By Bus in Mexico City

By Bus

Arriving & Departing

Greyhound buses make connections to major U.S. border cities, from which Mexican bus lines depart throughout the day. Reserved seating is available on first-class coaches, which are comfortable but not nearly as plush as the intercity buses. If you plan stopovers en route, make sure in advance that your ticket is written up accordingly. In Mexico, platform announcements are in Spanish only.

Within Mexico, buses are the most popular way to travel: you can board ultramodern, superdeluxe motor coaches that show U.S. movies and serve soft drinks, coffee, and sandwiches. ETN (Enlaces Terrestres Nacionales) serves cities to the west and northwest, such as Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Morelia, Querétaro, San Miguel de Allende, and Toluca. ADO buses depart southeast to such places as Puebla, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Mérida, and Cancún. Almost every route has reserved seating. Reserved-seat tickets for major bus lines can be purchased at Mexico City travel agencies, at bus stations, on the Internet, or by phone with a service called Ticketbus. Ticketbus sells tickets for the following lines: ADO, ADO-GL, AU, Cristóbal Colón, Estrella de Oro, ETN, Greyhound, Linea 1, Omnibus de Mexico, Pacífico, Plus, Primera Plus, Pullman de Morelos, and Transportes del Norte.

Buses depart from four outlying stations (terminales de autobuses): Terminal de Autobuses del Norte, going north; Terminal de Autobuses del Sur, going south; Terminal Terminal de Autobuses del Oriente, going east; and Terminal de Autobuses del Poniente, going west. Around holidays book your ticket at least a week in advance.

Bus Depots

Terminal de Autobuses del Norte (Av. Cien Metros 4907, Col. Magdalena de la Salina. 55/5587-1552). Terminal de Autobuses del Sur (Tasqueña 1320. 55/5689-9745 or 55/5689-4987). Terminal de Autobuses del Oriente (Ignacio Zaragoza 200, Col. 7 de Julio. 55/5522-5400). Terminal de Autobuses del Poniente (Also known as "Observatorio", Río Tacubaya and Sur 122, Col. Real del Monte. 55/5271-4519).

Bus Lines

ETN (01800/800-0386 toll-free in Mexico. www.etn.com.mx). Greyhound (01800/010-0600 toll-free in Mexico. www.greyhound.com.mx). Ticketbus (55/5133-2424; 55/5133-2444; 01800/702-8000 toll-free in Mexico. www.ticketbus.com.mx).

Getting Around Mexico City

The Mexico City bus system is used by millions of commuters because it's cheap and goes everywhere. Buses are packed during rush hours, so as in all big cities you should be wary of pickpockets. One of the principal bus routes runs along Paseo de la Reforma, Avenida Juárez, and Calle Madero. This west-east route connects Bosque de Chapultepec with the Zócalo. The Metrobús, the city's latest rapid transit project, rolls north and south down the middle of Avenida Insurgentes. You'll have to buy a refillable "smart card" (the card costs less than $1; the fares you can put on the card are about 30 each). Mexico City tourism offices provide free bus-route maps. The price is usually between 2.50 pesos and 4 pesos (about 20-35), depending on your destination. Make sure you have some small change, at most a 10-peso coin, loose in your pocket. (Avoid showing a wallet on a bus.)

Tell the driver your destination when boarding; the driver will tell you the fare, which you pay directly. Some bus stops have shelters with the name of the stop written above, but more often you'll spot a stop by the line or cluster of people waiting. Buses run late at night, but it's best to choose safer forms of transport after dark. There are occasional armed robberies on city buses, but these rarely end in violence. If you're on a bus that is held up, remain calm, and hand over whatever is demanded. If such an incident occurs, your embassy can take a report and suggest ways of following up with local authorities, but don't expect any further investigation or resolution.