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For Semana Santa 2013, F and I decided to do what I have since called the Magical Mexican Mountain Town Tour. As most readers know, Mexico is blessed with numerous charming colonial cities and towns, many not too far from Mexico City. Despite my extensive travels around Mexico, there were three spots I had wanted to visit for a long time, and a fourth that I wanted to revisit: San Luis Potosí, SLP; Zacatecas, ZAC; Aguascalientes, AGS; and San Miguel de Allende, GTO, which is always a charmer, along with its blogging inhabitants. By the way, Santiago de Querétaro (more commonly known simply as Querétaro) really belongs on such a tour. But we had been there before, and only had a week to spend, so we just passed through. Semana Santa is high travel season in Mexico for good reason. Many people take the week off, and most cities have lots of festivities and events to celebrate the holiday. So while you’ll not find too many bargains on hotels, you will have lots to do and see that week wherever you go. In the towns we picked, there was plenty to see.
In true Mexican tradition, we decided to do the tour via bus, which is a terrific way to see Mexico. The buses go from Centro to Centro, often allowing you to walk or take a very short taxi ride to your hotel, and provide a terrific view of the often-fascinating countryside you are passing through. Contrary to old stereotypes, Mexican buses are new, comfortable, and luxurious, with plush reclining seats, and in-flight movies. Unfortunately that latter bit sometimes utilizes the bus’s PA system for the audio, but it’s easily enough blocked out with an iPod if you’re like me and prefer to look out the window. At night, it helps to while away the hours on board. If you travel first class (which I’d recommend) you also usually get a sandwich or something similar (at least in the bus line’s view) and a soft drink or fruit juice. The buses also have lavatories.
Also contrary to stereotypes, you can book tickets online, select your seats, pay with a credit card, and then download the boarding pass to your smartphone. Both F and I were a bit suspicious about how well iPhone boarding passes would be received at the bus station, but we had no problem, and got five or ten percent discount on the ticket for doing so. If you prefer to do things the twentieth-century way, you can buy paper tickets at the bus station, or at many Oxxos or other stores. Generally you need not book farther than a few hours in advance in order to get a seat, and runs are frequent, so you should pretty much be able to travel at will without too much planning. We didn’t book any ticket more than about 12 hours in advance, and most of them we booked a few hours before we left. If you happen to be traveling with a teacher (as I was), they get a special discount, as do students, seniors and children. Be sure to have documentation of your discount status to show upon boarding.
The only limitation of the Mexican bus system is that there’s no site where you can book tickets from point A to point B where you change buses and bus companies at some intermediate point. So it’s up to you to figure out which bus company goes where. For us, this meant that we had to do a bit of work to figure out our itinerary from Aguascalientes to San Miguel de Allende, as no single bus company runs that route. Our initial reaction was, “Oh, my God, you can’t get there from here.” But since León is a large-ish city in between, F figured that we should try to pass through there, and that did the trick. We had a layover just long enough to have lunch and do some shopping in between buses. And we were able to leave the luggage in the station for a small fee. (León is famous for its leather goods, and there’s plenty to buy around the bus station.) And unlike the pinches airlines, you can show up at the bus station 15-20 minutes before departure and sail right onto the bus. The most elaborate security measures consist of passing through a metal detector, and being videotaped in your seat immediately before departure. Even those measures aren’t followed on all routes. The other interesting thing we learned is that several of the Mexican bus companies now offer service from Mexico to places like Houston, Dallas, and other Southwestern cities. So you could conceivably even start such a tour stateside without ever setting foot on an airplane. And the bus stations in Mexico are generally nice, clean, and usually have convenience stores, and sometimes restaurants.
The big Mexican bus companies include the below. Note that I basically copied and translated the list from this link. And of course I added a few comments too.
Autobuses de Oriente ADO – Bus service to various cities of the Southeast. Website only in Spanish.
Enlaces Terrestres Nacionales ETN – Comfortable and luxurious buses with destinations around the center of the country. We used this one a lot and the website is available in English.
Estrella Blanca – Bus service to various cities around Mexico. “Estrella Blanca” means “White Star,” but don’t worry about comparisons with The Titanic; there are no icebergs on Mexican highways. The website appears to be available only in Spanish. Sencillo = one-way, Redondo = Round trip. Amusingly enough, “Estrella Blanca” is also the name of a famous Mexican luchador enmascarado, a random fact I just learned.
Estrella de Oro – Destinations to Oaxaca, Estado de México, Veracruz, Guerrero, Morelos and Mexico City. I believe we once took this line from DF to Oaxaca. On the way back, the driver made frighteningly good time on the twisty mountain highway. ‘Nuff said. Website only in Spanish.
Ómnibus de México – Bus service to various cities around the Republic of Mexico, often abbreviated to simply ODM. The website is available in English.
Omnibus Mexicanos. This line offers a surprisingly wide range of service between US cities as far north as Indiana and Ohio to the northern parts of Mexico and DF. Website is in Spanish, though they do appear to have a US 1-800 number. If you’ve always wanted to visit Mexico, but are afraid of flying, this may be for you.
Primera Plus – Bus service to various cities around Central Mexico. We rode this company’s buses several times and were generally happy with the service. Website is available in English too.
TAP Transportes y Autobuses del Pacífico: Bus service to the Pacific Northwest (of Mexico) leaving from Mexico City up through Tijuana. Website only in Spanish.
Turistar – First Class Service, ample coverage and comfort. This is now part of ETN, and it’s not clear there’s any difference between the two lines. Website (basically ETN’s) available in English.
Reserbus – Destinations, timetables, and reservations on line. I haven’t tried this site, but it appears to contradict my paragraph above about the lack of an Expedia for Mexican buses. Only available in Spanish.
Coming up, I’ll write at least one post about each destination, with lots of photos, and perhaps some additional commentary. We’ll begin with San Luis Potosí. If you’re interested in Mexico’s highland colonial cities, this is the tour for you.
willc88 said:
You’ve certainly done your homework on the buses over here! Really freaked me out the first time I was recorded sitting in my seat! I’ve heard that little narco joke up a comment above too, LOL.
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Kim G said:
Thanks, Will! I too was kind of freaked out about being recorded in my seat, but I got over it. Given traffic and everything else, I think the buses are a great way to get around. Saludos!
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Terri said:
I decided that a trip to wherever (a beach destination) would be exciting after visiting some family in Aguascalientes, AGS some years ago. My husband, not the adventurous type, was not so excited. If my memory serves me right I think we ended up in Manzanillo. We’ve traveled by bus often when visiting Mexico and have had only one bad experience, but it was after our bus ride. We had just returned to Mexico City from Acapulco late in the evening and our taxi driver refused to take us to our hotel near the Zocalo saying that the area was closed. Of course, it was a scam and he took us to another hotel where I’m sure he got a kickback. If we hadn’t been so tired, we would have gotten another taxi to our hotel of choice.
I enjoy your blog and am getting ready to read your SLP posts. I’ve not been there, but hope to get there someday soon.
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Kim G said:
Hi Terry, Sorry about the bad DF taxi experience. I’ve never heard of that particular scam, but I’ll mentally file it away. I’m glad you like the blog. Thanks for reading! Saludos.
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Florentino said:
I love to travel by bus, because that way I can do a lot of thinking and reflecting while I see beautiful landscapes. When I travel south, beyond Tampico and into the state of Veracruz, it’s great to see how the high, stone mountains and desert vegetation characteristic of the region where I live give way to more tropical landscapes and lots of trees on top of the mountains and on both sides of the road. The road to Zacatecas is so straight that some people I know say they get sleepy. After a horryfing flight from Paris to Houston in 1997, I ended up with such panic that I refused to fly for several years (I have recovered, I think). This is what made it possible the longest and most enjoyable bus-ride of my life: Monterrey, Mexico to Toronto, Canada! Another long trip I made was from Monterrey, Mexico to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero on a Christmas eve several years ago. I remember boarding the bus with a lot of clothes on due to inclement weather: thermal shirt, sweater, overcoat, scarf, cap, gloves… as the bus was reaching its destination I was performing a private strip-tease and ended up with my pants on but no shirt… it was absolutely hot. Thank God the Mexican bus companies have been introducing better and better buses every year, so every ride is a luxurious experience. Nothing to do with those terribly uncomfortable Greyhound junkers I rode in my Monterrey-Toronto trip. Oooops this was a long comment!
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Kim G said:
I totally agree with you. The Mexican countryside is so interesting, I always try to get a window seat. The mountains between DF and Oaxaca, for example, are majestic. And there’s a stretch of highway on the way to Xalapa which looks positively prehistoric, with its cactus trees and interesting rock formations. I love the image of you undressing along the way to Zihuatanejo. When you wrote how bundled up you were, I was thinking, “he’s gonna be hot by the time he gets there.” And yes, the buses are one of the cool things about Mexico. Saludos!
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Croft said:
This post is very helpful to us, Kim. We have thought about taking the bus from SMA to the DF one year and this information will make things easier. We are also along for your tour. Have fun.
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billiem said:
Croft, It is easy peasy to take the bus from SMA to DF. I’m going to do it soon, solo, to go see the Mexican Suitcase exhibition. When you get to the North Bus Station you cue up and buy a taxi ticket, load up in the taxi and give them the address of where you are going and you are off to your hotel.
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Kim G said:
I’ll second that. And there’s a bus from SMA to DF at least every hour. The best part? You don’t have to drive in DF traffic yourself.
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Croft said:
Driving the car in the DF is what has kept us away so far.
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Kim G said:
I’ve driven there a few times. It’s no worse than Boston, but that’s not saying much, LOL. I don’t recommend that tourists try to drive in Boston either. At least the streets in DF are wide, straight, and well-marked. If only the same could be said for Boston.
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Kim G said:
As I noted in Billie’s comment, bus from SMA to DF is a great way to go, and you definitely don’t want to try to maneuver your rig in DF traffic. Thanks for reading and saludos!
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PY said:
This is chock full of info! – Amazing!
PY
“Raising the Spirits Of The World – One Accordion at a Time”
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Kim G said:
Hey PY!
So great to get a comment from you. I’m working on part II, but starting to think that San Luis Potosí deserves at least two posts.
Hugs, Kim
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Robert Gill said:
Any news on the much talked about return to rail passenger service? Will it happen or has it been forgotten? I have fond memories of rail service.
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Kim G said:
Hi Robert, I don’t know anything specific, but I think passenger rail service is gone forever. I have visited various passenger railway stations around Mexico which have been converted into museums. Further, rail has a VERY hard time competing with the economics of buses. Saludos.
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John Calypso said:
I am signing on to the tour – Thanks for the bus info.
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Kim G said:
Unfortunately we don’t have any roadies. But we’ll try to be entertaining. Saludos.
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Tancho said:
In our area ETN is the first class bus system we use all the time, a treat especially when coming off a long flight from the US like to GDL, where their seat and service is better than the plane experience.
I will have to try the bus to wherever trip one of these days….
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Kim G said:
My gosh, airplanes can’t hold a candle to ETN or any of the other first-class Mexican buses. I like the idea of the bus-to-wherever trips. I’ll have to try one one of these days. Saludos.
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Cat said:
It’s been a while since I took any buses in México, but I am saving this information just in case I ever convince my better half to move south of the border. Looking forward to the rest of your tour AND freezing NOB!
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Kim G said:
You never know when it’ll come in handy. But you don’t have to move there in order to benefit. Just take a vacation. As for “freezing NOB,” I’ll be doing that Tuesday night when I return to Boston. Saludos desde San Francisco.
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William said:
Thanks, Kim, for your detailed description of bus travel in Mexico. Although we had a bad experience yesterday buying bus tickets at Cancún airport (see my latest blog post), I thoroughly recommend first class bus travel in Mexico. I have been traveling by bus in Mexico for the past 40 years, and it puts U.S. intercity bus service to shame.
We were joking with each other other about trying to find places that we had NOT visited in Mexico. Well, I guess you win the competition for now, because I have not been to San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, León or Aguascalientes. I look forward to reading your upcoming posts.
Saludos,
Bill (who is currently in rainy Mérida, Yucatán)
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Kim G said:
I won! I won! LOL… Actually, I wasn’t all that fond of León, especially that bit near the bus station. But we did have a decent lunch, and had I wanted leather goods, I’d have been in paradise. I hope the skies in Mérida clear for you soon.
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William said:
The rain yesterday was just “chipichipi” (light drizzle) and didn’t interfere with sightseeing. Late afternoon the skies cleared, and the moon was visible last night. Looks like it might be a sunny day today.
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billiem said:
I’ve had an adventure or two some years back on supposedly First Class Buses but these days everything seems to run like clockwork. I’ve taken the bus from San Miguel to DF a number of times and I’ve been thinking I’d like to head off to some other places. So I’m going to let you be my tour guide. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Another thought, I met a woman in Houston who also lives in Guanajuato and when she has a free day, she goes to the bus station in the morning and picks out some town she hasn’t been too that isn’t too far away and takes off, then comes back that evening. Sounds like a wonderful way to explore.
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Kim G said:
Wow, I love your friend’s method of travel. I’ll have to give that one a try myself some day. As for the buses, we have had nary a problem in the last few years. Except perhaps for an overly-quick return from Oaxaca to DF. But we lived to travel another day, LOL. Saludos.
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Andean said:
When I am in Mexico I take local buses to and from the small towns. It’s quick and easy. I usually ask the driver to shout out the street (or a landmark like– the big tree by the flea market) if I am not familiar with the area. If the buses decide to stop running before I am ready to go home I hop in a cab.
I have yet to travel around Mexico in the big plush buses, but my sister who frequently does always gives them a good review. She’s also big on buying tickets in advance–she loves this feature.
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Kim G said:
I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to book on line. And especially if you’re traveling, you don’t often have access to a printer, so it’s nice that they’ll take an electronic boarding pass. Of course, your name is also on the manifest the guy on the platform has when you board. And it’s probably a win for the bus company too since they don’t have to pay a commission to the Oxxo or whatever. Saludos!
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Don Cuevas said:
We very recently purchased a ticket on ETN but at an AutoVias taquilla.(A few days apart). When we started to board, the lovely boarding hostess looked askance at our tickets and had to go off to confer with the local ticket agent. But it all worked out and we were allowed to board.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
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Kim G said:
Good thing I wasn’t in charge, or you never would have been allowed to board, LOL… Just kidding. I hope you had a nice trip. Saludos!
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ladyofthecakes said:
I’ve done this in Costa Rica, and it’s been a nice experience, especially as the countryside is so stunning.
Look forward to the photos 🙂
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Kim G said:
I’m going through them right now, and wondering why I didn’t take more.
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ladyofthecakes said:
Sometimes I get far too distracted by prettiness to take photos of it 😉
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Bruce Kelley said:
Nice job, Kim! We have ridden the buses down here quite a bit and I still learned a lot from your post. And I appreciate you addressing the stereotypes.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers~
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Kim G said:
Hi Bruce, Thanks for the kind comments. I’ve certainly learned a thing or two about travel from your blog, especially in Yucatán. Saludos!
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Barbara said:
Love this post! Thank you. I’ve yet to take a bus in Mexico, though once I’m settled it will be my primary means of travel within the country, so I really appreciate this.
I’ll be in San Miguel April 4th-26th for Semana Santa. Can’t wait!
I look forward to (all) your further posts in this series.
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Kim G said:
Hi Barbara! I’m glad you enjoy the post. I was hoping it’d provide some utility for people hoping to travel around Mexico. I’m beginning to wonder why I want to drive my truck there, LOL. Saludos.
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Felipe Zapata said:
“Mexican buses are new, comfortable, and luxurious, with plush reclining seats, and in-flight movies.”
Well, some are. Not all, by a long shot. It’s important to restrict any bus travel of any real distance to those called either First Class (Primera Clase) or Luxury (Lujo). I prefer the latter, always.
Nice rundown, sir. For me, ETN is the cat’s pajamas, especially if one has long legs.
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Kim G said:
Good points. We always travel Primera Clase or Lujo, but I suppose you can find lesser buses. I can’t say I’ve traveled often enough at close enough intervals to develop a brand preference. And compared to the normal “cattle class” the airlines are offering these days, the legroom on the Mexican buses is fantastic. But I will keep your comment on ETN in mind.
Saludos!
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Felipe Zapata said:
ETN is the only line I have encountered with only three seats across. Two are together, and the third is across the aisle. It really increases the space.
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Kim G said:
I was trying to remember if that was the typical configuration or just ETN. But it’s definitely a nice thing, provides lots of extra room.
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Don Cuevas said:
Turistar Lujo, although part of ETN, had, in our single experience, inferior amenities aboard.
It may have been anomalous, but the ETBN bus we recently took needed a good cleaning of the upholstery.
And what’s worse, they had only teabags but not coffee at the self service coffee spot near the restrooms.
DC
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Kim G said:
Don Cuevas: Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve ever taken Touristar Lujo, but I don’t appreciate lack of cleaning, and no coffee in the coffee spot is nearly inexcusable. Thanks for your thoughtful comments on an old post. Saludos!
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Christine said:
Hey this looks like great fun! I am so looking forward to the rest of the tour!
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Kim G said:
Thanks! Once I started writing about the bus, I realized there was a whole post just on that. And I’d frankly have found such information useful before departing for some of my earlier Mexican trips, so I hope someone benefits. Saludos.
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Babs said:
I’ve traveled all over on the buses. They are all that you say. The one I took from the South Terminal in Mexico City to Oaxaca, gave as freebies, a sleeping mask, a blanket and slippers! I was stunned. Better then first class on a plane nowadays.
Total cost from San Miguel to Oaxaca was less then $75USD each way! Now that I have an Inapam card it would be half that cost!
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Kim G said:
I have to say, what with the hassle of driving, parking (particularly in the Centro of a colonial town), risk to the car while it’s unattended, and everything else, the bus is a surprisingly pleasant way to get around. Thanks for commenting.
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Don Cuevas said:
Babs, could you tell me what bus line that was? ADO?
We have always gone to Oaxaca from TAPO.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
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Kim G said:
Don Cuevas: I rather doubt she’ll ever read that comment again, but I’d suggest e-mailing her. If you don’t have her address, I do. Saludos!
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Steve Cotton said:
Great summary of the bus system. I have been on a bus only once since I moved here — an ETN to Guadalajara to pick up my new car last year. The experience was everything you described. I would do it again.
I have a Mexican friend who likes to say that the videos are taken to make it easier to match up heads with bodies. He likes his little narco jokes.
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Kim G said:
LOL…matching heads up with bodies. That’s too funny. But not true, of course. Most of the bodies are still hidden by the seat backs, so the videos typically are of little help for that particular task. Saludos!
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