Car hire and driving in Puerto Vallarta
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Mexico traffic drives on the right. Picking up at PVR means 7 km (4 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from Puerto Vallarta
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Vallarta to Tepic | Mexico | 105 km (65 mi) | about 1 h 36 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo | Mexico | 191 km (119 mi) | about 2 h 55 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Zapopan | Mexico | 192 km (119 mi) | about 2 h 56 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara | Mexico | 196 km (122 mi) | about 2 h 59 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Tlaquepaque | Mexico | 202 km (125 mi) | about 3 h 4 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Tonalá | Mexico | 207 km (129 mi) | about 3 h 9 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Ciudad Guzmán | Mexico | 210 km (131 mi) | about 3 h 13 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Ciudad de Villa de Álvarez | Mexico | 216 km (135 mi) | about 3 h 18 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Colima | Mexico | 220 km (137 mi) | about 3 h 21 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Mazatlán | Mexico | 315 km (195 mi) | about 4 h 48 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Zamora de Hidalgo | Mexico | 315 km (196 mi) | about 4 h 48 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Aguascalientes | Mexico | 336 km (209 mi) | about 5 h 8 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City | Mexico | 651 km (405 mi) | about 9 h 56 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Houston | United States | 1,420 km (882 mi) | about 21 h 39 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Tijuana | Mexico | 1,763 km (1,096 mi) | about 26 h 53 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Iztapalapa | Mexico | 660 km (410 mi) | about 10 h 4 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Puebla | Mexico | 755 km (469 mi) | about 11 h 31 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Phoenix | United States | 1,579 km (981 mi) | about 24 h 4 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Ecatepec de Morelos | Mexico | 654 km (406 mi) | about 9 h 58 min |
| Puerto Vallarta to Santiago de Querétaro | Mexico | 504 km (313 mi) | about 7 h 41 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Puerto Vallarta?
The right, as everywhere in Mexico.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.