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annadon7

Sep 28, 2009, 9:20 PM

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Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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I have recently received an invitation to a wedding in Oaxaca on Dec 29. I live in Ajijic. I believe bus travel for me will be the best. Can anyone advise how I go about figuring out which buses to take? I am assuming I will have to start from the new bus station in Guadalajara but that is as much as I have figured out. I did a search in the travel section but found nothing. Thank you for any help received.
anna and don

Anonimo

Sep 29, 2009, 2:39 AM

Post #2 of 7 (4703 views)

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Re: [annadon7] Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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You'll need to change buses and bus stations in Mexico City. I'd seriously suggest an overnight stay there, for the two trips are very long back to back. You should also figure in transfer and waiting time. You are looking at more than 13 hours in a bus seat.

Your bus (ETN is a good choice) from Guadalajara to Mexico City will probably arrive at Camionera del Norte. From there, (or better, your hotel), you'll need to get to TAPO, (Terminal de Autobuses para Pasajeros al Oriente).

At TAPO you can get an ADO Primera Clase or more luxurious, an UNO bus.
http://ETN.com.mx
http://ADO.com.mx
or the http://Ticketbus.com.mx website, which also handles ADO and UNO and its various brands.

Your date of travel falls in one of the busiest times of the year, so it's a good idea, if you can, to book tickets well in advance to reserve your seats. However, both ETN and ADO websites say that no seats are available for the 29 or 30 of December. I think it's simply because they won't reserve that far in advance.

Also, if you're qualified and have an INAPAM credencial, don't forget to click the "senectud" button when looking up fares. You'll get 50% off, depending on availability.

Saludos,
Anonimo

tashby

Sep 29, 2009, 8:26 AM

Post #3 of 7 (4682 views)

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Re: [annadon7] Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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Something to keep in mind....

Mexicana airlines (Mexicana "Link") has a non-stop flight from GDL to Oaxaca. I believe it's daily, but not entirely sure about that. It may be worth checking their website (or working with a travel agent) to monitor the fare. As with all airlines, the fare makes absolutely no sense. It can fluctuate wildly from day to day, and even during the day.

There are undoubtedly other flights too, but I assume most stop in Mexico City. Just guessing on that.

We flew roundtrip, non-stop, all taxes and fees included for 2000 pesos earlier this month. (A friend who went with us, but didn't manage to grab that fare, ended up paying more than twice what we did.) Worth a look anyway.....and definitely check on Tuesdays because the available fare can be substantially lower than it was on Monday. Good luck.

raferguson

Sep 29, 2009, 9:56 AM

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Re: [Anonimo] Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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Anonimo has it right.

For my taste, that is too long a bus ride. I would fly unless there was a huge price difference. Two long bus rides, plus changing buses in Mexico City? My bus book says 7 hours to Mexico City, and then another 6 hours to Oaxaca. I figure that anyone but the young should overnight in Mexico City, too much for one day. I have never tried a night bus, but that might make sense in this case, if you were determined to do it in one day.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

gpkgto

Sep 29, 2009, 10:49 AM

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Re: [raferguson] Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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Also, two buses + hotel + meals probably would cost the same as a plane ticket--or pretty close. Even changing planes in Mexico City is no big deal (usually)--so arriving rested would make the wedding much more enjoyable.

tashby

Sep 29, 2009, 11:04 AM

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Re: [gpkisner] Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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Glug. I just noticed the date of the wedding.....Dec. 29. Are airfares within Mexico as awful during that time period as they are in the U.S.?

Good luck!

Hound Dog

Sep 29, 2009, 12:20 PM

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Re: [annadon7] Bus travel from Guadalajara to Oaxaca

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You can leave from Guadalajara , arrive at the station Norte and leave from the same station. The lines from DF Norte for Oaxaca are ADO, ADO GL and UNO it is all the same company so you can check for fares in the computor.
The best line to go to DF is ETN but there are lots of others. UNO is the bst of the 3 I mentioned to go to Oaxaca from Norte.
Usually the bus fare is half of the plane fare .. Sometimes the difference is less if you can get a deal on the plane.
If you have a discount card for the bus you cannot beat that price.

There are many other lines leaving from TAPPO as well and if you stay for the night in DF you may want to look into Tappo as you have more departures.
Six or seven hours on a good luxury bus is no big deal and you can see the scenery. If you are going to do the whole trip by bus, I suggest you stay in DF for a night. You can arrive in DF by 4 or 5 pm, have a relaxed evening and leave the next afternoon and arrive by 6 or 7pm, it leaves you the morning to visit or walk in the city. I always enjoy staying in DF for a short while. You can stay in the center for 500 or 600 pesos in a decent hotel and the whole thing will not cost you more than the plane ride. If you have the time take the bus.

Brigitte

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Oct 1, 2009, 8:00 PM)