Easily accessible by air from places all over the world, and with a fast highway from Mexico City, Acapulco serves well as an introduction to Mexico.

Most travelers arrive in Acapulco by air. Direct flights come from U.S. cities via American, Continental, Delta, and Mexicana. Also, many carriers fly to Mexico City and you can change there for Acapulco. Within the country, Aeromexico and Mexicana fly to Acapulco from other Mexican cities.

Once on the ground, you can use the airport service Transportes Terrestres to get to your hotel. It’s about a half hour drive.

If you are flying to Acapulco, look into the many flight-and-hotel travel packages. They often offer excellent value.

The best way to drive from Mexico City is via the toll highway 95-D. Though it is more expensive than the older highway 95, it is faster and easier, with less traffic. The journey is about 250 miles and takes you through beautiful mountains and valleys. Both highways are rather winding. Since Acapulco is quite far south, most North Americans who are driving are either doing so from Mexico City or as part of a larger trip around Mexico.

When I was a child, my family flew to Mexico City and there picked up our car from a friend who had driven it down from the U.S. Then we traveled to and from Acapulco on the old highway 95. Practically the first phrases I learned in Spanish were camino sinuoso (winding road) and puente angosta (narrow bridge). My father would call out these phrases with zest as he navigated the road.

There is also bus service between Acapulco and Mexico City. In fact, Mexico has excellent bus service. Another way of arriving is by cruise ship, often from Los Angeles. Companies offering cruises include Cunard, Holland America, Princess Cruises, and others.

Travel to Acapulco can be quite easy. The hard part may be leaving at the end of your vacation, when you’d rather stay on… and on!