First Class Mexico Bus Service Like Flying Business Class

Mexico Bus

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First-class bus?

Oh sure, friends said when we told them we’d be traveling between Mexico’s colonial towns in first-class buses.

We had our doubts too about what a “first-class” Mexico bus would be like. (No insult intended, but busing it on Greyhound here in Canada isn’t exactly an elegant experience.)

Turns out we needn’t have worried.

The first-class buses in Mexico really are, well, first class!

Mexico bus
The deluxe and first class buses in Mexico are very comfortable

Featured reader comments

“Thank you for writing this!

I keep telling people how great the bus is in Mexico but I don’t think anyone believes me. I think Americans and Canadians have been terrorized by Greyhound. I’ve only been on the ADO Platino and it’s by far the best bus I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been on lots of buses around the world!”

~ Denise

“Very helpful read!! Thanks. I just bought my plane ticket to Mexico and plan on busing to like 7 cities on a solo trip starting this month.”

~ Hadiel

Classes of Mexico bus

There are three classes of bus service in Mexico:

1) Deluxe (De Lujo) or Executive (Ejecutivo) Class

Riding the Mexico Bus
Riding bus in Deluxe or First Class is very comfortable!

These Mexico buses usually service longer (3+ hour trips), busier routes between cities (for example, from Mexico City to another destination). Expect few, if any, stops.

The luxury executive class buses (often Volvo or Mercedes) have just 24 seats.

They’re air-conditioned come with seat belts, reclining seats with loads of leg room, individual movie screens, onboard toilets, snacks and WiFi.

Seats can be reserved in advance.

2) First (Primera) Class

These are very similar to executive class, with air-conditioning, comfortable seats, TV screens and toilets.

3) Second (Segunda) Class

You might get a seat, you might not. There may be a toilet, or perhaps not. The bus may be air-conditioned, then again, it may not be. It might also make frequent stops.

If you’re lucky, the second-class bus will be as comfortable as a first-class bus. But no guarantees.

Booking the “best” class

If you want the best or top class, ask for the “best” or “highest” class.

This way, you should get the top class, which may be “luxury” (or “deluxe” or “executive”) or perhaps “first class” if there’s no higher class.

Our experience with first-class Mexico buses

We bought the best possible tickets on two of the major Mexico bus lines – ETN and Primera Plus.

We didn’t know about the difference between “deluxe” and “first-class” at the time of booking; we just knew we wanted the top class (which we thought was first-class).

We took ETN buses from Guadalajara to Guanajuato (you’ve got to check out the creepy but fascinating Mummy Museum there!), and then again from Guanajuato to San Miguel de Allende (where there’s a playful and fun toy museum).

We also traveled by bus from San Miguel de Allende to Morelia. From Morelia to Zihuatanejo, we rode with Primera Plus.

Is Morelia worth visiting? Check out these authentic things to do in Morelia!

A Primera Plus bus and driver
A Primera Plus bus and driver (Credit: Primera Plus)

The ETN buses, in particular, exceeded our expectations. (We thought we had first-class ETN bus tickets, but it’s possible the buses were the higher category, i.e., deluxe or executive class buses.)

The seat rows were configured as 2-1, with the aisle running between the two seats on one side and the single seat on the other.

Plushly covered in royal-blue, velvet-like fabric (fresh and clean), these big fat seats reclined a good huge distance back.

A cushioned leg rest could be extended for your feet and legs.

Think of the old business class seats on airplanes (before some were converted into lie-flat beds) and you’ll have a good idea of the level of comfort.

The ETN buses even had faux hardwood floors!

Riding the Mexico bus with ETN
See the (faux) hardwood floors in this ETN bus?

All the buses we rode also had a personal TV screen in front of each seat, earphones and remote control handsets to choose your movies (most dubbed in Spanish).

The air-conditioning was just right too. (We’d brought along thick sweaters as we’d heard stories about how the buses are cooled to freezing temps. Another misconception.)

And no worries about icky toilets.

The buses had separate men’s and women’s toilets at the back, with real running water for washing hands (and paper towels too).

Talk about service!

Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo: Our final destination in Mexico!

First-class Mexico bus tickets include food and drinks.

Before boarding our ETN buses, a uniformed attendant offered us sandwiches and our choice of drinks from a food cart.

On the Primera Plus bus from to Zihuatanejo, a smartly-dressed attendant roamed the aisle like a flight attendant, offering complimentary coffee and snacks.

The bus drivers, attired in uniforms, sat in enclosed cabins. They drove safely and within the speed limits.

Another surprise: Mexico bus terminals

The central bus station in Taxco, Mexico
The central bus station in Taxco

We were also pleasantly surprised with the bus terminals.

We expected somewhat grotty places like the bus terminals we’ve seen here in Canada.

But no, the main bus terminal in Guadalajara (Mexico’s second largest city) has sliding glass doors, clean cafeterias, clean bathrooms with toilet paper and soap dispensers, long check-in counters and big TV-like arrival/departure screens.

It was a little amusing because, after passing through the main lobby, we immediately sat on blue leather chairs in the waiting room for our ETN bus.

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We didn’t realize that we were supposed to check in our baggage – like at an airport. So it was a bit of a scramble at the last minute to check our bags and then line up to get on the bus.

At another bus terminal in another colonial town, security guards even screened passengers with metal detectors before we could board the bus.

The ADO bus station in Merida (Credit: Vasenka Photography, Flickr)

Bus lines in Mexico

Three of the major long-distance Mexican bus companies are ETN, Primera Plus and ADO.

1) ETN, Mexico

Lots of leg room? TV? Air conditioning? We thought the first-class ETN buses were great!
Lots of leg room? TV? Air conditioning? We thought the first-class ETN buses were great! (Credit: ETN)

ETN Turistar is known as one of the best luxury bus companies in Mexico (and as you know, we were impressed with them).

They service major cities along the Pacific Coast (for example, Puerto Vallarta);  cities such as Guadalajara, Guanajuato, and San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico; areas in northern and eastern Mexico; and cities like Oaxaca in the south.

ETN’s website is partly in English (helpful if you don’t speak Spanish) – see here.

2) Primera Plus, Mexico

Primera Plus services Mexico City, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, San Luis Potosi, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and other places in the center of the country.

See their (Spanish) website here.

3) ADO, Mexico

Red ADO bus in Mexico
One of the largest Mexico bus lines, ADO offers many routes from Mexico City

We didn’t travel on any ADO buses, but ADO is one of the biggest Mexico bus lines.

ADO has many connections from Mexico City to San Miguel de Allende, the Yucatan Peninsula, Oaxaca and other destinations.

For a humorous but informative look on booking and taking the ADO bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca, check out this story.

For ADO’s website, see here.

Traveling by bus in Mexico: Bottom line?

Were we impressed? Yes. Would we travel by first-class bus in Mexico again? Absolutely.

One of our local Mexican guides jokingly explained: “The reason bus travel in Mexico is so good is because a former president from the 1980s owns many of the bus companies.

Our tickets were something like $40 USD each for 4- to 5-hour rides ($10 for a 1-hour ride). And from the bus terminals, taxis were very inexpensive to get to our hotels.

Once in the colonial towns, we could walk everywhere (or take a taxi if needed).

To see Mexico, there’s no need to fly within the country or deal with the hassle of renting a car – the bus will get you most places in style and comfort.

Mexico is a fascinating country, and there’s so much to do! Check out these amazing things to do in Mexico

3 Tips for booking your Mexico bus tickets

1) Ask your hotel for help

We’d read that we didn’t have to worry about booking tickets weeks in advance.

The Mexico buses run frequently (and are on time). For example, the ETN bus from Guadalajara to Guanajuato goes up to eight times a day, starting at 5:30 am, with the last bus at 7:30 pm.

We therefore decided we’d book our bus tickets once we were on the ground in Mexico.

Regrettably, we speak very little Spanish – not much more than “Dos cerveza por favor.” So we asked the respective hotels in each of the cities we visited to help book our tickets for the next onward bus journey. And they were very helpful in getting our tickets arranged.

We booked each bus a couple of days before the trip and had no problems getting tickets. We gave our credit card number and picked up the tickets from the bus terminal.

2) Book by phone

Book by phone, if possible, and not over the Internet. You may pay a teeny bit more, but the price difference is nominal.

We were told that Mexico bus tickets booked by phone are fully refundable but web-bookings are non-refundable.

3) Try an online booking agency

To book online before your trip, try Busbud. This international online bus search and booking website specializes in intercity bus tickets. It covers not just Mexico, but also routes across North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.

It’s a Canadian company. And as we’re Canadian, we wanted to let you know about them. We don’t yet have any personal experience with using their services, but we’ll use Busbud next time when booking long-distance buses!

Adios! And enjoy your Mexico trip…


Pin this guide on what it’s like to take the deluxe bus in Mexico!

Riding the first-class Mexico bus is like flying business class. Really!

Our top travel tips and resources

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Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!

Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.

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Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.

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Photo credits: 5 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase


About the authors

Janice and George Mucalov are award-winning travel journalists who’ve explored all seven continents. They share destination guidesluxury hotel reviewscultural adventurescruise insightstravel tips and more on their luxury travel blog, Sand In My Suitcase. See About.

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32 Comments

  1. I want to book a first class bus ticket from Tijuana to Mazatlan. Not sure what number. Can I just get one at the bus station. Thank you. Tara

    1. Yes, you can get your ticket right at the bus station, but if you want to be assured of getting a seat on a particular day at a particular time, you might want to reserve in advance :-).

  2. Are there any buses going from Mazatlan to puerto Vallarta that allow small sleeping dogs to travel inside the passenger area, not in baggage?
    Thanks

    1. Oh gosh, sorry, we don’t know the answer. The buses we were on had no dogs inside :-). Can you go to the main Mazatlan bus terminal and check with the different bus companies for their policies?

      From what we understand, dogs usually have to travel in a crate in the hold. (If anyone out there has more information, we’d love to hear from you!)

  3. I tagged along when an Anthropology student friend was doing some field work in Oaxaca. All the seats were sold out. But not the luggage compartment!

    The relief driver sold the 4 of us his blanketed bunk. 30 seconds of intense claustrophobia followed by 10 hours of stretched out bliss.

  4. Thank you for writing this!

    I keep telling people how great the bus is in Mexico but I don’t think anyone believes me. I think Americans and Canadians have been terrorized by Greyhound. I’ve only been on the ADO Platino and it’s by far the best bus I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been on lots of buses around the world!

    Thanks!

    Denise

  5. 2 years ago, my wife and I rented a car in PVR and took a drive to Rincon de Guayabitos. Getting almost to our destination, driving north on Hwy. 200, we were rear-ended by a Guadalajara bound bus, and people were hurt in the bus. It was a segundo bus. Right behind it was a first class bus with the lucky ones that couldn’t get a seat on the first bus and had to pay more for their tickets on the better bus with real brakes.

    What I’m saying is: “It’s not as glamorous as you say, because not all the bus drivers drive that safely.”

    1. Hello Terry,

      So sorry to hear about your accident; we can see how that would be terribly upsetting. We edited your comment to shorten it :-).

      You’re right, not all bus drivers drive safely, and not all vehicles are road-worthy. Sometimes motor vehicle accidents happen. But that’s the case all over the world, unfortunately. We’ve have bad bus accidents here in Canada too.

      We were impressed by the safe driving of the drivers on the buses we took in Mexico. And the buses seemed to be in excellent condition, as we’ve described.

      Your point raises another point though: It’s important to always have good travel medical insurance when traveling, just in case bad luck strikes.

      Thanks for sharing your experience…

  6. I just read your article. I am from México. I am so glad to read your review about luxury buses in my home country. I enjoy traveling by bus in my home country. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in your blog.

    1. Hi Abdiel,
      Thanks for the kind words!
      As you know, we love the luxury buses in Mexico. We just wish we could have luxury buses like this in our country, Canada :-).
      Best!

    2. @Janice and George, I wish that we had these here in Canada, too. But unfortunately, nobody wants to invest any money to create first-class buses here!

      There are two of them in the United States (one is the First Class Bus “The JET” from Washington, DC to New York City), a few in Japan and some in Europe, however.

  7. Nice article! We live in Mexico but haven’t used the long-distance bus lines yet. Do you know if any allow small dogs in pet carriers to ride onboard with the owner? We want to travel from Puerto Vallarta or Bucerias to San Miguel de Allende. Thank you.

    1. Good question! We don’t know the answer. But from Googling, it appears dogs aren’t allowed in the passenger cabins of the 1st and 2nd class buses. See, for example, this 2018 Yucatan Times article and this Mexperience article.

  8. Interesting article but quite a few erroneous facts. For example first class buses in Mexico do not serve food and drinks but the luxury buses such as ETN and ADO Platino do. And, in general, no difference in refundability whether you buy only internet or by phone. I normally prefer to buy in person.
    And I will mention that Mexico has many more of the luxury bus lines than the few mentioned in your article.

    1. Thanks for reading and sharing…
      There seems to be different terminology used for “first” and “luxury” class. Some bus lines/routes only offer two classes (second class and then one higher). We just knew we wanted the “top” or “best” class for our bookings, which we were told was “first class” (but could have been “luxury.”) And we had food served (Primera Plus) or given to us before boarding (ETN) on all the buses we rode.
      The terminology is a bit confusing though, so we’ll add a small section on “booking the best class” to help readers get the highest class!

      1. I think some of the confusion stems from the fact that the various bus lines don’t all use the same terminology. For example, Transportes del Norte (part of Grupo Senda) has Primera, Primera Equipada, Turista, and Diamante classes of bus. None of those is actually called Luxury. Of those, there are only minor differences between Primera, Primera Equipada, and Turista. Diamante offers snack service.

        Omnibus de México similarly has Primera Básica, Primera, Primera Equipada, and Plus. None of those is called Luxury either. Plus is the service that offers meal service.

        It would be easy to get a ticket that says Diamante or Plus and assume it’s just plain old first class, when in fact it’s a higher class. Perhaps this where the confusion arose.

        I agree with your assessment of second-class buses: quality varies. 18 years ago, on a bus trip from Ciudad Juárez to the Copper Canyon, I rode a second-class bus from Chihuahua to Creel that was all but indistinguishable from a first-class bus, complete with TV screen and toilet. The next day, I took a 5½-hour second-class service from Creel to Batopilas that was a combination of (1) a Suburban with our luggage strapped to the roof and a couple of people sitting on laps for the first part and then (2) an old reused yellow school bus with guys riding on the roof with the luggage for the second part. Of course, that’s an extreme case, but you get my point.

        My best friend just returned last night from having to pick up his motorcycle from Mexico, which was nearing the end of its import permit. He took the bus down and rode the bike back. As he had no experience with intercity bus travel, I guided him through the process. I told him to book only as far as Nuevo Laredo on Greyhound, because traveling by Mexican bus lines is so much superior, so that’s what he did. He arrived in Nuevo Laredo at 7:20 AM this past Monday, immediately walked a half-mile north to a different station, bought a ticket at the counter with cash on the spot, and was leaving for Monterrey at 8:00 AM. Yes, a 40-minute transfer (including a walk) with no ticket booked in advance. Plus, that agency was able to book his onward ticket to his final destination for him then and there. His text message to me upon getting on the road: “The buses are far cleaner and nicer! I get a recliner with legroom, snack, and drink. (than Greyhound)” For what it’s worth, that was TDN Diamante.

        For any readers who have a hard time believing bus travel can really be so convenient: Believe it! No need to book in advance, frequent departures, top-quality service and amenities. Not all bus stations are nice and clean, however. Some are old, some have terribly unsanitary bathrooms, etc. But the nice ones are REALLY nice, basically like an airport. And ticket prices, even on first class or higher, are still typically cheaper by the mile than riding Greyhound. I will caution that, if you plan to book a really long journey (say, Monterrey to Mexico City), then a lot of the schedules might all be departing around the same time of day, so it’s possible none will be departing at the time of day you want. If you’re set on leaving when those long itineraries aren’t scheduled, then you may have to hop from city to city, booking each next leg as you arrive. But, again, that isn’t hard to do.

        1. Thanks so much for your input! Very helpful :-).
          Your bus trip from Creel to Batopilas sounds like a scene from a Chevy Chase movie! What a hoot! Good to hear you weathered that trip in good spirits :-).
          But for the most part, as you know, the bus service in Mexico is really terrific — and Canadians, Europeans and North Americans should feel quite comfortable if they book the “best” service between popular tourist destinations.

  9. Very helpful read!! Thanks. I just bought my plane ticket to Mexico and plan on busing to like 7 cities on a solo trip starting this month.

    1. Hi Hadiel,
      Sounds like a fabulous trip! Enjoy!
      The bus will be a great way to get around Mexico :-).

  10. I am having trouble figuring out which terminal services ETN buses between Guadalajara and CDMX. Any suggestions on where to find this information?

    1. We understand you want to go from Guadalajara to Mexico City (Mexico Norte)?
      And, yes, it does look difficult getting this information from Googling!
      Here’s what we found out:
      The trip is about 7 hours long.
      It appears the Central Nueva bus terminal in Tlaquepaque is the bigger bus terminal in Guadalajara (bigger than the Zapopan bus station).
      We tried the Busbud.com site and it lists buses for other lines leaving from that Nueva Central station in Guadalajara for Mexico City.
      Then we found this 2018 thread, which says you need to use the new bus station (the Nueva Central one in Tlaquepaque) for the ETN bus to Mexico City.
      Hope this helps!

  11. I plan to travel by bus from Houston,Texas to the final destination of Melaque, Mexico. Any suggestions and or references must appreciated if possible. Open dates not an issue . Thank You

    1. Hello Ricardo, We don’t have any specific suggestions, apart from the updated information in our post. Perhaps the new information here is of some help? Have a good trip!

  12. That is way surprising! I definitely wasn’t expecting that, though, to be fair, I traveled on some pretty first class buses in Asia which was a total shock!

    1. Interesting you mention the first-class buses in Asia – we’ve heard that the 12-hour overnight first-class buses from Bangkok to Phuket are extremely comfortable, designed to ensure a good night’s sleep (and they’re only about $12 US p.p. we believe).

  13. Wow, I never would have really associated buses with luxury/comfort and at such reasonable prices! I will totally try this!

  14. The first class buses in Mexico look very cozy, but I would take the more local transportation to save money :).