Guadalajara’s public transportation network has grown fast: a light rail system with a brand-new fourth line, a trio of bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors, and — as of mid-2026 — an electric bus line running straight from the airport. One card, Mi Movilidad, taps you onto almost all of it.
The basics
SITEUR, the state transit agency, runs everything that matters for most visitors:
- Mi Tren — the light rail system, four color-coded lines. Línea 1 runs south–north through the Federalismo–Colón corridor; Línea 2 runs underground through the center along Javier Mina–Juárez; Línea 3 (opened 2020) links Zapopan, Guadalajara, and Tlaquepaque; and Línea 4 (opened December 2025) reaches south into Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.
- Mi Macro — bus rapid transit in dedicated lanes, three lines: Mi Macro Calzada through the historic center and south side, Mi Macro Periférico looping the Anillo Periférico ring road through Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, and Tonalá, and the new Línea 5 Mi Macro Aeropuerto to the airport.
- Mi Transporte — feeder buses that connect outlying neighborhoods to Mi Tren stations.
How to pay
Stations and BRT platforms are gated — you tap or scan to get through a turnstile, not pay on board. Two ways to do it:
- Mi Movilidad card — a reloadable card that costs $30 to buy and works across every Mi Tren line, Mi Macro, Mi Transporte feeder buses, and the MiBici bike-share. Buy and reload it at the VRT machines by station entrances, or reload at OXXO convenience stores.
- Univiaje — a single-ride paper ticket with a QR code, sold at the same VRT machines for $11. Bring exact change: the machines don’t give any back.
There’s also Mi Pasaje, a registered preferential card for seniors (60+), students, people with disabilities, and unaccompanied children 5–12, giving a 50% discount — but it requires registering in advance at a separate site, so it’s not practical for a short visit.
Fares
| Fare | |
|---|---|
| Full fare (Univiaje ticket or Mi Movilidad card) | $11 |
| Preferential (registered Mi Pasaje card) | $5.50 |
| Mi Movilidad card (one-time purchase) | $30 |
Transferring between Mi Tren’s Líneas 1, 2, and 3 is free (keep your QR code if you paid with Univiaje, so the transfer reads as free at Ávila Camacho station). Transfer between Mi Tren and Mi Macro, Mi Tren and Mi Transporte, or Mi Macro and Mi Transporte and you pay 50% of the second fare, but only with a full-fare Mi Movilidad card, and only within 15 minutes of tapping out.
Getting from the airport
The newest option is Línea 5 Mi Macro Aeropuerto, an all-electric BRT line that opened in June 2026, running along Carretera a Chapala between the airport and the city. It has three branches:
- T01: Aeropuerto – Chapalita Inn – Estadio Akron, about 50 minutes end to end.
- T02: Aeropuerto – Parque Agua Azul, with a direct connection to downtown Guadalajara and onward transfers to Mi Tren Línea 1 and Mi Macro Calzada — this is the one to take if you’re headed to the historic center.
- T03: Aeropuerto – Expo Guadalajara, useful for business travel and conventions.
Buses run every 5 minutes on the main Carretera a Chapala corridor and every 15 minutes on each trunk route, daily from 3:30am to 10:30pm. The fare is the standard $11, but you’ll need a Mi Movilidad card — the line’s own FAQ lists card payment only (Mi Movilidad or the state’s Única card), not cash. Buses are wheelchair-accessible, with ramps, a securement space, tactile flooring, and braille signage.
The airport itself is about 16–17 km south of downtown; GAP, the airport operator, states a transfer time of about 35 minutes between downtown and the terminal — though that figure isn’t specific to the bus. The airport’s own ground-transportation page lists only taxi service, so Línea 5 is a SITEUR offering, not something the airport promotes directly.
Apps to download
- Google Maps — solid for general trip planning with public transportation directions.
When it runs
- Mi Tren Líneas 1–3: daily, 5:00am to 11:00pm.
- Mi Tren Línea 4: daily, 4:50am to 11:00pm.
- Línea 5 Mi Macro Aeropuerto: daily, 3:30am to 10:30pm.
All of these keep the same hours every day of the week — there’s no cut-back Sunday schedule to plan around.
Accessibility
Mi Tren stations provide elevators or stair-lifts for riders with disabilities or reduced mobility, with dedicated gates alongside the regular turnstiles. Priority yellow seats on board are reserved for riders with disabilities, seniors, and pregnant riders. The new Línea 5 Mi Macro Aeropuerto buses add wheelchair ramps, a securement space, tactile flooring, and braille signage.
Etiquette & local quirks
- No food or drink inside stations, trains, or Mi Macro buses — it’s banned system-wide, not just frowned on.
- Bikes only on Líneas 1 and 2, boarding through the last car’s two doors, and only during set windows: weekdays 10am–1pm, Saturdays 7–10am and 6–9pm, Sundays 7am–5pm. Bikes aren’t allowed on Línea 3 or 4.
- Pets need a carrier (kennel), except service animals, which are always allowed.
- Skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters are banned inside stations and on board, and Mi Macro also bans bicycles and motorcycles inside its stations and buses.
- Give priority to the yellow seats and let riders off before you board — both are written into SITEUR’s rules, not just etiquette.
Good to know
- It’s a gated system, not an honor system. You tap or scan at a turnstile to get in — there’s no equivalent of flashing a ticket to a conductor once you’re aboard.
- Bring small bills and coins. VRT machines sell Univiaje tickets and reload Mi Movilidad cards, but they don’t make change, so overpaying by even fifty centavos means you’ll need to sort it out at a SITEUR passenger-service module later.
- Follow @SITEURJAL on X, Facebook, or Telegram for service alerts — SITEUR posts its own schedule changes and disruptions through those accounts.