Links to Mexican bus companies: Bus routes, bus schedules and prices.
Futura    Omnibus de Mexico    ETN    TAP    Vallarta Plus    Primera Plus

Other Helpful Links

www.ticketbus.com.mx - A good site for buying tickets for central and southern Mexico (in English).

www.mexicobusschedules.com- This site provides some bus schedules for $1.99 each

Buses in Mexico

I have never liked cars. I don't like to drive and I don't feel safe in them. I like having several tons of steel in front of me for protection. Besides that, on a bus you can sleep, talk to people, read, watch the scenery, and watch movies. It is really quite entertaining. People hop aboard and sell food and other things. On occasion even musicians come on and play a few tunes. On my first really long trip (36 hours) my friend told me "Oh, it will be fun". And it was.... kind of.

Besides that, public transportation is better for the environment and you don't have to pay those high gas prices. Story continues after chart...

NAME	CONTACT INFO	DESTINATIONS	CLASS	COMMENT
Omnibus de Mexico	01800/765-6636 (Mexico); www.odm.com.mx	Serving most of mainland Mexico, from Sonora to Guerrero	First Class	Credit cards accepted; nice website
UNO	55/5133-2424 or 01800/702-8000 (Mexico); www.uno.com.mx	Serving Mexico City (including the airport) and the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Tabasco	First Class
ADO/GL	55/5133-2424 or 01800/702-8000 (Mexico); www.adogl.com.mx	Serving Campeche, Quintana Roo (Cancun, Tulum), Yucatan (Chichen Itza, Merida), Mexico City, Oaxaca (Huatulco), Puebla, Tampico, Chiapas (Palenque, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Tapachula), Veracruz (Coatzacoalcos, Cordoba, El Tajin, Jalapa), Tabasco (Villahermosa)	First Class
Estrella de Oro	55/5549-8520 or 01800/900-0105 (Mexico); www.estrelladeoro.com.mx	Serving Acapulco, Chipalcingo, Taxco, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Veracruz, Mexico City Airport	Executive	Credit cards accepted; advance reservations by phone; bathroom; movies; extra large, reclining seats (some lines)
Grupo Senda	818/375-7577 or 01800/017-3632 or 01800/890-9090 (Mexico); www.gruposenda.com	Serving Texas (USA) and the northern states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi	First Class	Credit cards accepted (including AmEx); advance reservations online or by phone; bathroom
Primera Plus	322/290-0716 (Puerto Vallarta) or 01800/375-7587	Pacific and Central Mexico, including Aguascalientes, Queretaro, Leon, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Barra de Navidad, Colima, Guadalajara	First Class
Estrella de Oro/Pullman	55/5133-2424 or 01800/624-0360 (Mexico); www.pullman.com.mx	Mexico City airport, Cuernavaca airport	Executive	Credit cards accepted; advance reservations by phone; separate men’s and women’s bathrooms; movies; extra-large reclining seats
Cristobal Colon	55/5133-2424 or 01800/2128–6527 (Mexico)	Destinations in southern Mexico, including mainly the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas	First-class	movies, bathroom, reclining seats
Sur	55/5133-2424 or 01800/702–8000 (Mexico)	Serving destinations in Oaxaca, Puebla, and Chiapas	Economy	Reclining seats
ATS	55/5133-2424 or 01800/702–8000 (Mexico)	Campeche City and minor destinations in the state of Campeche	Economy	Reclining seats
Mayab	55/5133-2424 or 01800/702–8000 (Mexico)	The Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun, Carrillo Puerto, Chetumal, Merida, Muna, Oxcutzcab, Ticul, Tulum, Tzuzucab	Economy	Reclining seats
Oriente	55/5133-2424 or 01800/2128–6527 (Mexico)	The Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancún, Piste, Chichen Itza, Izamal, Merida, Valladolid	Economy	Reclining seats
CostaBus	55/5729-0807 or 01800/507–5500 (Mexico); www.costaline.com.mx	Pacific Coast, including Acapulco, Huatulco, Chilpancingo, Ixtapa, Puerto Escondido, Taxco, Zihuatanejo	First-class	Movies; large reclining seats, bathroom

The long distance buses in Mexican are quite luxurious. Forget the chickens. For some reason the idea of chickens on Mexican buses has survived 30 years past its demise. They now have air-conditioning, reserved seating, reclining seats, music, movies, and bathrooms. Some even have coffee bars and give you a bag of food when you get on. Executive class is the best but they don't have it for all routes. TAP, Futura, Omnibus de Mexico and ETN are a few of the better lines.

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The only downside for me is that they show movies throughout the day - usually action films - the old Arnold Schwarzenegger type. A nice nap is constantly interrupted by the sounds of explosions and machine guns.

For your comfort is it best to bring earplugs, eye shades, a small pillow and a light blanket or sarong. Be sure to bring socks and a sweatshirt as it can be quite cool with the air conditioning on. Also, bring magazines, a good book and healthy snacks such as apples, carrots and nuts.

The buses stop every 2 or 3 hours so you can get out and stretch your legs. When you get out, ask the bus driver how long you will be staying there. (cuantos minutos). They may stay anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes so you can use the bathrooms and get a snack or meal. The restrooms are generally clean and cost 2 or 3 pesos. The snacks at the bus stations are very expensive - sometimes double the normal price. They also make special meal stops at roadside inns where you can get a full meal - carne asada, chicken etc.

The buses run frequently. Along the stretch from Tijuana to Guadalajara there is probably one every 10 minutes. To get from point A to point B you usually have to go to a hub city like Guadalajara. The Lonely Planet guidebook has the bus schedules and tells you how long each trip takes along with outdated prices. Try to plan your trip so you arrive at your destination during the day - preferably early in the day to get a good hotel.

Another great thing about Mexican buses is you generally don't need reservations. You can go whenever you want, any day, any time. An exception to this rule would be during Semana Santa or Christmas.

The word for bus station in Spanish is "camionera central".

Pat Cordes

More bus companies in Mexico: ETN, Futura, Tap, Primera Plus, Estrellas de Pacifico, ABC, TAP, Elite, Norte de Sonora, Tres Estrellas, Omnibus de Mexico