Teresita

I know how unsettling foreign travel can be for older relatives. I just checked on tripadvisor. Your question came up, and a B&B owner in Ajijic recommended this travel company for ETN tix: http://viajesajijic.com/
Try emailing them ---- the website is in English. They should have the most current info.
Have a great trip, and nice of you to help your aunt!

zhengqiji

Great info!

I have two questions. Any help would be appreciated.

From Mexico City to Guanajuato, ticket prices at 540.00 peso at http://www.etn.com.mx/index.php. If buy at counter, will it get a little discount? Is there any other companies run the same route?

From Cancun to Chichen Itza, ADO runs a bus leaving at 08:45am. Is this the only bus ADO run from Cancun to Chichen Itza? Any other bus companies compete on this route? We are planning visit Chichen Itza before X'mas, around 20 to 22, do we need to purchase tickets a few days before? Is online purchase reliable at http://www.ado.com.mx/ado/. Or consider a tour. But that will cost much more than take a bus, right? We are a party of two.

Thanks in advance. :-)

JDiver

You are no more likely to "get a little discount" at the counter than you would from an airline. You may find "Faresaver" or similar purchasing in advance online, purchasing walk up fares can cause you lengthy delays to wait for an availale bus or get you a poor seat.

I might recommend purchasing to Chichen in advance, as it is high season and likely to be crowded and AFAIK the 8:15 is the only bus; the 1630 return offers you some time in the archaeological zone.

A tour will cost more - but it will include transport, admission fees and often guiding and a meal, so compare and see what you would prefer.

Mexico - Guanuajuato has several lines, including (more direcly) ETN and Primera Plus. On the latter, you can easily book your seats in advance.

zhengqiji

Thank you. I will purchase in advance. Can I purchase tickets for Chichen at any ADO counters, say Merida?

Looks like a tour save some. I will compare them.
Thanks. I'll check both.

zhengqiji

wow, you can see seatmap and select seats at pp website. looks really fancy!

It shows local for Mexico- Guanuajuato route and I didn't see advance or first class route. any problem with it?

luxxpess202

really awesome post!

-luxx

sbtinme

fabulous thread! Really appreciate all of the legwork done for the rest of us!!

Looking forward to our first ETN trip PVR-->GDL in a month.

JDiver

Great! If you get a chance, share what it was like.

I did several redeyes like Mexico D.F. Ciudad Victoria on Transportes del Norte and the like in the old days, but my worst ever was standing from Mazatlán all the way to Tecate, 1,062 miles and about 17 hours , (where I finally got a seat to Tijuana, so I could cross the border and get to SMF for a job interview that suddenly became available; I got the job.)

gonezen

This thread is great! Just wondering...I'm taking a self directed "bus tour" of colonial Mexico, i.e., Morelia, Gaudalajara, Guanajato and Queretaro in February. Based on this thread I've done some initial planning on buses, times, fares, etc. Specifically, on the PrimeraPlus bus between Guanajuato and Queretaro, some days come up with schedules and others say nothing scheduled. Does this bus does run seven days a week? Do most Mexican bus schedules run seven days? I've only checked PrimeraPlus, I'm assuming there are other options between those two cities.

JDiver

Most busses run seven days, but schedules may vary depending on demand, weekdays, holidays, etc. There should be other options between Guanajuato and Queretaro - lines could include Primera Plus · Autobuses Sin Fronteras · Omnibus Mexicanos · Omnibus de Mexico · TTUR · Autobuses de la Piedad · Autobuses de Occidente · Autobuses Estrella Blanca · Omnibus de OTE · ACM Flecha Amarilla · ETN.

jackal

Booked ADO Platino for MXN$764 for tomorrow. First Platino departure of the day is 2pm; hopefully I'll get to see most of the reputedly good scenery before it gets dark.

What time should I plan on arriving at TAPO?

Also, when I went there today to buy the ticket, I didn't see where the VIP lounge was. I'm sure I can ask tomorrow (in my haltingly limited Spanish), but if anyone has any tips, that'd be great.

BTW, while the ADO website was quite functional and easy to use (they must have gotten your message, JDiver!), I was not able to buy the ticket online Sunday night, since I have a tarjeta de credito extranjera. Fortunately, the advance-purchase promotional fare ($764 vs. $944) was still available when I made it out to TAPO about 21 hours before scheduled departure--at which time no other seats on the bus were showing as occupied (so I picked the front seat on the right side--I saw someone mention online somewhere that the right side is the best for scenery).

Will report back after the trip, but if anyone has any tips, I'd be appreciative.

ETA: Report: I got to TAPO about 1:15 before departure. More than plenty of time (as I suspected). The Platino "sala VIP" (a room with padded chairs) was immediately next to the ADO Platino ticket desk--not sure how I missed that yesterday. Free wifi, (some) power outlets, and private restrooms made it better than hanging out in the terminal. Luggage check was handled inside the waiting room.

I took a picture of the wifi code with my phone so I could bring it back across the room to my laptop and the attendant "tsk tsk"ed me. I guess she thought I was going to share it online. Hmm, maybe I should, just to spite her.

Departure in 30 minutes--gonna run and grab something to take on the road, as my reading says that even the Platino service doesn't come with a meal (unlike the cama services in Argentina, which I experienced a couple of weeks ago).

EATA: Boarded about 12 minutes before departure. Carry-on bag check and WTMD security, followed by check-in at the podium, where we were given earphones, an eye mask, and choice of beverage (Pepsi, 7-Up, Manzanita Sol, or water). On-time departure to the second immediately after two stragglers showed up at the last minute. Very nice ride--seats large and comfy. No one next to me--in fact, I didn't count, but I think there are fewer than 10 people on the bus. Hot or "cold" (room temperature) water available in the back as well as powdered coffee, tea, cream, and sugar; nothing else available. Nice views of a couple of high peaks en-route and then some fairly stunning scenery on the right side (glad I picked it!) on the pass between Puebla and Oaxaca. The scenery was timed perfectly for sunset; if I'd have picked a later bus, I would have missed it (the sun set just as we were coming down the south side of the pass). If you want great photos, I'd suggest a morning bus (although there are no ADO Platinos that leave in the morning), as I was taking pictures into the sun. No wifi on-board, but good 3G cell signal available for most of the route except in the mountain passes. Glad I splurged for Plat!

fliesdelta

Hello,

I need to get from MEX airport to Huajuapan de Leon. What bus station and line would be my best bet?

I went through this thread, and visited some of the websites mentioned herein, but still not finding the answer to the above.

Thanks! In case season makes a difference, this will be June 1st for the trip to Huajuapan de Leon, and June 15th for the return to MEX.

JDiver

Without further checking from here right now (I'll do so later) the easiest might be MEX to Puebla and on to Huajuapan de León from the terminal there. Theravada would be possible, but I think you'd be in for a terminal change.

fliesdelta

Thanks for the info so far.

What's the best way to get from MEX to the bus terminal, to catch the bus to Puebla? It will be two of us, plus our 22" carry-ons and laptop backpacks.

jackal

I think there's a bus directly from the airport to Puebla. (I encountered information about it it when researching how to get from Mexico City to Oaxaca--there were references to taking a direct bus to Oaxaca from TAPO, the main bus terminal for buses heading south, or going directly from the airport to Puebla and changing there.)

If you do end up needing to get to TAPO, there are a few ways:

1) Prepaid taxi booth: likely the simplest/fastest, and the fare shouldn't be that much, since TAPO is on the east side of town close to the airport. Shop around at a couple of the taxi booths just outside the door from T2; the first one we checked was 2x the cost of the second. I'd guess you'd be looking at around 100 pesos to TAPO (we paid 160 pesos to Reforma). These stands take cards, although there are ATMs inside the terminal.
2) Metrobus: Metrobus serves both T1 and T2, and the line that serves the airport is generally not overcrowded like the other lines (since the fare is so much higher--30 pesos vs. 6 pesos). You need a Tarjeta DF (RFID tap card), though, to ride the Metrobus, and I'm not sure where, if at all, you can get it at the airport. I think San Lazaro is the first stop after leaving T2, which is located right next door to TAPO.
3) Metro: take the inter-terminal monorail from T2 to T1 and walk the very short walk to the Metro stop. Not a great idea if you have any amount of luggage, although some lines of the Metro are definitely less crowded than others off-peak (not sure about the line from the airport--I didn't ride that line). You'll head to San Lazaro, which is right next to TAPO.