Traveling around Mexico City today is a seamless and modern experience thanks to the Integrated Mobility Card (MI). This smart plastic card has become the indispensable companion for any visitor, unifying a gigantic transportation system under a single identity.
Its design is a tribute to the visual history of the capital: it was created by American designer Lance Wyman, the same genius behind the iconic logo of the Mexico ’68 Olympic Games and the original Metro typography, grouping the logos of the entire network.
For the nostalgic traveler looking to acquire the classic magnetic paper tickets, there is an update you must know. After 55 years of uninterrupted service since its inauguration in 1969, the Government of Mexico City completed a transition towards total digitalization.
As of March 1, 2024, Metro ticket booths definitively stopped selling and accepting physical tickets. Today, the MI Card is the only form of access. Some RTP buses and traditional Trolleybuses still accept exact payment with coins, but the card guarantees an uninterrupted journey.
What transportation can be taken with the MI Card?
The card gives you access to practically the entire Integrated Mobility Network of the capital and its surroundings:
- Metro: The city’s underground transportation system with its 12 lines.
- Metrobús: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with 7 routes.
- Cablebús: Urban cable cars offering unparalleled aerial views (Lines 1, 2, and the new Line 3 in Chapultepec).
- Light Rail (Tren Ligero): Route connecting to the southern piers in Xochimilco.
- Trolleybus (Trolebús): Including the innovative Elevated Trolleybus in the Iztapalapa borough.
- RTP: The immense passenger bus network that reaches all corners.
- Ecobici: You can link the card to your account to rent public bicycles with a single movement.
- “El Insurgente” Interurban Train: Recently integrated for trips towards the west (Toluca).
- Metropolitan Connectivity: The system now standardizes its technology with State of Mexico transportation, such as the Suburban Train and the Mexibús.
Where to get it and how to recharge it
Acquiring this key to the city is a fast process designed for the tourist’s maximum convenience:
- Cost and limits: The plastic card has an initial cost of $15.00 MXN, to which you must add the balance for your first trip. Its maximum storage capacity is $500.00 MXN, an ideal amount for visitors to cover their trips throughout their entire stay with a single recharge.
- Points of sale: It can be purchased and recharged with cash at the ticket booths of any Metro station, as well as at the automatic vending machines for Metrobús, Cablebús, and Light Rail.
- Digital recharges: Here lies its greatest innovation. If your smartphone has NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, you can add balance in seconds from the official App CDMX or through Mercado Pago. You simply hold the card near the back of your phone and the balance transfers instantly, avoiding lines at the stations.
Benefits for the traveler
In addition to facilitating efficient and free transfers (such as within the Metrobús system, provided you do not cross the exit turnstiles), the card features international Calypso technology, guaranteeing an anti-fraud security that makes it impossible to clone.
Its contactless system speeds up the flow of millions of passengers, providing swiftness in every transfer.
