Don’t pay full price for first class buses.
Are buses good in Mexico?
Mexican buses offer a fantastic means of travel within the country. They are typically comfortable, safe, and budget-friendly. However, if you’re unfamiliar with the bus companies’ names in Mexico or where to find the schedules, it can be challenging to obtain the information without physically going to the bus station.
Never pay full price for the first-class buses in Mexico!! It just takes a couple of days of organization and you will be paying half the usual price. It’s that easy.
Bus travel takes up quite a big part of your travel budget. So this is a great way to save money while travelling in Mexico.
We all prefer to travel with a bit of comfort than slug it out on the hot second-class buses. Aircon on those hot days, put your seat back to sleep a few hours on the long trips. And the safety that knowing when you get off at the end, that your bag will be still in the storage under the bus.
The main gringo trail stretches between Mexico City and Cancun. Passing through Oaxaca, Chiapas, Palenque and Merida. And also though Acapulco, Puerto Escondido and Huatulco.
For these routes, the biggest and best bus company is ADO. And they are joined with OCC at the same terminals and website.
So to get up to 50% off your tickets, all you have to do is book your ticket 3-4 days in advance. It’s that easy. What we seem to do all the time, is to go to the bus terminal the day before or the morning of, and buy the bus ticket. And pay full price. Not many travellers know about these discounts ADO offer.
If you can navigate your way around the ADO website in Spanish, you can do it there. Or have a look at the prices, then go to the terminal or a booth in town to buy your ticket. You will see the column Compra Anticipada (Advanced Purchase). Most of the time, 3-4 days in advance, you will see the prices at 50% off.
For example a search right now.
From Mexico City to Oaxaca tomorrow is 560 pesos. But in 4 days, it’s 280 pesos.
Oaxaca to San Cristobal is 604 pesos. In 4 days, it’s 302 pesos.
Cancun to Merida is 320 pesos. In 4 days it’s 160 pesos.
Mexico City to Puerto Escondido is 1004 pesos. In 4 days it’s 502 pesos.
When you buy these advanced purchase tickets, they come with the condition that you can’t change the date.
You see!! It’s easy. You just need to plan when you are ready to leave a little in advance. That way, you can spend that money you save on a few more beers at your next location.
I hope this helps you out and saves you a couple of bucks.
For more money-saving tips, head to How to travel in Mexico for $30 a day.
JOIN US! WSE Travel Packages
This sounds like quite the adventure, right? We thought so too! Though we realize it can be pretty intimidating to get out there into the world on your own, especially when travelling to some of these off the beaten path locations. We love it when our readers give it a shot and try it for themselves! In fact, please leave us feedback if you do!! If trying something ‘this’ adventurous on your own is just a bit outside of your comfort zone, WSE Travel is here to help!
Follow this link for our ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Tours – packages that are highly personalized and tailored at your request.
Mexico Travel Resources
These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.
- Best Flight Deals: Trip.com – Trip is my favorite flight search engine. It is a flight aggregator that provides travelers with the best rates on airline tickets. Its innovative search finds the best option for specific travel dates by comparing airfares offered by all major airlines and agencies. The aggregator displays final prices, without any hidden fees. They are hands down the number one place to start.
- Best Hotel Deals: Booking.com – Booking is the best all-around hotel booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates because it compares all the other major hotel booking sites. They have the widest selection of comfortable accommodations. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
- Best Tour Deals: Where Sidewalks End (of course) – WSE Travel is a boutique tour operator with specially curated tours, events, and workshops. We have many tour options available in cities in Mexico and worldwide, including cooking classes, walking tours, art workshops, and more!
- Best Car Rental Deals: Discover Cars – If you want to have mobility freedom, renting a car is an incredible option, but finding the best deal can be a nightmare! Discover Cars scans all the major car rental sites and includes all mandatory fees, taxes, and extras in the quoted price so there won’t be any unpleasant surprises when you arrive at the rental desk.
- Best Travel Insurance Deals: SafetyWing – SafetyWing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to all your travel needs. They have cheap plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road. They even have subscriptions if you are planning long-term, without having to re-apply for each segment of your trip.
- Best E-Sim Provider: Airalo – Airalo is one of the most versatile e-sim providers I’ve ever found, offering e-sim in almost every country on earth! No need to take your home phone provider’s sim card out and risk losing it on your trip! As long as your phone has e-sim capabilities, Airalo has you covered at really good rates too, meaning you can be connected at all times on your trip!
- Best 100% Pick-pocket Proof Clothing Deals: Clever Companion – They make clothing specifically for travel, with hidden pockets to hide your valuables. From hoodies to briefs, they cover all your clothing needs – each with hidden pockets to hide your money, wallet, and anything else you want to keep safe!
- Best Eco-Safe Travel Products: TreeTribe – This company is just awesome! From water bottles to yoga pants, wallets to bikinis, and everything in between – all their products are great quality, and eco-friendly AND they plant a tree for every purchase!
- Best Outdoor Travel Product: LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
Happy Travels!!
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