Magical Mexico

DAY 1

Flight departures from Heathrow with either American Airlines (via Dallas) or Aeromexico (via Mexico City). Arrive Chihuahua, Mexico. Met and transferred to our city centre hotel. Relax from jet lag with an evening at leisure.

DAY 2

Chihuahua city tour. Visit train station including some steam locomotives on display. Welcome to Mexico dinner in the evening. Second night in Chihuahua.

DAY 3

El Chepe Regional train Chihuahua to Divisadero. Departs at 6:00am and arrives Divisadero 1:11pm. This 410-mile route between Chihuahua and Los Mochis was built by the Chihuahua Al Pacifico Railroad with construction starting in 1901. This route is a true engineering feat with 37 bridges and 86 tunnels and was completed after 60 years of construction in 1961. Not only is the railway impressive for its engineering prowess, but it also provides breathtaking views of the stunning canyons along the way. We will travel Los Mochis to Creel roundtrip for a total of 438 miles. Divisadero is perfectly poised on the Copper Canyon rim, at an altitude of around 7,800 feet. The Parque de Aventuras Barrancas del Cobre is an easy 1-mile walk from the station along a gorgeous canyon-rim trail. The adventure park plays host to the ZipRider, the world's second-longest zip-line, spanning a remarkable 2 miles in length. With seven lines available, you can soar through the air down to Meson de Bacajipare where you can catch a cable car back up to the rim. Check-in ***Hotel Posada Mirador Barranca which was built right on the rim of the Copper Canyon with every room hanging over the edge and having a private deck where you can sit down and enjoy the fabulous view.

DAY 4

Ride El Chepe Express train Divisadero to Los Mochis in First Class departs Divisadero 9:55am arrives Los Mochis 4:40pm. Overnight ****Hotel Plaza Los Mochis. Ride the Copper Canyon tourist train, called El Chepe Express Divisadero to Los Mochis. This train departs from Divisadero at 9:55am and arrives in Los Mochis at 4:40pm. This is the spectacular section of the railroad dropping down from 7,800 feet to almost sea level in 188 miles. We will be in First Class on the Express train. The First Class service has more comfortable seats and panoramic windows to ensure you see the majestic scenery of the Sierra Tarahumara.
Your first class train ticket includes:
One meal on-board, breakfast or lunch
Preferred access to the Urike restaurant dome car
Exclusive access to the Bar Terrace with lounge areas and stools
96 reclining seats with central tables
Snack and beverage service
Bar with a panoramic view

DAY 5

Fly Los Mochis to Mexico City depart 8:13am arrive 11:20am. After lunch in downtown Mexico City, we take a tour of the Templo Mayor and Plaza de la Constitucion located in the city. Hotel check-in. Option to visit railway interest in the area and there are 4 steam locos to see.

DAY 6

We head southward on our charter bus Mexico City to Puebla departing at 7:00am with a stop at Cuautla for a visit to The Cuautla Railway Museum which has steam locomotive 279 a 3-foot gauge Baldwin. We then continue south to Puebla arriving around noon. After lunch we spend the rest of the afternoon at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads in Puebla. This museum has steam, diesel and electric on display including classic PA's, FT, F7, Trainmaster and a lot more! After museum visit check-in at our hotel which is right downtown within walking distance of the main plaza and most of the classic colonial buildings.

DAY 7

Today is a travel day on our charter bus Puebla to Coatzacoalcos departing in the morning and arriving late afternoon with a stop for lunch. If we see any Ferrosur trains, we will try and stop for photos. Hotel check-in at the ***Fiesta Inn Coatzacoalcos.

DAY 8

Ride the new 'Tren Interoceanico' from the East Coast of Mexico across the Isthmus to the West Coast departing Coatzacoalcos at 7:00am and arriving Salina Cruz on the West Coast at 2:00pm operated by the Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec, (Isthmus of Tehuantepec Railway). The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a Mexican region that includes the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas, and Tabasco. This is the narrowest area between the Pacific Ocean and the Mexican Gulf, and the rail line is only 188 miles. This route features passenger service but its primary objective is to provide a freight alternative to shipping through the Panama Canal. This new service was inaugurated on December 22, 2023.
FIT has collected quite a large variety of equipment including high-speed train (HST) sets, originally built for British Rail along with 3 British Class 43 locomotives. Also 3 Amfleet cars, dome car Stampede Pass, 5 Budd SPV-2000 cars, and 12 passenger cars. Other motive power now on the roster include: SD70M, F59PH, U23B, BG23-7, B30-7, Dash 8-39B, Dash 8-40B, GP40-2LW, GP 38-2, GP 10 and SD60.
We will be in First Class Dome Car seating (If available) in the former Stampede Pass private rail car. Visit the yards and shops at Salina Cruz. Overnight **** Hotel Santa Cru.

DAY 9

Ride FIT back to Coatzacoalcos departing at 7:00am and arriving at 1:50pm. We visit the yards and workshops then check-in at the ***Fiesta Inn Coatzacoalcos.

DAY 10

We have an early start today as the FIT train departs Coatzacoalcos at 7:00am and is scheduled to arrive in Palenaque at around 2:00pm. The railroad is using the British Class 43 (HST) locomotives and equipment on the run to Palenaque. Transfer to the hotel shortly after arrival and relax for the rest of the day. ****Chan-Kah Resort Village.

DAY 11

Full day visiting the National Park of Palenque which has one of the best examples of Mayan Ruins. This archaeological site is one of the most outstanding classic period sites of the Maya area, known for its exceptional and well conserved architectural and sculptural remains. The elegance and craftsmanship of the construction, as well as the lightness of the sculpted reliefs illustrating Mayan mythology, is wonderful. 1,400 buildings have been recorded, of which only about 10% have been explored. 2nd night at the Chan-Kay-Resort Village.

DAY 12

Ride the Tren Maya Palenque to Campeche in Premier Class. Overnight in Campeche. The current schedule departs Palenque 9:00am and arrives Campeche 1:30pm and is 221 miles. Arriving in historic Campeche in the early afternoon gives you the opportunity to explore this interesting town before sunset.
Campeche was founded in 1540 by Spanish conquistadores as San Francisco de Campeche atop the pre-existing Maya city of Can Pech. The city retains many of the old colonial Spanish walls and fortifications which protected the city from pirates and buccaneers. The state of preservation and quality of its architecture earned it the status of a World Heritage Site. Campeche is one of the only cities in North America with most of its historic old city walls intact. After hotel check-in you can explore the city. Overnight **** Hotel Lopez Campeche.

DAY 13

Early morning check-out as we have another train to catch departing Campeche at 7:00am which then arrives at 2:00pm at the Cancun Airport Station, a distance of 300 miles. Our train will reach speeds of 100mph at times today. At the Cancun Airport we change trains and board the 3:00pm departure for Playa del Carmen arriving at 3:43pm. Check-in at the ****Magic Blue Spa Boutique Hotel. In the evening, we will host our Farewell Dinner and reflect on our two-week tour through Mexico.

DAY 14

After breakfast hotel check-out and end of tour after hotel check-out. Tren Maya departures from Playa del Carmen for the 43-minute journey to the Cancun Airport at: 10:30am, 3:30pm, and 5:30pm.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner