1

Ferries?????

A map is badly needed here.

La Paz is on the Baja Peninsula. Cancun is on the opposite side of the country on the Caribbean Sea. Zacatecas is inland far from navigable waters. No ferries between any of them and the few ferries that do exist are not an option for travelling around the country.

Your choices are: rent a car and drive, use the bus system which can get you anywhere, or fly. The only train service is between Los Mochis, Sinaloa to Chihuahua, Chihuahua.

Which you choose depends on time and money - you decide.

2

Mexico is alot bigger than perhaps you think. There is a ferry from la Paz, BCS to either Topolabombo or Mazatlan on the Pacific coast. The ferry is fun, its 18 hours about. La Paz has an airport, as does Zac and Cancun. Volaris flies into Zacatecas, Mexicana also. More airlines service La Paz, and all the airlines fly to Cancun. Definitely fly and spend your time exploring regionally, because bus or driving distances between these places are ridiculous, when possible. Take a look at a map and explore some of the airfare sites. If I were headed down to the Caribbean coast I would give Baja a miss.

3

"Volaris flies into Zacatecas, Mexicana also"
I dont know what info you are seeing but Mexicana shutdown in August of 2010.

4

To the OP: If I was visiting Canada and wanted to visit Vancouver, Quebec and Toronto how would you suggest I get around? I think the answer to your question will be the same.

5

Sorry Robert, of course I meant Aero Mexico.

6

"Plane or ferry? The only ferry from La Paz are to Topolobamp or Mazatlan overnight, across the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California) on two separate routes. Click here here to see what the fares (Tarifas) and schedules (Horarios) are. From Cancun there are ferries to Isla Mujeres and from Playa del Carmen (100km/60mi south of Cancun) to Cozumel. But to get around by land it's usually by buses (or coaches) but there are NO ferries getting you from one side (La Paz) to the other (Cancun). Unless you meant buses, like from Mazatlan to Zacatecas??? You may want to look at a map and see where the places you mentioned are at.

"I know that a plane would be more convenient because it gets there faster and the times for arrival and departure are fixed (unless there is a major problem)" Plane would be more economical over long distances such as from La Paz to Mexico City (or Toluca which is 60mi/100km west of Mexico City) to Cancun. Try Volaris or Viva Aerobus. They're usually cheaper than Aeromexico. As suggested by Zapfilm on #2, " Definitely fly and spend your time exploring regionally, because bus or driving distances between these places are ridiculous, when possible."
Volaris fly you across from Los Cabos to Zacatecas. To get to Cancun you can take a bus down to Leon/Guanajuato (include in your plans as Guanajuato is an amazing place) and fly from there to Cancun or fly via Culiacan (on Volaris) or via Mexico City (on Aeromexico). Since 2005 plane fares within Mexico have deregulated allowing them to compete with the buses on the ground and each other.

Edited by: anyone101

7

Sorry for the unspecified description. What I meant was to travel on a plane from the Mexico City to La Paz or take a ferry from mainland Mexico to La Paz, but thanks for the clarification and responses!

8

"What I meant was to travel on a plane from the Mexico City to La Paz or take a ferry from mainland Mexico to La Paz," For surface travel to La Paz from Mexico City, you would still need to take a bus from Mexico City to Mazatlan where you board the ferry to La Paz. It's to far. Flying would still be most economical. Other alternative cities with a major airport are Toluca (60mi/100km west of Mexico City) and San Jose del Cabo (181km south of La Paz) which might make the airfare cheaper.