Travel First Class Around Latin America… Take the Bus

As we started our descent into the valley, the nighttime lights of Mexico City stretched as far as the eye could see. Blinking red dots at the top of the skyscrapers in the distant business district. Streetlights snaking up the hills in outlying neighborhoods.

“Bienvenidos a la Ciudad de Mexico” came the greeting from our “pilot” over the intercom. I brought my seat out of the reclined position to get a closer look out the window. Looking down I could see a small crowd gathered around a street corner taco stand, cooking fumes billowing from the grill.

I half-jokingly said to my wife that we should disembark here and get something to eat. And it was in the realm of possibility… because we weren’t on a plane but rather a first-class bus (referred to as ejecutivo, de lujo, or VIP). We were nearing the end of our four-hour trip from San Miguel de Allende, the historic Spanish colonial city to the north that has been our home for the last five years.

Before moving abroad, the last time I’d ridden a bus was a worn-out and smelly Greyhound to visit a friend in New York City… when I was a broke college student with no car. It was only a four-hour or so ride from Washington, D.C. But it was enough to put me off bus travel.

Here in Mexico, riding the bus is common for locals and expats alike, whether for journeys to the next town over, for a weekend to the beach, or across the country. These are direct city-to-city routes that don’t stop along the way to pick up passengers.

Sure, there are “budget” options, but here in Mexico I always take the ejecutivo buses from companies like ETN, Primera Plus, or ADO. There is often WiFi (although it doesn’t always work reliably). They give you a sandwich and drink to eat en-route or will stop at a nice roadside restaurant for longer journeys. And for entertainment, you have touch screens on the back of the seat in front of you with movies, video games, and more.

The best part is the comfort level—air conditioning and seats that recline (and have footrests), so cozy that I often fall asleep. And there are clean men’s and women’s bathrooms.

The cost: $25 for that four-hour trip with ETN from San Miguel to Mexico City. Although you can buy the tickets at the terminal, I always book online beforehand to ensure I get a seat in my preferred spot—second level, front row if available. A longer trip, say the 11 hours or so from Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast, will run you about $75.

You won’t find these buses just in Mexico though. High-end bus service can be found throughout Latin America. Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Panama all have thriving bus service from border to border.

When we lived in Costa Rica, my family and I would often take either TransNica or Tica Bus to travel into Nicaragua, to the funky beach town of San Juan del Sur or the colonial gem of Granada. It was always a comfortable and smooth ride, and the bus staff made the border crossing hassle free. These bus lines also travel elsewhere in Central America.

To be sure, not all buses in Latin America are this glamorous. When I’ve traveled in more rural areas, I’ve been on my share of brightly painted old school buses from the U.S. that are crowded cheek to jowl (these are popularly known as “chicken buses”). But the friendly people made the close quarters and lack of AC bearable.

But for the most part, luxurious options are available, especially between major cities.

Of course, buses aren’t always the best choice. Traveling in Bolivia a few years back, my flight into the country arrived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a city in the humid lowlands. My destination was Sucre, the UNESCO World Heritage colonial city high in the Andes. A bus would have taken 13 hours on winding mountain roads and cost $15 or so, while a flight got me there in less than an hour and cost about $50.

So my recommendation would be to price shop before booking a bus ticket. And for longer journeys, taking the bus might not be worth the savings if it cuts into your sightseeing time.

If you do need to take a longer trip, a good option is an overnight bus. That way you get to your destination while you’re sleeping… and you don’t have to pay for accommodation that night.

A few last tips: Even in tropical countries, pack a long-sleeved top. They often blast the AC, and it can get cold, especially at night.

Keep in mind that while some locations will have a large bus terminal that dispatches and receives all the buses, sometimes there’s more than one station in a city. Or each bus company will have its own terminal. So make sure you know where to catch the bus and where you’ll be dropped off, so you can coordinate getting to your accommodation.