 105 to INAH plus a 592-peso state fee; under Mexico's Federal Law of Fees, children under 13 skip the INAH part, but CULTUR's state price list shows no child rate, so ask at the ticket office. Return on the 2:21 pm, at Cancun by 5:28 pm, or the 4:41 pm, by 7:48 pm.
Tulum, the shortest ride. The 9:00 am train arrives at 10:33 am; trains back leave at 1:38, 2:46, 6:16 and 8:18 pm and take 1 h 37 min. The station is several kilometers from the town center and the ruins, which INAH opens from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, last entry 3:30 pm. Its zone page, updated August 10, 2026, lists a unified 265 pesos for a foreign visitor, park fees included, while its Lugares page still lists separate INAH, park and CONANP fees, so bring some extra pesos. See our Tulum family photo guide.
Bacalar and Merida, not in one day. Bacalar's two daily trains arrive at 1:42 and 8:22 pm, and the last one back leaves at 5:09 pm and reaches Cancun at 9:55 pm, so stay at least a night. Merida's Teya station, east of the city, is 3 h 28 min each way and also suits an overnight; our Merida family photographer page explains how we travel there from Cancun.
When a tour or private driver is easier. Pick a car when a baby naps best in a car seat, when you want ruins, a cenote and Valladolid in one loop, or when station rides would double your transfers. By road, SICT puts Chichen Itza 1 h 50 min from Cancun. The railway's own tour packages run four days or longer.
Where the Photos Fit
A train day starts early and ends tired, so plan your family session for another morning, on your hotel's beach or at an open-air cenote matched to your children's ages, as our cenote family photoshoot guide explains. Online booking offers 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30 am and 5:00 and 5:30 pm, other times on WhatsApp.
At the ruins, keep to phone pictures: INAH lists a fee for professional cameras at Chichen Itza and Tulum and does not allow flash at Chichen Itza, and our INAH photo permits guide explains the rest. Valladolid's colored streets suit casual snapshots; crouch to your child's eye level and let them walk ahead.
For families we recommend The Chapter: 60 minutes, 35 edited photos and one look, 475 USD. No deposit: you pay at the end, by card or in cash. Cancellation is free up to one day before, so if your train day moves, pick another morning. Sneak peek within 24 hours, full gallery in 1 to 3 business days.
Our Cancun family photographer team, led by Vianey Díaz, has more than 20 years of photography experience and has photographed thousands of families and couples; since 2023, IVAE Studios has delivered more than 500 sessions and holds 5.0 across 75 Google reviews. One parent on a short trip wrote that our photographer:
“quickly fit us into her schedule, and met us promptly for a morning shoot”
Gautami C., Google review
Sources Checked
Read on November 14, 2026: Tren Maya's booking site (January 15, 2027, plus March 15 and July 15, 2027, for Chichen Itza), FAQ, 2026 passenger contract, release of August 15, 2026, station pages with map pins, and packages; INAH's zone pages (Chichen Itza, Tulum) and Lugares pages (Chichen Itza, Tulum); CULTUR; Mexico's Federal Law of Fees (article 288) and time zone law; and the SICT route planner. Check again before you travel.