Totally concur with your assessment of bus travel in Mexico. I've always had a great experience with it. It's an ideal way to get between cities that is safe, affordable and comfortable. Enjoy the rest of your time in Mexico. Cheers!
The bus system in Mexico is amazing! We could really see ourselves traveling in Mexico for longer periods of time because it’s so easy to get around the country.
Plus you can see the countryside from a bus, compared to flying. Thanks so much for this helpful video and for including Carrie’s take on traveling solo by bus in Mexico.
Thanks! This was helpful. I haven't visited Mexico yet, though it is on my list of countries to consider moving to (from the US) as a retiree. Hope to give it a 3 to 6 month trial soon. Your video gives me added confidence that Mexico is a lot more modern and safe than its reputation in some quarters.
We will have other videos out soon about safety and cost. Hopefully you had a chance to watch a few of our other videos in Mexico, they will give you a good idea on how modern and safe Mexico may be. 😁
We have been in Merida the month of November and we used the ADO bus, booked through Busbud, to travel to Chichen Itza. It was a wonderful experience ! We also took the bus to Progreso to go to the beach on Thanksgiving. From Merida, they have the Autoprogreso bus line that ONLY goes to Progreso and buses leave all day long from like 6am to 8pm, every 20 mins or so. These buses were not as nice as the ADO line but still clean and comfy. Also, tickets were not available online, just at the station. We would use both of these again in the future for sure. I appreciate the review on the long distance travel and we will definitely look forward to using ADO of ENT when we return to Mexico in the future ! Cheers 😊
This will be our fourth winter in Mexico but we have yet to travel by long distance bus. We often, however, travel by bus up and down the Bendaras Bay coast and it is always an adventure-we love it! Great video:)
Their bus system looks a lot like mine here in Brasil Very efficient, clean and convenient I've taken a long distance bus from Sao Paulo down to Santa Catarina, must have taken 8 hours Was very comfortable and easy. They even stopped along the way so we could stretch our legs and eat something. Got to realize I bet 80% of the population goes by bus
10 годин тому+1
My advice is to go straight to the company website and avoid the extra fee for the middle man. They have the option to change the website to English. Lovely people in Mexico
We have traveled by ADO several times in Mexico and the rides have been comfortable. We usually purchase the ADO bus tickets on their app and never had troubles. The lines to purchase at the station can be long! The one time we had a problem was when we purchased ADO tickets from a travel agent. We were at the station waiting for the bus and there wasn't any bus info on the monitors. Apparently, the bus was canceled due to "protests." (We ended up taking a taxi to the next stop.) ADO at the station wouldn't refund the money since we purchased it from a 3rd-party. I had to file a complaint with ADO - several times - before it finally got resolved. On the other hand, Mexico is a huge country and we have also taken some flights; Cancun to Tuxtla Gutierrez so we could go to San Cristobal de las Casas and a small propeller flight from Puerto Escondido on the Oaxacan Pacific coast to Oaxaca City - because the bus ride is long, curvy road up over the mountains. We limit our bus trips to 5-6 hours max in duration.
The bus system in Mexico puts a lot of other countries to shame... Cheers to the seeing the countryside via an a/c climate controlled comfortable bus! A technique I used is when pulling into my destination on a bus I will would log on to Uber or another rideshare app and get a price to my stay. Two things I can do with that info (besides just getting a Uber ride). I use it to know if the taxi drivers are ripping me off, or use it the get a discount if you find a Uber driver parked out front you can show him the price (screen shot it) and since Uber takes a cut you can see if they will do it for 20% to 30% less. Chance favors the prepared mind. Looking forward to your next adventures in Mexico. Cheers.
Exactly as you describe, the ADO (pronounced "ah") provides excellent, inexpensive service from the Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The person loading the baggage in Playa del Carmen demanded a tip, but it was only a few pesos. Incidentally, the bus stop in Playa del Carmen is only a short walk from the ferry stop to Cozumel, which is also an excellent and inexpensive service. Once on Cozumel you might need to rent a car depending on whether or not you want to explore the island, which I highly recommend. Fiesta is a local car rental firm worth checking out. I'll be there a week from now!
Yeah, ADO busses were great, safe and easy. I used Busbud too with no problems. The one time I booked online directly with ADO to save the $5 Busbud commission, the driver wouldn’t let be on. That was a fun day
I traveled through Mexico 28 years ago and buses were already super modern.much much better than in the US....Not sure why people think of Mexico it is not modern etc.i felt much safer than in the US..I am from Switzerland
@@BrianandCarrie for sure but there were also strange people on the bus and they were less comfortable. I remember taking a bus from LA to San Francisco it was not nice. I'm glad you like MEX 👍🏻
Brian and Carrie, I appreciate your expertise and videos. I recently flew into Cancun and rode ADO to Centro Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The trip was exactly as you discribed!👍 👍 My return trip I rode Tren Maya. México's wonderful regional passenger train. I LOVED IT!!! The ADO ticketbooth and boarding is conveniently located at the Cancun airport. Whereas Tren Maya requires a short commuter bus trip connecting CUN to the Tren Maya terminal. Moreover, the ADO, etc, are Regional busess. There are local commuter buses such as Merida's Va-y-Ven bus that is also very nice, world-class even. However, there are also the local, economy, solid white "hoopty" buses. I rode on one to the mall in Merida North. The bus did not move until there was no more available room. We were packed like a bus full of sweaty sardines. 105f, no air conditioning. Just goes to show that Mexico has something for every budget.
I have traveled with the Ado bus before and used the Busbud. Very efficient and nice comfortable buses with Wifi, Air conditioning, reclining seats and inexpensive.
Thank you for the information. It definitely looks much more enjoyable than flying, to me. Is there some place you can put your personal item (like backpack) down near you, like under the seat or something, where you can get to snacks and things in your backpack while traveling? Or do they only fit in the overhead bins?
Brian and Carrie--San Miguel de Allende is a very large town, not a small one. And, while Oaxaca, Puebla, and Guanjuato are smaller than Mexico City, they are nonetheless all cities. Mexico has many truly small towns, along with rural communities, including villages located amid scenic mountains, wonderful destinations that are often overlooked by international travelers. Fortunately, those smaller places can usually also be conveniently accessed using public transportation, often by taking short trips in older, less fancy buses, passenger vans, or collective taxis. Coming from the USA I appreciate how much public transportation Mexico has. The luxury lines such as ETN, ADO, and Primera Plus together make up only tiny fraction of the country's total public transportation network.
First class busses in Mexico are great. Which companies are available is generally determined by route (Primera Plus is another first class provider you'll see, for instance) but both ADO and ETN are generally quite good. Mexico doesn't have intercity rail to speak of so these serve as the replacement. There are also second class busses in Mexico which are cheaper but a very different experience. As always, well done.
I travel Mexico six months of the year, and it would be very nice to take buses and I have, but I travel with a service dog and most bus lines ado included does not allow service dogs. Yes ETN does but unfortunately they don’t go everywhere in Mexico. Also Primera plus is a bus line that does allow service dogs but once again, they do not go everywhere in Mexico so that limits my travel I either have to Uber taxi or fly to destinations around central Mexico and Veracruz Have a great time. May run into you down there coming up soon.
Once again, fantastic and relevant content here, thank you, Brian and Carrie. I'd be curious what a US/Mexico border crossing experience would be like. I've been browsing a lot of your affiliate links preparing for holiday giving and was so excited about the lifetime subscription price for the Daily Drop (for myself), but it seems that offer is gone. So bummed I missed that window. Like you, I'm very cost conscious so I'm hoping the offer will come back around again. 🙂
@@nncadi1 Yes, thank you for correcting that. I meant Daily Drop Pro; they recently launched with a special that locked in the $99 annual fee for life, but that offer wasn't active for too long (probably pretty popular). Now they are promoting $50 off for Black Friday, but just for the first year, then annual price shoots up to $149. Unfortunately I missed the initial "lifetime" promo price. That is what I'm so bummed about .
We miss Mexico. So how surprised are you about your visit thus far? What would you say are the 10 best surprises and if you have any the 5 cons about your time in Mexico? 🤔
Totally concur with your assessment of bus travel in Mexico. I've always had a great experience with it. It's an ideal way to get between cities that is safe, affordable and comfortable. Enjoy the rest of your time in Mexico. Cheers!
The bus system in Mexico is amazing! We could really see ourselves traveling in Mexico for longer periods of time because it’s so easy to get around the country.
Thanks for the excellent video and info! It's nice to know that Mexico has excellent buses!
All I can say is THANK YOU! Excellent information.
Plus you can see the countryside from a bus, compared to flying. Thanks so much for this helpful video and for including Carrie’s take on traveling solo by bus in Mexico.
Thanks! This was helpful. I haven't visited Mexico yet, though it is on my list of countries to consider moving to (from the US) as a retiree. Hope to give it a 3 to 6 month trial soon. Your video gives me added confidence that Mexico is a lot more modern and safe than its reputation in some quarters.
We will have other videos out soon about safety and cost. Hopefully you had a chance to watch a few of our other videos in Mexico, they will give you a good idea on how modern and safe Mexico may be. 😁
We have been in Merida the month of November and we used the ADO bus, booked through Busbud, to travel to Chichen Itza. It was a wonderful experience ! We also took the bus to Progreso to go to the beach on Thanksgiving. From Merida, they have the Autoprogreso bus line that ONLY goes to Progreso and buses leave all day long from like 6am to 8pm, every 20 mins or so. These buses were not as nice as the ADO line but still clean and comfy. Also, tickets were not available online, just at the station. We would use both of these again in the future for sure.
I appreciate the review on the long distance travel and we will definitely look forward to using ADO of ENT when we return to Mexico in the future !
Cheers 😊
This will be our fourth winter in Mexico but we have yet to travel by long distance bus. We often, however, travel by bus up and down the Bendaras Bay coast and it is always an adventure-we love it! Great video:)
Their bus system looks a lot like mine here in Brasil
Very efficient, clean and convenient
I've taken a long distance bus from Sao Paulo down to Santa Catarina, must have taken 8 hours
Was very comfortable and easy. They even stopped along the way so we could stretch our legs and eat something.
Got to realize I bet 80% of the population goes by bus
My advice is to go straight to the company website and avoid the extra fee for the middle man. They have the option to change the website to English. Lovely people in Mexico
That's a really informative little video. We really enjoyed it, many thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the great video! Flying between Mexican cities can be exhausting. Seems like a very relaxing way to travel.
We have traveled by ADO several times in Mexico and the rides have been comfortable. We usually purchase the ADO bus tickets on their app and never had troubles. The lines to purchase at the station can be long! The one time we had a problem was when we purchased ADO tickets from a travel agent. We were at the station waiting for the bus and there wasn't any bus info on the monitors. Apparently, the bus was canceled due to "protests." (We ended up taking a taxi to the next stop.) ADO at the station wouldn't refund the money since we purchased it from a 3rd-party. I had to file a complaint with ADO - several times - before it finally got resolved. On the other hand, Mexico is a huge country and we have also taken some flights; Cancun to Tuxtla Gutierrez so we could go to San Cristobal de las Casas and a small propeller flight from Puerto Escondido on the Oaxacan Pacific coast to Oaxaca City - because the bus ride is long, curvy road up over the mountains. We limit our bus trips to 5-6 hours max in duration.
The bus system in Mexico puts a lot of other countries to shame... Cheers to the seeing the countryside via an a/c climate controlled comfortable bus!
A technique I used is when pulling into my destination on a bus I will would log on to Uber or another rideshare app and get a price to my stay. Two things I can do with that info (besides just getting a Uber ride). I use it to know if the taxi drivers are ripping me off, or use it the get a discount if you find a Uber driver parked out front you can show him the price (screen shot it) and since Uber takes a cut you can see if they will do it for 20% to 30% less.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Looking forward to your next adventures in Mexico.
Cheers.
Exactly as you describe, the ADO (pronounced "ah") provides excellent, inexpensive service from the Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The person loading the baggage in Playa del Carmen demanded a tip, but it was only a few pesos. Incidentally, the bus stop in Playa del Carmen is only a short walk from the ferry stop to Cozumel, which is also an excellent and inexpensive service. Once on Cozumel you might need to rent a car depending on whether or not you want to explore the island, which I highly recommend. Fiesta is a local car rental firm worth checking out. I'll be there a week from now!
Yeah, ADO busses were great, safe and easy. I used Busbud too with no problems. The one time I booked online directly with ADO to save the $5 Busbud commission, the driver wouldn’t let be on. That was a fun day
We are glad you had a good experience with the buses! We didn't know what to expect, but what a great experience!! Thank you for watching, Terry!
I traveled through Mexico 28 years ago and buses were already super modern.much much better than in the US....Not sure why people think of Mexico it is not modern etc.i felt much safer than in the US..I am from Switzerland
The buses in the US add more seats to make a higher profit! 😕 Thank you for watching and commenting!!
@@BrianandCarrie for sure but there were also strange people on the bus and they were less comfortable. I remember taking a bus from LA to San Francisco it was not nice.
I'm glad you like MEX 👍🏻
Brian and Carrie,
I appreciate your expertise and videos.
I recently flew into Cancun and rode ADO to Centro Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
The trip was exactly as you discribed!👍 👍
My return trip I rode Tren Maya. México's wonderful regional passenger train. I LOVED IT!!!
The ADO ticketbooth and boarding is conveniently located at the Cancun airport. Whereas Tren Maya requires a short commuter bus trip connecting CUN to the Tren Maya terminal.
Moreover, the ADO, etc, are Regional busess. There are local commuter buses such as Merida's Va-y-Ven bus that is also very nice, world-class even. However, there are also the local, economy, solid white "hoopty" buses. I rode on one to the mall in Merida North. The bus did not move until there was no more available room. We were packed like a bus full of sweaty sardines. 105f, no air conditioning.
Just goes to show that Mexico has something for every budget.
We may be back in the spring so it's nice to hear that the train is such a convenient option! Thank you for watching, Peter!
I have traveled with the Ado bus before and used the Busbud. Very efficient and nice comfortable buses with Wifi, Air conditioning, reclining seats and inexpensive.
Completely agree!! Thank you for watching!!
Thank you for the information. It definitely looks much more enjoyable than flying, to me. Is there some place you can put your personal item (like backpack) down near you, like under the seat or something, where you can get to snacks and things in your backpack while traveling? Or do they only fit in the overhead bins?
Brian and Carrie--San Miguel de Allende is a very large town, not a small one. And, while Oaxaca, Puebla, and Guanjuato are smaller than Mexico City, they are nonetheless all cities. Mexico has many truly small towns, along with rural communities, including villages located amid scenic mountains, wonderful destinations that are often overlooked by international travelers. Fortunately, those smaller places can usually also be conveniently accessed using public transportation, often by taking short trips in older, less fancy buses, passenger vans, or collective taxis.
Coming from the USA I appreciate how much public transportation Mexico has. The luxury lines such as ETN, ADO, and Primera Plus together make up only tiny fraction of the country's total public transportation network.
Thanks, Chris.
First class busses in Mexico are great. Which companies are available is generally determined by route (Primera Plus is another first class provider you'll see, for instance) but both ADO and ETN are generally quite good. Mexico doesn't have intercity rail to speak of so these serve as the replacement. There are also second class busses in Mexico which are cheaper but a very different experience. As always, well done.
Thank you, Dave and Wendy! 😊
I have only traveled the ADO bus in Mexico. I will be looking into ETN! Looked like a great experience and cost effective.
You can't go wrong with either of those companies! Thank you for watching and safe travels!! 😊
@@BrianandCarrie I will be in my favorite place (Japan) on December 8th!
Awesome!! Japan is on our short list. Probably spring 2026!
@@BrianandCarrie I went last September and already going back just over a year later. It is my favorite country I have visited.
I agree with you the bus stations in mexico are nice and the ado bus to
Thank you for watching and safe travels!! 😊
Have you ever traveled to Cuauhtemoc Chihuahua? I am looking to travel from San miguel de allende to Cuauhtemoc.
Do you have any plans to check out the new tren maya?
I travel Mexico six months of the year, and it would be very nice to take buses and I have, but I travel with a service dog and most bus lines ado included does not allow service dogs. Yes ETN does but unfortunately they don’t go everywhere in Mexico. Also Primera plus is a bus line that does allow service dogs but once again, they do not go everywhere in Mexico so that limits my travel I either have to Uber taxi or fly to destinations around central Mexico and Veracruz Have a great time. May run into you down there coming up soon.
It’s tough to travel with a service dog, especially when public transport has so many limitations. Thank you for watching and safe travels!!
Once again, fantastic and relevant content here, thank you, Brian and Carrie. I'd be curious what a US/Mexico border crossing experience would be like.
I've been browsing a lot of your affiliate links preparing for holiday giving and was so excited about the lifetime subscription price for the Daily Drop (for myself), but it seems that offer is gone. So bummed I missed that window. Like you, I'm very cost conscious so I'm hoping the offer will come back around again. 🙂
they are now Daily Drop Pro...a new program
@@nncadi1 Yes, thank you for correcting that. I meant Daily Drop Pro; they recently launched with a special that locked in the $99 annual fee for life, but that offer wasn't active for too long (probably pretty popular). Now they are promoting $50 off for Black Friday, but just for the first year, then annual price shoots up to $149. Unfortunately I missed the initial "lifetime" promo price. That is what I'm so bummed about .
We miss Mexico. So how surprised are you about your visit thus far?
What would you say are the 10 best surprises and if you have any the 5 cons about your time in Mexico? 🤔
I know this about buses but have you rented a car yet? Would you do that ?
Any specials going to the US border sorry I couldn’t resist