With Easter vacation coming up, now is a great time to start planning your next trip to the soft sands of the Pacific, the clean, stark charm of one of Mexico’s colonial towns, the hot, pushy jungles of the south or even the fast, cosmopolitan delights of the nation’s capital. Busing it to any of these destinations can not only save some money over more elevated modes of travel, it enables some splendid vistas of countryside ripe for bored eyes.
However, to those who have never traveled one of these steel beasts, the prospect can be a bit daunting. With a little adventuresome gusto, though, you will be surprised to learn that the first-class Mexican bus system is superior to the old Greyhounds north of the border. The seats are plenty plushy, the cabins air-conditioned and drivers a good deal more circumspect than those piloting their intra-city cousins. They also offer overhead storage, onboard movies and bathrooms in the back.
Guadalajara boasts a few bus stations, including the Antiguo Central Camionera (Old Bus Center) near Parque Agua Azul, although that station is reserved mostly for second-class journeys to small, surrounding towns. There is also a loose cluster of stations at Avenida Vallarta and Colegio del Aire, just outside the Periferico to the west of town. This station features a small Vallarta Plus/Tepic Plus/Tequila Plus building and a larger Central de Autobuses Zapopan building for Primera Plus, ETN and a few others. These Zapopan stations might be more convenient for travelers heading west.
However, you’ll find trips to most cities departing from the Nuevo Central Camionera (New Bus Center), located at the conjunction of Lazaro Cardenas and Carretera Federal 80 (to Zapotlanejo). The bus station looks and functions remarkably like an airport, with seven terminals lined up along the outside of a half-mile V. You’ll find familiar trappings such as clusters of waiting taxis, travelers toting luggage and food and knickknack vendors all on a slightly smaller scale. Across from the terminal entrances, there are sales/check-in counters for various bus companies. Then, behind those are the chairs that denote waiting areas. Some companies (such as ETN) even have their own private waiting lounges.
As far as services go, Primera Plus, Omnibus and TAP are top quality, all with comparable prices to major Mexican cities. For instance, all offer trips to Mexico City for 570 pesos (one-way). ETN is a little pricier at 686 pesos for the same trip, but they offer three seats per row instead of the usual four, making them a roomier option.
Depending on the exact destination and company, some journeys let you embark at other points of the city, such as ETN’s overnight trip to Mexico City that lets passengers get on at Plaza del Sol should they so choose. Ask when shopping for your ticket. Those overnight trips are a good way to save on travel days and hotel fees too if you are the type of person who can fall asleep easily.
To purchase tickets, you could always show up at the station and go for it, but that’s not the brightest way to do things, especially during vacation season. Instead, most of the major companies have various sales offices around the area, with a cluster of them located on Plaza del Sol Street across from the north side of Plaza del Sol. Also, compare prices and destinations and even purchase tickets online at the websites for each company. You don’t even need much Spanish, as the interface will look familiar to anyone who’s shopped for airplane tickets online. Just select your origin, destination, dates and one-way or round trip (viaje sencillo or viaje redondo).
Many of the lines offer half-price discounts to seniors over 60 years old, but for some you will have to show proof, in the form of an INAPAM card (a DIF Plan Venerable card might suffice for certain trips within the state of Jalisco).
One advantage over air travel is that luggage is not so restricted—most companies allow at least two bags per person to be checked under the bus. Most also give a complimentary beverage and sometimes snacks or meager sandwiches. It’s a good idea to bring some extra food and water though if you think you may use it. Most will also play an on-board movie or two (dubbed in Spanish). Some lines even offer Wi-Fi internet now aboard select routes.
To get to the bus station and back home, a taxi is probably the best idea. Try to get a taxi with a meter on the way to the station. On the return journey, look for a table with a taxi ticket salesperson selling set-rate tickets at prices that correspond to zones on a marked map of the city, much like the set-rate tickets from the airport. These tables are located inside the terminals to catch travelers as they disembark the buses.
Bus firms with accessible websites
Primera Plus covers an area from Mazatlan to Mexico City and from San Luis Potosi to Zihuatanejo. www.primeraplus.com.mx.
Omnibus covers most of northern and central Mexico. www.odm.com.mx.
Transportes y Autobuses del Pacifico (TAP) covers coastal states from Guerrero to Sonora and Baja California. www.tap.com.mx.
ETN goes to major destinations in northern and central Mexico and even the coast of Oaxaca. www.etn.com.mx.
Futura covers the northern reaches of Mexico down to Oaxaca and Veracruz. www.futura.com.mx.
Vallarta Plus and Tequila Plus travel to those two destinations and a few places near each, such as La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit. www.vallartaplus.com, www.tequilaplus.com