If you’re ready for a little adventure, one of the great joys of traveling in Mexico is going by bus. During the past decade, service has improved by leaps and bounds. Today, you can catch a bus in Zihuatanejo and make it to Cancun in a day and a half. If you’re really determined, you can get all the way to the Tijuana border in about 52 hours.
As for shorter trips, overnight service will deposit you in Mexico City eight – nine hours after boarding in Zihua, and our last trip to Guadalajara took only seven hours. Thanks to major highway improvements, you can hop aboard a coach for enchanting Patzcuaro and enjoy the scenery for about five hours of inland travel, while Acapulco is just over four hours down the Pacific coast. (For your own peace of mind, always tack on about an extra hour beyond what you’re told these shorter trips should take so you don’t get antsy if detours, traffic jams, and military checkpoints slow your progress.)
Zihua now boasts three major bus stations: Estrella Blanca, Estrella de Oro, and a third next door to Estrella de Oro which services a number of bus lines including La Linea, TAP, Autovias, Parhikuni, and more. All three are located within a block of each other on the right hand frontage road as you’re heading from Bodega (one of Zihua’s two supermarkets) out towards the airport on the main drag.
If you’ve never tried an inter-city bus trip in Mexico, don’t think you’ll be traveling on something akin to the rattletrap combis that regularly scuttle between Ixtapa and Zihua, often taking on passengers until the aisle is packed with wedged-in bodies and a few stragglers are hanging out the doors. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo conveyances comprise the majority of first-class buses on the road in 2006, with the comfort level far surpassing that of their U.S. and Canadian counterparts.
First-class coaches almost always show movies on trips of three hours or more, although many of these flicks are totally forgettable. And on some routes, if first-class service isn’t good enough for you, there are less-frequent executive-class buses complete with stewardesses, larger seats featuring more leg room which recline to a nearly horizontal position, complimentary snacks and separate bathrooms for men and women.
Primera clase travel from here to Acapulco currently costs the equivalent of about 12 dollars. You can’t get to Patzcuaro using just one bus, but a coach from Zihua to Uruapan runs about 23 dollars, and then it’s another 3.25 dollars for a second class bus to Patzcuaro, which will be a bit bumpy but takes only about 90 minutes, depending on traffic. Figure on 41 dollars for Guadalajara or Mexico City, keeping in mind you can upgrade to the executive class service mentioned earlier for another 10 dollars and fewer departure time options. You could make the trip to Cancun for about 130 dollars, while Tijuana would set you back about 160 dollars. (I used an exchange rate of 10.8 pesos to the dollar for these calculations.) Given the hassles of air travel these days, some of these longer bus trips don’t seem half bad anymore.
A 21st century extra is being able to buy many bus tickets using credit cards, plus you can often get a refund if you need to cancel your plans. The amount usually varies between 25-100 percent depending on how far in advance you turn in the ticket, and you’re out of luck when departure time is less than two hours away. Buying tickets via the Internet is becoming more popular as well. (For website addresses, do a “google”search online.)
Another 21st century enhancement is ofertas (sales) on some routes. Just this past year, we traveled from Zihua to Acapulco and from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta for half-price. Being an older bus traveler has its advantages as well if you have an FM-3 immigration document. Although I don’t relish hitting 60 a few years hence, I am looking forward to getting the government-issued card that offers 50 percent off long distance busfare throughout Mexico – in addition to such frills as free metro (subway) rides and free museum admission in Mexico City ALL THE TIME. If you get one of these senior citizen cards, buy your bus ticket ahead of time because there are only a limited number available per trip.
Admittedly, bus travel isn’t for everyone, so here are some things to keep in mind. For many Mexicans, personal autos are an unaffordable luxury, so be prepared for lots of babies and small children on board. Bring a warm jacket, as the air conditioning is often going full blast. If you’re traveling during the holidays, expect delays. Remember that the driver of the bus has full control of your ride, so if he decides you’re going to watch a movie at midnight, that’s what’s gonna happen! If you’re on the bus to Tijuana and the driver pulls off at a roadside restaurant, that’s where everybody’s gonna eat. Remember that armed soldiers will come on board now and then to meander down the aisle and poke at your luggage. But, hey, it’s Mexico, and these things are all part of the experience, right?
Many long-distance routes from Zihua require one or more connections along the way, and you generally can’t plan for them in advance. Although some bus companies now offer websites, our experience has taught us that online schedules are often wrong, so we never buy connecting tickets until we reach our interim destination. Some routes that come through Zihua are de paso, which means they start elsewhere, so the posted departure time is only approximate – depending on when the bus makes it into town.
Hijackers? This has happened occasionally in the past, but precautions against it have improved as well, and overnight buses sometimes “convoy” on Highway 200 if there have been warnings of suspicious activity.
In general, using Mexico’s bus system is a great way to see the country at a darned good price. There’s almost nowhere that’s inaccessible these days, and you can even shop along the way. Vendors selling everything from tacos and cold drinks to medicine, sewing kits and books will board the bus at scheduled stops and disembark after hawking their wares. Buen viaje!
