Bus and Colectivo Travel

Local Bus Service
Local bus service is normally frequent and inexpensive, however, the condition of the buses varies considerably. Some cities employ old dirty school buses while others have very clean modern equipment. They are all a far cry from the transfer busses that get you to an all-inclusive resort but then we are looking for cheap and flexible travel.

Inter-City Bus Service
Do not get on the first bus you see displaying your destination.
Some buses take a more direct route while others stop every time they are flagged down.

There are two classes of bus service between many of the major communities and while the buses may all have air conditioning and clean comfortable seats the travel times can be very different. A trip from Puerto Vallarta - Malaque will take 4:30hrs on an express bus and 6:00hrs on the other. The "First Plus" Service will also have an onboard washroom which is an important consideration on so long a trip.

Colectivos
Typically a colectivo is a 15 passenger mini van that frequently runs up and down major routes picking up and dropping off people on demand. There is not much elbow room and even less room for luggage but it is a very affordable way to make day trips.

Taxis
Taxis are readily available through out Mexico and provide a good means of transportation, especially when you have a lot of luggage, however, you pay considerably more using their services.

On a recent trip we traveled from Akumal to Cancun International Airport by colectivo and bus for 280 Peso. The price for the same trip by taxi was quoted as $90USD.