Cheap flights from London to Merida

January is the cheapest month for this route, and fares stay reasonable from September through early December. The priciest stretch is the Christmas and New Year run, when everyone with family in Mexico or a winter escape in mind books at once, followed by Easter. Merida is at its most comfortable in the winter and spring months, so January gives you good weather and the lowest fares at the same time. Fly out midweek rather than at the weekend when your dates are flexible, and book a few months ahead for the winter window; the price calendar above shows how each departure month compares.

None of the airlines on this route fly London to Merida nonstop, so you are choosing a connection, not a plane. The list is mostly full-service network carriers — British Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines, AeroMéxico and Avianca — which usually sell the whole journey on one ticket, so your bag can be checked through and the airline rebooks you if a delay costs you the onward leg. WestJet sits apart from that group: its fare levels differ from the rest, so read what each one includes. The lowest fare classes on these airlines tend to come without a checked bag, and seat selection can cost extra.

Every itinerary on this route lands at M. Crescencio Rejon, the only airport serving Merida, so there is no second airport to weigh up once you are in Mexico. It sits close to the city, a short ride from the centre rather than the long haul out of town you get at bigger hubs. Taxis and app-based cars are the usual way in; agree the fare or check the app price before you get in, and have some local currency with you. Because you arrive on a connection, you clear immigration and customs in Merida, so keep your onward boarding pass and any forms you filled in on the plane to hand. If your tickets were booked separately, collect your bag at the connecting airport and check it in again.

Currency

MXN ($)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 127 V

Language

Yucatec Maya, Nahuatl, Spanish

Emergency number

911

Driving side

right

Calling code

+52

Internet domain

.mx

Population of Merida

892 k (2015)

Time zone

UTC-05 (America/Cancun)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Decide which London airport you leave from — City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton or Stansted — since switching between them on the day is a trip in itself.
• Check whether the whole journey sits on one ticket; if it does not, you collect and re-check your bag at the connecting airport.
• Read the baggage allowance on the fare you are about to buy, because the lowest fares on this route often exclude a checked bag.
• Confirm your passport and Mexico's entry requirements before you fly, and check that your passport has enough validity left for the trip.
• Compare departure months rather than single dates, since January is the cheapest month on this route and the winter holidays are the priciest.