Bus Travel in Mexico
City in Mexico
There are hundreds and hundreds of bus companies that operate in Mexico. In fact, it is the most common means of transportation for the masses of laborers who keep cities and systems moving. But Is it safe to travel by bus in Mexico? YES. Millions of people do it every day.
There Are Three Bus Classes
There are three bus classes – executive class, first-class, and the second class. The executive class comes with the highest cost, which pays for more space, more privacy, and more amenities. In fact, some executive class buses even come with wifi services, though this can be rather intermittent based on the bus route. In contrast, first-class comes with a lot of the same benefits in a smaller space, while the second class comes with both less space and less comfort. On top of this, executive class tends to be non-stop, first-class tends to stop in major municipalities, and the second class tends to stop whenever someone on the street hails them.
Some Buses Are Safer Than Others
Bus stations should be considered safe. However, interested individuals should still keep a watchful eye on their personal possessions because of pickpockets as well as bag snatchers. Be warned that it is common for overnight buses to travel through remote, rugged regions, with the result that there have been cases of them being held up by robbers. Furthermore, second-class buses are riskier than their executive class and first class counterparts because the latter tend to travel on high-speed toll roads.
Different Bus Companies Operate in Different Regions
As stated earlier, there are hundreds of hundreds of bus companies that operate throughout Mexico. Naturally, each one has its own buses running on its own routes. For example, Aguila operates in Central and Southern Baja California, while Maya de Oro operates in Mexico City, the Yucatan, and southeastern Mexico. Besides these, there are public bus systems in some places as well, with an excellent example being the Mexico City Metrobus that has been serving the region since 2006.
Generally speaking, you should have no problems finding bus schedules on the bus companies’ websites. In some cases, they can find the same information over the counter. Otherwise, there are specialized websites such as CheckMyBus that can provide assistance. Fair warning – Spanish speaking only at most bus systems including the drivers. If you don’t speak Spanish, you might want to buy your bus tickets online rather than at the bus station.
Mexican Bus Driver Salaries
Salary Expert claims that an entry bus driver gets paid an average of 118,647 MXN on an annual basis while a senior level bus driver gets paid an average of 194,757 MXN on an annual basis. For context, Salary Explorer claims that the median salary is 26,500 MXN on a monthly basis.
