Two years into full operations, the Tren Maya is changing how visitors move around the Yucatan Peninsula — and this summer, the shift is hard to ignore.
Ridership on the 1,500-kilometre route has climbed steadily through 2026, with peak-season figures showing strong demand on the Cancun–Playa del Carmen–Tulum corridor and growing uptake on longer journeys toward Campeche and Palenque. The train is pulling visitors away from rental cars and highway buses, and drawing some travellers to towns that rarely appeared on standard Yucatan itineraries.
What the route covers
The Tren Maya loops across the peninsula in a rough figure-of-eight, connecting Cancun’s hotel zone and international airport with Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Chetumal, Palenque, Campeche, Mérida, Izamal and Valladolid. First and business class carriages are air-conditioned; journey times beat the equivalent highway routes for all but the shortest city-to-city trips.
For visitors based on the Caribbean coast, the most practical section is the Cancun–Tulum leg via Playa del Carmen, which takes roughly two hours in first class. The Tulum–Bacalar stretch is equally useful, cutting a drive that can extend to three hours depending on traffic and road conditions.
Smaller towns seeing more visitors
Towns that sit directly on the route — Valladolid, Izamal, Campeche — are recording visitor numbers that outpace what local accommodation was built for in high season. If you plan to include any of these stops, book at least two weeks ahead for July and August travel.
Mérida and Bacalar are emerging as popular secondary bases for multi-city trips. Both have active rail stations and far fewer visitors than Cancun or Tulum even at peak times, which suits travellers who want the Yucatan without the crowds.
Practical notes for rail travel
Tickets are sold online via the official Fonatur Tren Maya site or at station kiosks. The booking system can become congested during peak demand — check availability early and keep travel dates flexible if possible.
Checked-luggage policies are tighter than on equivalent bus routes: one suitcase and one carry-on per passenger. If you are hopping between several stops, travelling light makes the experience considerably smoother.
For a full breakdown of what to expect on board, how to buy tickets and how to pair the train with local colectivos for the last stretch to smaller villages, see our Tren Maya travel guide. Destination guides for individual stops along the route — including Mérida, Valladolid and Bacalar — cover accommodation options and the best times to visit for each town. Once you have your train tickets sorted, Cancún tours and activities — cenote trips, Chichén Itzá day tours, and reef snorkelling — are a natural first stop before continuing on the Tren Maya route.