PLANNING: LOS MOCHIS to CHIHUAHUA ON COPPER CANYON TRAIN
This post is intended for anyone planning on making the scenic train journey through the Copper Canyon in Mexico, from Los Mochis to Chihuahua. I have written it becuse when I was planning my own trip, I could not find much information on the internet, and some of the info that I did find turned out to be incorrect.
Hopefully my own experience helps you if you are planning a similar trip.
BACKGROUND
I am currently backpacking around Mexico. Having read about the Copper Canyon as one of the must-see but often overlooked tourist attractions in Mexico, I decided to make the train journey via the favoured Los Mochis to Chihuahua route (because you pass through most of the scenic views during daylight). Due to time constraints and the fact I was meeting someone in Chihuahua to revisit some of the more easter parts of the canyons by car, I did not plan to spend any days/nights at any of the station stops along the route of the journey.
ARRIVING IN LOS MOCHIS
I flew to Los Mochis Airport from Mexico City on a USD 120 Mexicalair flight. I had read on the internet before booking flight that the 24 hour bus journey from Mexico D.F cost a similar amount, so either air fares have come down or I got extremely lucky by booking my flight last-minute.
Los Mochis airport is very small and has little amenities. There are no buses at the airport. The 20 minute taxi ride into the centre Los Mochis cost me 170 pesos (USD 17).
LOS MOCHIS TOWN
Los Mochis reminded me of the US, with its wide roads, grid-blocks of streets and car culture. There is not much to do in the town, so I do not recommend spending more than a day here before your train journey if you can help it.
There are several hotel options in the centre of Los Mochis. I stayed at the 280 peso (USD 28) per night Monte Carlo Hotel on Avenida Independancia, one of the main thoroughfares in the town. I had told my airport taxi driver to take me the cheapest hotel he knew of and this is where he brought me. I got a clean room with a TV and a fan (air conditioned rooms cost a bit more) for my money.
Monte Carlo hotel had an adjoining restaurant but I did not eat there. There is also a McDonalds, Dominos, Chinese restaurant and numerous Mexican taco joints within easy walking distance, as well as an HSBC bank with ATM machine, a couple of cheap internet cybercafes and numerous other small shops. There were a few other hotels nearby, including a Best Western brand hotel, however I did not check out their prices.
LOS MOCHIS TRAIN TERMINAL
The western terminal of the Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacifico train that runs from Los Mochis on the Pacific Coast inland to Chihuahua is located on the outskirts of Los Mochis town. It was a 10 minute 50 peso (USD 5) taxi journey from the centre of Los Mochis to the train station. I walked back in just under 1 hour, but wouldn´t recommend this, especially if you are carrying luggage.
BOOKING TICKET
I read on the Internet that it is advisable to book your train ticket in advance, so I went to the terminal the day before I wanted to make the train journey, and had no problems purchasing my ticket.
The ticket office is open from 09:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday, with much shorter opening hours at the weekend. Don´t bother turning up outside these hours expecting to be able to buy your ticket, the terminal was deserted at midday when I got there, very few trains pass through Los Mochis train station, this is not a Grand Central Station or Clapham Junction by any stretch of the imagination.
FIRST versus SECOND CLASS TICKET
I bought a economy (second class) train ticket as I am travelling on a budget - it cost me 990 pesos (USD 99). The second class train leaves at 07:00 and arrived in Chihuahua at 23:00.
The first class train costs double the price, and does not stop at as many stations on the way, so arrives in Chihuahua a lot earlier in the day. The only other difference that I read about on the internet is that the first class train has a better restaurant-bar dining carriage on the train.
THE JOURNEY
You can read about my journey on my travel blog here.
Some recommendations for you based on my experience:
1) There is plenty of luggage space above the seats, just make sure you get on the train immediately when it arrives at Los Mochis station, as it (and the luggage racks) fill up quickly.
2) The toilets were okay but bring your own toilet roll incase.
3) I specifically asked for a seat on the right hand side of the train as had previously read on the internet that it offered more scenic views. From what I saw during my journey, it did.
4) Make sure you have warm clothes with you, the train (and outside) gets cold later on.
5) Don't do the entire journey from Los Mochis to Chihuahua in one day. Spend at least 2 days in Creel, and use those days to visit some spectacular nearby scenery (that incidentally is the equal for a lot of the US National Parks I have visited minus the expensive park entry fees and loud tourists) such as Basaseachi Waterfall, Divisadero (Barrancas Del Cobre), Valley of the Monks, Valley of the Mushrooms etc. If you don't go to these places, you are missing out on most of the best scenery the Copper Canyon has to offer.
Also note that the Divisadero Canyon view where the train stops is really only the tip of the iceberg. Within a mile are glass-bottomed vantage points, precarious (at least to me!) suspension bridges anda photo opportunity on a wobbly rock that is definitely not for the faint-hearted or weak-stomached.
6) Plan your accomodation in Chihuahua in advance. I didn't, and ended up getting ripped off and paying double what I could have.
