White sand beaches, delicious fried food, cheap beer: these are a few of the fantastic images that come to mind when thinking of Mexico. But terrific public transporation? Public transportation in Mexico is reliable and plentiful, making it a viable way to travel as well as one of Mexico’s best kept secrets.

What has made the Mexican public transporation system so successful where many U.S. cities struggle to provide convenient public transport? Mexican public transport, while regulated by the government, has been privatized. This means that anyone can buy a bus or a taxi and apply for a route permit from the city. Once the route permit has been paid for, all profits thereafter go to the vehicle owner. This makes public transportation profitable for both the owners and the city government.
There are three major segments to public transporation in Mexico: intercity buses (camiones), intracity buses (rutas) and taxis (taxis). This article provides some tips and tricks for using public transportation in Mexico in order to make your trip fun, diverse and economically viable.

Intercity buses
When you first arrive in Mexico, one of your first travels will most likely be from the airport to whichever city you have chosen for your final destination.  Whether travelling from the airport or just between cities, your best bet is to take an intercity bus.  Different intercity companies travel to each region in the country; to find out which bus company travels to your region, check out http://www.differentworld.com/mexico/buses.htm.

Buses leave for each destination every 10 to 30 minutes, with the first bus leaving  around 3 am and the last bus leaving at 9 pm, making last minute travel easy; however, if you like to plan ahead you can always buy tickets the day before.  Prices range from 5 to 20 dollars, depending on the luxury level of the bus you take - some offer complimentary snacks and sodas, as well as reclining seats and foot rests).

Taxis
Taxis are the main form of day to day transportation for many travelers in Mexico. Taxis are everywhere, easy to hail and cheap. To hail a taxi, simply stand on the curb and raise your arm as each taxi passes - the first empty cab to pass will stop. Here are some tips to make sure you get a good rate and a safe ride.

1. Only take taxis that have the name of a reputable taxi company on the car. Legitimate taxi companies assign a unique number to each car. Write this number down so that you can report any unprofessional behavior to the company. Unmarked taxis are most likely taxis piratas (bootleg taxis). A bootleg taxi means that the driver is working independently without a permit from the city. Riding in a bootleg taxi is not necessarily dangerous, but if anything unprofessional were to occur, bootleg taxis are harder to report.

2. Before getting in the taxi, always ask how much the ride will cost. Many taxi drivers try to charge foreign passenger ten to twenty peso extra – while the price might still seem cheap compared to U.S. taxi prices, it’s still smart to discourage price gouging. To ask how much the taxi ride will cost, say “Cuanto me cobra aqui a [insert address here]?” A five minute taxi ride should cost around 20 (veinte) to 30 (treinta) pesos; a 20 minute ride should never cost more than 40 (cuarenta) pesos. At first, you might be charged too much, but if you consistently ask for a price, you will eventually know how much you should pay for a particular ride.

If the driver quotes you a high price, say “Me cobran [insert price you want to pay here]” (I’m usually charged X amount..). If the driver won’t budge, you have a choice – pay the higher price to get where you’re going faster, or refuse the ride and wait for the next taxi – and another one will almost certainly drive by soon.

3. Always carry change. Unlike businesses in the U.S., most services, including convenience stores, bus stations, and clothing boutiques do not carry enough change to break even a 100 peso bill (U.S. equivalent of about $10). Taxi drivers are no different. Never try to pay for a taxi ride with a bill larger than $50 pesos if you want change. Also, don’t be afraid to let your driver know if they gave you incorrect change; this is usually done on purpose with the hope that the foreign traveller will be too polite to argue or not speak Spanish well enough to have understood the original agreement.

4. Tips are not required for taxi drivers in Mexico. If you feel the service was especially good, feel free to give a few extra pesos, but remember that the entire amount of the ride usually goes directly to the driver.

5. Many visitors to Mexico need to take a taxi from the bus station to their lodgings. There is always a line of taxis outside the bus station, but these drivers charge five to ten pesos more for the convenience of picking you up right outside the station. To get a better rate, walk outside the station to the nearest street and hail a passing cab.

6. If you have an early morning or late night trip, you can also call a taxi company to have a cab sent to pick you up. This will often cost five to ten pesos extra, but you are guaranteed a legitimate cab that will pick you up on time.

7. Finally, follow your instincts. If the driver doesn’t seem reliable or if the driver is accompanied by a friend, decline the ride and wait for the next cab. It is not unheard of for taxi drivers to assault women or carry out “express kidnappings” in which you are sequestered long enough for them to force you to withdraw all of the money from your checking account. While these incidents are rare, it is better to wait five extra minutes for a legitimate cab than to risk your safety.

Intracity buses
Mexico’s intracity bus system is the best and most economical way to travel within a single city. These buses, called rutas, are frequent, cheap and safe. The trick is figuring out which rutas go where, since there is no printed bus schedule to study before riding. Figuring out which bus to take is part of the fun, however, and riding the bus will give you a taste of what living in Mexico is really about.

1. The first step in figuring out which bus to take is to ask. Most residents know which buses go where and will be able to tell you which buses you’ll need to get to your final destination.

2. Hailing a bus is much like hailing a cab. You’ll notice that people will tend to congregate on certain street corners and store fronts – these are the official bus stops, although they are not marked as such (remember, buses are privatized in Mexico, so the city doesn’t construct bus stops like in the U.S.). On the busier streets, buses will only stop at the “official” bus stops in order to avoid traffic tickets, but on smaller streets and residential areas the bus driver will often pick up anyone who raises an arm to hail them. Whether you’re at an official busstop or not, always raise your arm to hail the bus and let them know you want to get on.

3. Most buses will have a list of destinations written on the front window. However, this list may not be complete and can be confusing to travellers who don’t speak Spanish well. If you don’t see your destination on the window and are unsure if this is the right bus, just ask the driver. Most drivers are friendly, especially if you start your inquiry with a “buenos dias/buenas tardes/buenas noches” (good morning, good afternoon or good evening). Also remember that some buses have multiple routes, so just because you need to take the number 9 doesn’t mean that this particular 9 is the one you want. Asking the driver can keep you from ending up in an entirely different part of town; if the current bus isn’t the right one, the correct bus will usually pass within five minutes.

4. Once you’ve found the bus you need, you’ll need to pay the driver before finding a seat. Bus rides, depending on the city, can cost between 2 and 5 pesos. Do not even consider paying for your bus ride with anything larger than a 20 peso bill. Bus drivers do not carry large amounts of change and the likelihood that they will have enough change before you get off the bus is low.

5. While you’re riding the bus, street performers and musicians will often get on to entertain and make a few pesos. These performers are usually terrible, but they make the ride interesting. Feel free to give performers a few pesos for their trouble; anywhere from 1 to 10 pesos is acceptable.

6. Getting off the bus is just as much fun as getting on. If this is your first trip to your destination and you’re not sure what it looks like, try to sit near the front of the bus so the bus driver can tell you when to get off. To ask the bus driver for help, say “Por favor, me puede decir cuando llegemos a [insert destination here].” If you are familiar with your destination and you want to get off the bus, simply shout “Bajan!”, then stand up and walk to the bus doors. If you are on a busy street, the bus driver will most likely wait for the next official stop, but if you are in a residential area you will be dropped off wherever you like.

7. FYI – there are no printed bus schedules, bus passes or transfers available for ruta passengers.

With these tips, an adventurous spirit and a little common sense, you can have fun and explore Mexico economically. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Pronunciation guide:

How much will you charge me to go to…? - Cuanto me cobra aqui a… ? [cwahn-toh may coh-brah ah-key ah]

I’m usually charged… - Me cobran… [may coh-brahn]

intercity bus – ruta [roo-tah]

intracity bus – camion [cah-mee-own]

good morning – buenos dias [bway-nohs dee-ahs]

good afternoon – buenas tardes [bway-nahs tar-days]

good evening – buenas noches [bway-nahs noh-chays]

Can you please tell me when we get to… - Por favor, me puede decir cuando llegemos a … [por fah-bor may pway-day deh-seer kwahn-doh ye-gay-mohs ah]

I’d like to get off the bus please! – Bajan! [bah-hahn]

one –uno [oo-noh]
two – dos [dohs]
three – tres [trays]
four – cuatro [cwah-troh]
five – cinco [sing-coh]
six – seis [saes]
seven – siete [see-eht-ay]
eight – ocho [oh-choh]
nine – nueve [new-ay-bay]
ten – diez [dee-ehs]
twenty – veinte [bayn-tay]
thirty – treinta [trayn-tah]
forty – cuarenta [cwah-rehn-tah]
fifty – cincuenta [sing-cwehn-tah]
sixty – sesenta [seh-sehn-tah]
seventy – setenta [seh-tehn-tah]
eighty – ochenta [oh-chehn-tah]
ninety – noventa [noh-behn-tah]
one-hundred – cien [cee-ehn]

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