How to Travel Long Distance Within Mexico
No planes, trains or automobiles needed here
Planning a trip from Mexico City to San Miguel de Allende? Need to get from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta? Something in Querétaro caught your eye, but you're in Morelia? No hay problema - distances such as these can be easily bridged in Mexico by following these 2 simple steps:
Step 1: Don't rent a car
Step 2: Buy a bus ticket
OK, there is really only one step. I feel like I need to mention step 1, because for so many people in the U.S. and Canada, the obvious answer for getting from A to B is: rent a car! Heck yeah! I use cars all the time back home. But I can't bring my car on an airplane, so of course I'm going to rent one when I get where I'm going!!
Whoa there, Mario Andretti! There's more to life than spinning your own wheels. Mexico doesn't really need more cars on the road, and unless you plan to spend time in rural areas, there are much better alternatives for getting from Point A to Point B than rental cars.
Meet the First Class Bus
I know what you're thinking: you're thinking about that nightmare trip you made when you were 26 on a Greyhound bus from Memphis to Tampa. Yeah, I'm thinking about it too. I sure don't want to go through that again. I'd prefer to just sit at home and binge watch The White Lotus, thank you very much.
Thankfully, you don't have to re-live your wonder years squeezed into the rapidly disintegrating seat of a bus that should have been decommissioned 35 years ago. And you can download The White Lotus and binge watch it on the road - all from the comfort of one of Mexico's First Class buses! Far from the Greyhound experiences of your lost youth, First Class buses are modern, clean, comfortable and full of surprising amenities such as deeply reclining seats, personal video screens, foot and leg supports, WiFi, baños, and food and drink to purchase on board 1. Some of these buses are even double-deckers, with extra amenities upstairs.
Wait a minute, I'm not Elon Musk, with a suitcase full of hundred dollar bills to throw around on fancy buses
No worries! First, who wants to be Elon Musk? Second, First Class buses are comparatively inexpensive, especially if you come from Canada or the U.S. A ticket from Mexico City to Morelia - a 4 hour trip - right now (Feb 1, 2022) costs just 581 pesos, which with today's exchange rate is only about 31 USD or 41 CAD.
Which bus line offers First Class service?
There is not one, but many: ADO, Primera Plus, ETN, La Línea, to name a few.
How do I find a bus schedule for these First Class buses?
Point your browser at Reservamos. The site is in Spanish, but you can use your browser's translate function if you'd prefer to see it in English (but you're already well on your way to learning Spanish). On Reservamos, you can do the normal origin, destination, date, how many passengers thing to find what bus lines serve that route, and what their schedules are. You can even purchase your tickets on Reservamos, and select which seat(s) you want. You then just show up at the bus terminal with your e-tickets in hand (er, phone). Reservamos will tell you where the bus terminal is located, so you can tell the taxi or ride share driver exactly where you need to go; and since bus travel doesn't have all the security rigmarole and crowds of an airport, you can show up 20 minutes before departure and you should be good to go. Reservamos also has an app for iOS and Android, so you can find and purchase your tickets right from the palm of your hand.
That's all fine and well, but I really need something better than First Class
Fortunately for you, your need for maximum opulence is met by Mexico's Executive Class buses. These are a step above First Class, with the most notable difference being that Executive Class buses have a 1-2 seating configuration 2, rather than the standard 2-2 configuration of First Class buses.
What if I'm traveling very far between cities in Mexico?
First Class and Executive buses are great for trips between 1-5 hours in duration. But if your trip is longer, you may want to consider flying. There are a number of great options for inexpensive air travel within Mexico - Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobús are the most popular airlines. Volaris and Viva are considered "budget" airlines, and you can find really good fares with them - but they do sort of nickel-and-dime you with "upgrades" such as seat selection, carry-ons, etc. For this reason, many people prefer the more direct pricing options offered by Mexico's largest airline, Aeroméxico.
But for those under 5-ish hour trips, First Class buses are a safe, efficient, comfortable and environmentally-friendly way to get around. Sit back, enjoy the countryside rolling by, read a book, catch a show on your personal seat-back video screen, take a nap, eat a torta - life is good on a Mexican bus.
Your articles are fun to read! Thank you for the entertainment, as well as the practical advise!
We did a little highway moving around in the car recently and it reminded me of another benefit of taking the bus. You don't pay tolls. I guess they're baked into the price of a ticket, but even so it's spread out across the passengers and the trip is overall cheaper. Not to mention you don't have to fumble for coins and then crumble up the receipt and toss it on the floor with the candy wrappers and coffee cups.
Seriously, I've taken my car at times and the tolls add up. Be great to read an article from you Mike about it, if that's of interest. How it works, where's the money go, etc. I've heard the present administration wants (or wanted) to remove the toll requirement, but so far it seems to be a rumor, or wishful thinking.