Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Mexico & Central America (https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico-and-central-america/)
-   -   Shuttle transport San Cristobal to Palenque (https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico-and-central-america/shuttle-transport-san-cristobal-to-palenque-1039031/)

dondonandjj Mar 1st, 2015 05:46 PM

Shuttle transport San Cristobal to Palenque
 
We are interested in a shuttle from SCB to Palenque
I've come across two shuttles
Wayak
And Marvelus
Both take a full day and stop at relevant tourist spots Mizol Ha and Agua Falls
Or would we be better taking the ADO bus to Palenque and then seeing the sites on another tour
I'm thinking we would save a day by taking the shuttle
Any suggestions

hopefulist Mar 1st, 2015 08:03 PM

I would spend at least 1 night in Palenque, whether you use a shuttle or a bus - doesn't make sense to try and do it in a day imo.

dondonandjj Mar 1st, 2015 08:34 PM

We have two nights in Palenque
My query is about the shuttles
Whether it would be better to take a shuttle and visit the sites on the way from SC to Palenque or take the bus and then take a tour
Thanks for your interest

hopefulist Mar 2nd, 2015 02:52 AM

Ok - good! I would check and see how much time is allowed at Misol-Ha and Agua Azul with the 2 options compared to how much time you might want to spend at those stops. Do you just want to walk around a bit and see them or do you want the chance to hike and swim? Sometimes the shuttles don't leave folks much time and perhaps a day trip from Palenque would give you more time. It might also give you an option of a different day if you're there during the wet season.

When some friends and I visited Palenque from San Cris 5 years ago we ended up deciding to shell out for a private driver so we could include a stop at Toniná, too, which we loved. It's a little hard to get to using public transit.

Here's a link to my photo collection from my weeks in Chiapas and a quick stopover in Mérida; the above trip is in the Ruinas/Museums set. Have a great trip, whatever you decide!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stacey...7624566397304/

kja Mar 2nd, 2015 04:55 PM

When I visited the area, the only buses that stopped in Mizol Ha and Agua Azul en route from city to city offered no option to deal with luggage while at the falls. As I recall, one got off the bus, and then got on a different, later bus, and I don't recall any luggage storage options at any of the waterfalls. But I could be mistaken! If that is (still) true, then I'd recommend taking the bus to relocate from San Cristobal de las Casas to Palenque, and then, once in Palenque, take a tour of the falls.

Hope that helps!

hopefulist Mar 2nd, 2015 08:28 PM

That would still be true of 1st or 2nd class buses but the shuttles cater to folks wanting those attractions and mind your luggage in/on the van. Sounds like the OP knows that if they take the bus they are blowing straight through to Palenque and taking a separate tour from there.

kja Mar 2nd, 2015 10:05 PM

Perhaps I wasn't clear, or perhaps I misunderstood the OP: The tour buses that visited the falls when I was there didn't go all the way from San Cristobal to Palenque or vice versa, and from what I could tell at the time, none of the regular buses or shuttle buses that did connect these two cities stopped at the falls -- they went right through. I explored the options for visiting the falls en route between the cities both before and while I was there, and didn't find any options (whether they involved tour buses, regular buses, or shuttles) that worked for me. But that was in 2008 -- things could easily have changed.

hopefulist Mar 3rd, 2015 06:37 AM

It has been quite a long time for me, too - 2010. At that time many of the share shuttle services offered trips from San Cris to Palenque that made planned stops at both Misol-Ha and Agual Azul enroute. My friends and I chose to hire a private driver so we could make a stop at the Toniná Maya site, also. We also chose 1 of the water stops each way and having a private driver meant we could choose for ourselves how long we stayed.

To my knowledge the larger buses just go straight through.

dondonandjj Mar 7th, 2015 06:41 PM

Thanks Everyone
I've been offline for a while but appreciate inputs
Is a private driver much more expensive?
I'm sure it would be preferable
J

hopefulist Mar 7th, 2015 07:21 PM

There were 4 or 5 of us so splitting the cost made it more reasonable. It was 5 years ago - I don't remember how much we paid but you could ask agencies or ask at your hotels for recommendations. Good luck!

AndrewSkilton Mar 11th, 2015 04:32 AM

i would recommend the best airport shuttle transfer by Euro tAxis out there


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:38 AM.