Traveling by Bus in Mexico

TRAVELING BY BUS IN MEXICO
by Marita Adair

Buses are an excellent way to get around Mexico. Sometimes, they're the only way to get from large cities to other nearby cities and small villages. Since there's little English spoken at bus stations, come prepared with your destination written down, then double check the departure several times just to make sure you get to the right departing lane on time.

Dozens of Mexican companies operate large, air-conditioned, Greyhound-type buses between most cities. Travel class is generally labeled first, second, and deluxe and is referred to by a variety of names--plus, de lujo, ejecutivo, primera plus, etc. The deluxe buses often have fewer seats than regular buses, show video movies en route, are air-conditioned, and have few stops. Many run express from origin to their final destination. The few dollars extra you'll pay is worth it. Second class buses have many stops and cost only slightly less than first-class or deluxe buses.

Whenever possible, it's best to buy your reserved-seat ticket, often via a computerized system, a day in advance on many long-distance routes. Schedules are fairly dependable, so be at the terminal on time for departure. But beware that routes and times change, and as there's no central directory of schedules for the whole country, current information must be obtained from local bus stations.

For long trips, always carry food, water, toilet paper, and a sweater in case the air-conditioning is too strong.

Below are some helpful bus links:

TICKETBUS.COM - This may be the first place to look when you're planning a bus trip. It covers many bus lines. You select "from" destination and "to" destination. Up pops your choices of lines, with the cost of a ticket and how long the trip will take. Then you click to find out departure times on whichever line you choose. It also lists the deluxe lines. Only experience will tell how often they update this, but it looks very promising for the bus travelers among us. Here are several more options if the above doesn't work.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Marita Adair has been writing about Mexico for many years. She's the author The Hungry Traveler: Mexico, A Menu Translator and Food Guide.