Bus Travel, Part 2 


 We have received e-mails from readers who appreciated my last article. In response to their inquiries, we are now providing you with a second issue on the subject of traveling by bus. A basic question such as where in Mexico City or anywhere in the Mexican Republic can I buy my bus ticket? All you need to know about this by visiting TICKET BUS. Click on Sucursales page.

Is this information available in languages other than Spanish?

English

French

German

Appreciation goes to LONELY PLANET readers who in their Thorn Tree Travel Forum volunteered invaluable information, providing information requested: 

· Approximately 98% of travel in Mexico is done by bus.

· It’s now commonplace to see buses constructed in part or in whole by Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Scania and other high-quality manufacturers. The industry’s contract with Volvo, alone, for new equipment for the years 2002-2005 was worth US $300 million and the industry is rapidly modernizing and improving the equipment.

· After you’ve purchased your ticket, you can cancel it, with no cancellation charge, up until 30 minutes prior to the departure time indicated on your ticket.

· You can change your departure to another time or day up until 15 minutes prior to the departure time indicated on your ticket, at no additional charge. However, the changed ticket cannot be modified or cancelled in the future.

· If you miss your bus (up to, but not more than, one hour after scheduled departure), you may receive a credit of 50% of the price of the ticket that can be applied to the purchase of another ticket to the same destination.

· Carry-on bags are limited similar to the policy airlines follow, and some of the largest carriers employ security agents to screen passengers for weapons before they board the buses.

· You’re permitted to transport baggage not to exceed 25 kilos, after which excess baggage, cargo charges will be applied.

· Children under 3 years of age travel at no additional charge, but they are not entitled to a seat of their own.

· Seniors with a Mexican government-issued INSEN card, children between the ages of 3 and 12 years, and students with SEP recognized credentials are entitled to a 50% discount (for students, this discount applies only to the “official” school holiday periods – and, some carriers have begun limiting the departures time periods for which other discounts will be honored/offered).

· Credentialed teachers traveling during “official” school holiday periods are offered a 25% discount. 

Terminals  

  Centrales Camioneras is a link containing updated information about Mexico City’s Bus Terminals. These – a total of 4- are located strategically depending on your destination. You can access these via the subway system and through other forms of public transportation. Mexico City serves as the nation’s transportation hub, and so much of the nationwide bus service starts, stops, connects in the D.F. Our readers –for their convenience- are again suggested to become familiar with these Security Corner articles: Metro Part I and Metro Addendum 
 
Here’s a listing of the four major bus terminals and the principal destinations served by them: 
 
Central Camionera del Norte To get there: Metro station Autobuses del Norte, on Line 5. Destinations served: Baja California, Colima, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Sonora, Chiapas, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Durango, Hidalgo, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Puebla, Oaxaca, Aguascalientes, Veracruz. There are also buses crossing the border into the USA from Mexico City's terminal norte.

Central Camionera del Sur To get there: Metro station Taxqueña, at one end of Line 2. Destinations served: Chiapas, Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz, Guerrero. 
 
Central Camionera del Oriente (TAPO) To get there: Metro station San Lázaro, on both Lines 1 and B. Destinations served: Campeche, Chiapas, Puebla, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, Veracruz, Yucatán. 
 
Central Camionera del Poniente To get there: Metro station Observatorio, at one end of Line. Destinations served: Michoacán, Jalisco, Guerrero, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit     

Additional Websites for Bus Passengers:  

Different World – I’ve selected this Site for you.. As a leading online travel agency Different World has been selling hotel accommodation on the Internet since 1997.  Thousands of customers have enjoyed their stay at our specially selected range of hotels.  And as experienced travelers ourselves, we know the country inside out.  We can offer expert advice and answers to all of your questions, and provide help on what to see and do. 
 
Mexico City’s TAPO Bus Terminal – Thanks to Bill Masterson of Lonely Planet’ Thorn Tree Travel information sharing: As the transportation starting-point for trips to Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz , Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula . . . and on to Guatemala and Central America, many of the questions asked on the this branch involve travel to/from the city’s busy eastern bus terminal, Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente – commonly referred to as TAPO
 
Secretariat of (SCT) Transportation: Shortest Distance between point A and B, cost of toll booths.

In closing, an excerpt from Bus Travel in Mexico, written and submitted by William Masterson to Lonely Planet’s Thorny Tree Forum on May 20, 2003: “Those of us who have traveled frequently in Mexico have an appreciation for the extensive and, generally, high-quality inter-city and long-haul bus transportation system in the country. If a similar public transportation system anywhere exceeds what we find in Mexico, I’ll be surprised.” 

In closing, if the contents of this article were useful, please tell your friends about the Security Corner monthly help column, and help us make the world just a little safer for everyone.


 ABOUT Security Corner: Legal Notice is found in Featured Articles page. This monthly column is the result of intensive research by Mr. Mario González-Román to serve as support to the International Community. We do not pursue commercial or political interests. If a product or service is mentioned is because we believe it is in your own benefit. In some cases, per our request, official information was received from the Mexican Government. Contributions include those coming from non-profit private organizations and individuals volunteering to the usefulness of the objective of each article. In others, information was acquired by navigating in the Internet, by personal interviews or other channels. In each case, credit is given to information sources. While this information is for public use, it would be appreciated that when you reproduce or share its contents, that you include the name of its author and a link to Security Corner. All suggestions are welcome. If we made a mistake, we’ll be happy to correct it. English is not my native language. Readers have been extremely useful in the past: Welcome to edit articles. THIS IS TRULY A JOINT COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. Thanks to your input, messages we are be able to determine what topics interest our audience the most. Mr. González-Román is a retired FSN employee from the Embassy of the United States of America, where he worked per prior consent by Mexican Congress as evidenced in Federal Official Diary no. 16, dated September 23, 1981. Please become familiar with his Biography.

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