Bus Travel in Mexico - People's Guide

Good article on bus travel in Mexico from the People's Guide to Mexico.

http://thepeoplesguidetomexico.com/blog/getting-around-mexico-by-bus-2/

I first read The Peoples Guide to Mexico about 35 years ago, a very enjoyable read.Doesn't the author Carl Franz live at Lakeside?

used to but maybe not anymore

viajero wrote:I first read The Peoples Guide to Mexico about 35 years ago, a very enjoyable read.Doesn't the author Carl Franz live at Lakeside?

I did too, Viajero. Bought the latest edition when I moved here. Cool peeps.

No, I think they're in the Pac NW now but their hearts are still in Mexico. You can follow them on the blog.

My favorite for overall bus information is Larpman's Mexico-Buses in Mexico's. It contains links and information about virtually all the commercial buses in Mexico.
http://www.larpman.com/transportpages/buspages/bus.html

The Peoples Guide to Mexico folks have been talking for years about writing a definitive guide to retiring in Mexico but now admit it may never get finished. A real shame.

The latest copy I have is the 13th edition. I have a 12th for free.

Z

Funny how I was sitting and reading this book today while selling a few things in front of my house!
13th edition
Great entertainment and info.
I read those travel stories over and over. Especially the one where they are at the border bringing in a child's tomb filled with baby doll parts they beach combed, and other weird stuff.
I would love to meet them. Did anyone out there meet them when they lived here?

God knows what edition of the People's Guide I first referred to, way back when. It is legend. Not at all a "where" to travel in Mexico guidebook, but instead a "how" to travel and "how to be" in Mexico guidebook.

(God Bless Carl Franz and Lorena....and their friend "Steve", if I recall?)

Years ago I found that Larpman website useful, when I didn't live here and was planning trips, but haven't needed to refer to it in a long time. Does he still update it?

Ooooh! Suddenly more lightening and thunder and rain! Have to batten down the hatches. Excellent!

You mean nobody wants a 12 edition for free?

Z

The edition I bought in 2004 is the 30th edition - not that the information or quality of the book diminishes with age - but they might even be up to the 31st or 32nd edition by now.

Somebody should take you up on that Z. A couple of weeks ago there was an older edition at the Tepehua (sp) thrift shop in Riberas.

Without a doubt, the best read on this country ever written, and fun to read! Should be required reading.

I have never met them, but I did see them walking in front of Salvador's one morning on tianguis day about 7 years ago. I was on the bus or I would have accosted them! Lorena told me by email that they have virtually abandoned the idea of a book on retirement, as they have enough on their plates as it is.

Trailrunner wrote:The edition I bought in 2004 is the 30th edition - not that the information or quality of the book diminishes with age - but they might even be up to the 31st or 32nd edition by now.

Somebody should take you up on that Z. A couple of weeks ago there was an older edition at the Tepehua (sp) thrift shop in Riberas.

.

If you look at the 30th anniversary edition on the cover on the inside it says 12th edition 2002. This is the green cover with a parrot.

Z

Guessing these folks wish they HADN'T taken the bus:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331593/Yanira-Maldonado-Family-claims-Mormon-mother-seven-falsely-held-Mexico-drug-smuggling.html#ixzz2UWHeUHoL

Perhaps something you left behind, Trailrunner (je je je).

Zedinmexico wrote:You mean nobody wants a 12 edition for free?

Z

I'd love that copy if still available next week when I get there.

Zedinmexico wrote:

If you look at the 30th anniversary edition on the cover on the inside it says 12th edition 2002. This is the green cover with a parrot.Z[/quote]



Siiiiiiii, Zed, you're right! That makes more sense.

Wow, Sideways! What a story. I thought of them planting something at every single checkpoint on my bus trip. There would be nothing stopping them and in many cases they had complete control over my stuff without me being present. The time the guy poked into and around my bag with his pen I really thought that and after he left I looked but didn't find any gifts. But then the next stop, only about an hour later, was the guy with the dog and the dog paid particular attention to my bag, sticking his nose into it, my heart stopped. I thought it had happened. The guy said, "Comida?" and I said si. The dog lost interest and they passed on. Like the Federales, these guys can do whatever they want.

I'm thinking maybe it's not so good to travel on the luxury buses, I doubt anyone is searching the bags of the passengers on the 2nd or 3rd class buses. . .

A female US citizen from Phoenix was just arrested outside Hermosillo at a federal checkpoint, mother of 7, she was returning from a funeral in Hermosillo, they found 12 pounds of marijuana under her seat. She claims it was not hers. Her entire family swears she is innocent.

Gvprod, guess you didn't read the above link. . .

mwool wrote:

Zedinmexico wrote:You mean nobody wants a 12 edition for free?

Z

I'd love that copy if still available next week when I get there.

You got it.

Z

As far as second class buses, they do check if in the mood. Depends...
Coming on an Americanos crossborder bus from El Paso to Juarez after Semana Santa, they had us take everything off the bus and out from underneath. Each bag was individually inspected. It took them 2 hours to do 2 buses in front of us and then ours, allowing me to miss my connection in Chihuahua. There I was on a 10 hour layover. I had been stranded in that station on another trip, so with novel in hand and terrible coffe and lots of junkfood and cups of noodles, camped out quietly.

I have been on Americanos/ Chihuahuhahenses where they order you off the bus and then look around. Really never thought about them planting something.

Ya know, with all the other inconveniences, I'm really kind of over the bus thing. It's good for short jaunts, sightseeing and the like. But my new theory is if I can't afford to fly I ain't going.

Well there are lots of places you really cannot fly. Some people do other trips than going to the border and sometimes there are two ways to go the bus or to drive and a lot of time I will bus it rather than drive it. Driving by yourself on long distances is very expensive and pretty lonely.
When I go on buses over 7 or 8 hours I break up the trip and visit places, it is not a bad way to go .

Si, Brigitte. And it's the BEST places that you can't fly into.

For me these days, it's just as much about the journey as it is the destination.

This run for the border was a test-drive as I haven't done long-distance busing in this country since the 60's. I see there is still some danger (same as there was back then), especially in Sinaloa and Sonora, I also see it is better to break up the long legs of the trip, I can deal and look forward to more bus explorations.

While they may pull over 2nd or 3rd class buses, not likely they would be targeted like the luxury ones might. me thinks

Yes, you are really right about the buses. You take the good with the bad and it is cheap. I think what really did me in on that last bus trip back to GDL was the layover in Chihuahua follwed by a severely long sit. No real breaks for 2 days. My leg swelled up real bad. All my energy drained and I was limping. Tried all I knew and nothing was working. So went to the doctor man next to Bacomer-Ajijic and got some natural stuff. It fixed me up fast.

That kind of scared me to tell you the truth.

My fave trips have really been driving to remote places in a car. Celestun in the Yucatan, hitting the dirt roads to nowhereland.

I think I just burned out on going home to see the fam. on these cheap itineraries. They just weren't pleasure trips. But really, paying for the better buses is so much value. That is the best point.

I have given up the very long bus rides and wish I could give up the very long plane ride. I hate going to EUrope for that reason , over 10 hours squished in a seat is plain old dangerous for your ciruation. Here I will not take a long bus ride without breaking it ,,no way I did it may times but no more.
Same wit the van I do not take those on long trips either. I got stuck on some of them in Guatemala with 24 people on van built for 13,,that was the last time, next time, I will take the tourists vans, life is just too short.

A friend of mine in Chiapas decided she was going to Patagonia or something like that on a bus, she left Tuxtla Gutierrez ended up in Tapachula, then Guatemala Ciy where she got robbed, then Honduras where she got sick and she was back 5 days later..never talked about bus trips after that.