# Travel to the USA from Mexico by bus?



## Ilovecuyos (Jul 19, 2013)

Hi,

I just have some doubts about the possibility of traveling from Mexico to the United States.

I'm a TEFL teacher here in Mexico and want to return to my family, who live in North Carolina, for awhile.

I understand it's possible to travel there by bus, but I don't know what's involved in that.

My family is very concerned that it's dangerous and I have been concerned about that. 

Is it even possible to travel from Mexico to North Carolinab by bus? Is it more expensive than flying?

Obviously it's uncomfortable and would take a long time but I'm okay with that.
I just want to convince my family it's safe.

Thanks...


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## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

Ilovecuyos said:


> Hi,
> 
> I just have some doubts about the possibility of traveling from Mexico to the United States.
> 
> ...


 I understand why your family is concerned, have you ever used Greyhound Bus lines before? The whole thing is unorganized and filled this shady people.
Are you sure you are not from Alabama? Do an internet search, compare prices...you are a teacher, right? You can go from anywhere in Mexico to just about anywhere in North or Central America by bus. Anyone willing to ride a bus, who is gainfully employed and wishes to visit family, needs to think this through. 3 plus days on a bus or 1 day in the air.


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

I don't think it would save much money to travel by bus and actually might cost more if you figure at least 1 or 2 nights in a hotel along the way. I don't think you would WANT to travel that far without stopping, it would take DAYS!

Just looked:

You can find flights R/T from MEX/RDU for $500. I don't think it would be worth it to take the bus.

.
.


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

Greyhound doesn't stop to put passengers in hotels. All they do is change drivers. 

When you book a seat on Greyhound that's going to take several (or more) days, you're driven straight through, but they do stop at fast food restaurants so that you can eat.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

tijuanahopeful said:


> Greyhound doesn't stop to put passengers in hotels. All they do is change drivers.
> 
> When you book a seat on Greyhound that's going to take several (or more) days, you're driven straight through, but they do stop at fast food restaurants so that you can eat.


Sounds like a gruesome way to travel .


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

I took Greyhound from Chico, CA to San Diego, and it was a "fun trip." At least it was only 10 hours. I got on the bus in Chico, the bus stopped in Marysville (25 miles) to actually buy a ticket. From Marysville, the bus went to Sacramento, where everyone waited for their bus to go the their destination. There are no busses that go directly to San Diego, so I had take a bus to LA, and when I got to LA, take another bus that was marked San Diego/Tijuana.

If you do decide to take Greyhound to N. Carolina, expect to be on the bus for a long time. Your only breaks will be when they stop at a fast food restaurant for the passengers to eat, stretch their legs, etc.

I recommend flying.


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

If you do decide to take the bus I would buy 2 separate tickets so that you can stop at the half way point and spend one night in a hotel then continue on the next day. No way would I consider traveling on a bus for 3 or 4 days straight. I have heard good things about Mexico's buses and nothing good about greyhound buses. 

If money is tight but you have good credit there is no need to buy an airline ticket anyway, you can easily have several free tickets in just a few months with credit card sign up bonuses.


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## cscscs007 (Jan 8, 2011)

I have many, many friends who take the bus from Guadalajara to Nebraska and there has never been a problem. The bus is very nice and has a bathroom, so it doesn't need to stop except to switch drivers and to stretch and eat. The bus stops at the border and waits for those who need to get their paperwork processed, and then after all are finished, the bus continues on it's way.

I do not hesitate to take the bus. It may be a longer way to travel, but the chance to see the country and scenery is missed by many, but not me. If at all possible I either drive or take the bus, before choosing the option to fly. 

Life is too short not to stop and enjoy it. Everyone is always in a rush it seems these days. Life would be so much more enjoyable if one would stop to enjoy a breath of fresh air.


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## Joycee (Jul 22, 2009)

I vote for the airplane. I have taken the bus several times from Las Vegas to Puebla and once from Puebla to Las Vegas. Thankfully, I never had to ride in a Greyhound, because there is a special bus line from Las Vegas to select Mexican cities. My husband had the misfortune of having to take the Greyhound to Las Vegas when he missed his other bus in El Paso. What a horror story


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## ABCinATL (Jun 19, 2010)

You also need to consider personal safety. I cannot speak first-hand about this, but have heard many stories of buses being pulled over and riders robbed in Mexico. 

Wasn't there an American mother recently jailed in Mexico for supposedly bringing drugs onboard a bus, and later cleared once the film was reviewed?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I travel a lot on buses in Mexico and there is no problems . You stand more chances of being in an accident than in a robbery or being an incident like the one you mentionned.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

citlali said:


> I travel a lot on buses in Mexico and there is no problems . You stand more chances of being in an accident than in a robbery or being an incident like the one you mentioned.


I have traveled by bus from Guadalajara to Denver and back a couple of times and from Guadalajara to Tijuana/San Diego and back maybe a half dozen times.

The Mexico part of the trip is very pleasant. The buses are comfortable, roomy, often with internet and power in addition to movies. The Greyhound part of the trip in the US is miserable but, for me at least, it is fairly short. The Greyhound buses are like second class buses in Mexico. I always pay for the first class Mexican buses and, if available, the luxury class. With my senior card, the bus is half price and the extra cost for the luxury bus is not that much extra.

Clearly, a personal choice, but I would rather spend an enjoyable day or so resting and watching the scenery on a bus instead of being treated like a criminal and a chicken confined to a cage on an airplane for most of a day.


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## cscscs007 (Jan 8, 2011)

I suppose you should not drive either since two boys were arrested for drugs in their vehicle that their father bought in an auction from the US. It turns out the truck was seized by the US Govt. because drugs were found in it and then sold at auction but not all the drugs were taken out.
You probably shouldn't fly either because airplane pilots could try to land and tear off the back of the plane while landing.
Ships are out of the question also since you could be stranded out in the Gulf of Mexico on a Carnival Cruise ship.
If buses are so dangerous why are there so many buses going down the highways in Mexico? Everywhere I go I see buses everywhere, sometimes I think I can count more buses than cars on the highway. I have taken the bus, my friends have taken the bus, my neighbors have taken the bus, and guess what, none of us has been robbed.
If you have the time I highly recommend taking a bus. If you are short on time, fly. But don't rule out a chance to see the country because of what someone heard from the next door neighbor's cousin's nephew's mailman heard from someone else.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

cscscs007 said:


> I suppose you should not drive either since two boys were arrested for drugs in their vehicle that their father bought in an auction from the US. It turns out the truck was seized by the US Govt. because drugs were found in it and then sold at auction but not all the drugs were taken out.
> You probably shouldn't fly either because airplane pilots could try to land and tear off the back of the plane while landing.
> Ships are out of the question also since you could be stranded out in the Gulf of Mexico on a Carnival Cruise ship.
> If buses are so dangerous why are there so many buses going down the highways in Mexico? Everywhere I go I see buses everywhere, sometimes I think I can count more buses than cars on the highway. I have taken the bus, my friends have taken the bus, my neighbors have taken the bus, and guess what, none of us has been robbed.
> If you have the time I highly recommend taking a bus. If you are short on time, fly. But don't rule out a chance to see the country because of what someone heard from the next door neighbor's cousin's nephew's mailman heard from someone else.


The seized vehicles your are describing are not sold at a regular action. They are sold at an auction where only dismantlers are allowed and the vehicles have to dismantled and can never have a title, salvage or not. My friend goes to the auction sometimes, even newer semi tractors are sold there, he is a dismantler. These are vehicles seized at a border crossing, not other places in the country.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

If going by bus, make the trip out of Mexico during daylight hours. For several reasons. One being that on average, hundreds of people die in bus accidents yearly in Mexico ... and almost all accidents involving busses occur during overnight hours. Break the trip into segments, if you can. It'll be a long ride from Mexico to North Carolina. And if you want to go by bus, don't be deterred by people who disagree with your decision. It's your trip, not theirs. Regarding criticisms of Greyhound and persons who choose to travel with that company ... I sense, in one comment, a tinge of racial/ethnic/regional prejudice being expressed. Ignore those comments when you see them. On many routes the Greyhound busses are new and offer many services including wi fi, etc. The company is rolling-out new equipment. Greyhound isn't the only bus company offering service. There are companies which focus almost entirely on Mexicans moving back and forth between Mexico and the USA. Some of the equipment those companies use is okay, other seems substandard ... at least not appealing, but may be the only company offering the most direct routing. for a long trip. Many Mexicans have moved from Mexico to North Carolina. Enjoy the adventure!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> If going by bus, make the trip out of Mexico during daylight hours. For several reasons. One being that on average, hundreds of people die in bus accidents yearly in Mexico ... and almost all accidents involving busses occur during overnight hours. Break the trip into segments, if you can. It'll be a long ride from Mexico to North Carolina. And if you want to go by bus, don't be deterred by people who disagree with your decision. It's your trip, not theirs. Regarding criticisms of Greyhound and persons who choose to travel with that company ... I sense, in one comment, a tinge of racial/ethnic/regional prejudice being expressed. Ignore those comments when you see them. On many routes the Greyhound busses are new and offer many services including wi fi, etc. The company is rolling-out new equipment. Greyhound isn't the only bus company offering service. There are companies which focus almost entirely on Mexicans moving back and forth between Mexico and the USA. Some of the equipment those companies use is okay, other seems substandard ... at least not appealing, but may be the only company offering the most direct routing. for a long trip. Many Mexicans have moved from Mexico to North Carolina. Enjoy the adventure!


I am glad to hear that US buses are decent on some routes. It is not true on the only route I have traveled in the US recently, El Paso-Denver.

As far as traveling at night. The buses all have two drivers and there is a compartment for the second driver to sleep under the bus next to the baggage compartment. I don't know what the statistics are on bus accidents, at night or any time. There are a lot of buses traveling overnight in Mexico. Whenever, I go to Mexico City, I take an overnight bus. ETN must have a dozen buses departing Guadalajara for DF every evening between 9 pm and midnight. And that is just one company. There must be a dozen other companies on the same route. There are a lot of buses on the road at any time of the day or night. For me, life is too short to worry about small chance of an accident. I am much more likely to die in a traffic accident while walking around Guadalajara.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Two posters on this thread write of nighttime bus accidents and robberies but those posts are unnececessarily alarmist and bus travel in Mexico is quite safe and can be luxurious. The night time express luxury buses from Gudalajara and, perhaps, Morelia, are an excellent way to get to the border at Nuevo Laredo. As I remember, the buses take about 12 hours nonstop from Guadalajara and are very comfortable with reclining seats and clean bathrooms. You may even be served a free sandwich and soft drink on board. 

Here is an idea on how to get to North Carolina without the hassle of flying and putting up with the TSA goons. Take the luxury bus from Guadalajara to Nuevo Laredo and switch to a Greyhound to Laredo and San Antonio and then take AMTRAK from San Antonio to Florida and change trains in Florida to North Carolina. I don´t know the precise schedule of AMTRAK but you can investiigate the option of AMTAK from San Antonio to your destination and the feasibility of the schedule to accomplish your personal goal on the internet.

You have given me an idea. I had planned to drive to New Orlerans and Mobile next spring from Lake Chapala but now I have to look into taking that Guadalajara-Nuevo Laredo luxury bus (which I have taken before to return home at Lake Chapala after selling my car in San Antonio), switching to Greyhound to San Antonio and takng AMTRAK to New Orleans and then on to Mobile on a later AMTRAK train. Then, back to Lake Chapala on the same route.

Greyhound sucks but under this scenario, you would only be on Greyhond for about three hours and then an AMTRAK train with a nice dining car and comfortable seating all the way to North Carolina. No need to stop for any hotels at all. As for the luxury bus to Nuevo Laredo; Dawg has taken long distance buses in many countries and Mexican luxury bus travel is by far the best I have ever experienced anywhere. Plus, if you are over 60 and have an INAPAM Card, you get a 50% fare discount which makes the bus very inexpensive.

Anyone who tells you the overnight luxury busess from Guadalajara to the border are unsafe and subject to robberies is blowing smoke in your direction. There is no safer way to travel in Mexico.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I am glad to hear that US buses are decent on some routes. It is not true on the only route I have traveled in the US recently, El Paso-Denver.
> 
> As far as traveling at night. The buses all have two drivers and there is a compartment for the second driver to sleep under the bus next to the baggage compartment. I don't know what the statistics are on bus accidents, at night or any time. There are a lot of buses traveling overnight in Mexico. Whenever, I go to Mexico City, I take an overnight bus. ETN must have a dozen buses departing Guadalajara for DF every evening between 9 pm and midnight. And that is just one company. There must be a dozen other companies on the same route. There are a lot of buses on the road at any time of the day or night. For me, life is too short to worry about small chance of an accident. I am much more likely to die in a traffic accident while walking around Guadalajara.


Some poster have "dated" information on this board and no recent experience here as things have change over the last 15 years.

I was on a bus from DF to Cuernavaca in 1980 and down the hill our driver was speeding and it was a very uncomfortable ride. I was swinging from side to side. We slowed down. There was an upside bus 50 feet down the side about half way. I thought to myself, now he will slow down. No! he keep speeding all the way.

My last 20 or so ETN and Primera Plus rides were a delight, except the poopy diaper incident. :doh:

I have seen a few new luxury type Greyhound busses on the way from Mexicali to SD and more of the old stainless steel Greyhounds also.

Motorcoach Industries who used to manufacture all the Greyhound busses is in my old home town of Winnipeg.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

AlanMexicali said:


> The seized vehicles your are describing are not sold at a regular action. They are sold at an auction where only dismantlers are allowed and the vehicles have to dismantled and can never have a title, salvage or not. My friend goes to the auction sometimes, even newer semi tractors are sold there, he is a dismantler. These are vehicles seized at a border crossing, not other places in the country.


Then the father of the boy who was driving that car was very foolish to give him the car and let him drive it without a title!


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> Then the father of the boy who was driving that car was very foolish to give him the car and let him drive it without a title!


Another possibility is the car was seized somewhere other than crossing the US border and they auctioned it off. Or the story is mixed up a bit, not uncommon on Fox News Channel etc.


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## cscscs007 (Jan 8, 2011)

Local teens imprisoned after US auctioned off car loaded with drugs

???????


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That is scary! Maybe all seized vehicles should be burned, along with the drugs found inside.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I don´t know how we got off of the efficacy of first class and luxury bus travel in Mexico and that mode of transportation as compared to bus travel in the U.S. and onto the subject of the seizures of vehicles purchased at auction and later found to have drugs hidden therein but I personally thought the discussion of the excellent first class bus service in Mexico was useful information for those who live under the mistaken premise that bus travel here is dangerous and buses are prone to accidents and highway robberies. Mexican luxury buses are safe and extraordinarily comfortable and, if you are elderly and have an INAPAM Card, damn cheap with a 50% fare discount. It seems to me the discussion was informative and useful for newbies whose experience has been limited to the dreadful Greyhound/Trailways cruddy experience NOB. Perhaps there are others who have yet to post who would like to relate their experiences traveling by bus here as compared to the U.S. so let´s not change the subject as of yet. Please note that we are talkng luxury bus, not chicken bus travel. If you are going to get on a chicken bus and ride down the mountain slopes from podunk, make sure you are right with God before boarding. 

I would not hesitate to take the Mexican luxury bus/U.S. AMTRAK route to get from my home at Lake Chapala to New Orleans and Mobile or drive that route in my personal car as I plan to do next spring. Either option will probably be safe and hassle free as opposed to flying to New Orleans from Guadalajara and back and taking the train to and from Mobile from there. The train from New Orleans to Mobile and return might be quite pleasant but facing those TSA goons every time I get off that flying sardine can at a U.S. airport is not my idea of fun.

As an example, since my wife is a native of Paris, we have traveled there repeatedly over the last 40 plus years. Two trips ago flying from Mexico to Paris, we flew through Chicago and Dallas to get to and from our destination in order to save money on air fare. The last time we flew it was non-stop form Mexico City to Paris and back. After our experiences with the TSA gestapo when changing planes in both Chicago and Dallas on that previous trip, we vowed to never fly through the U.S. again when we fly to France no matter what the savings and we are very serious about that. If we have to change planes in the U.S. trying to get from Guadalajara to New Orleans, God knows what´s in store for us.


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## ehw23 (Sep 21, 2012)

I am from N C and have taken the bus from Monterrey to Atlanta for 110 dollars. I have family that drove me the rest of the way to NC from Atlanta. 

I have done this several times and never once experienced any problems (except drivers taking too long of breaks during our stops along the road). 

You also get to rest and sleep during the drive. And its good if you are on a budget. I now drive my own car back and forth now but would rather take the bus sometimes. Flying is too rich for my blood...I wish I could afford to do it more often. Mexico bus lines are nowhere like the US lines...

my .02


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## Joycee (Jul 22, 2009)

I agree that Mexican buses are great. It is the US Greyhounds I would avoid like the plague. I took several bus trips from Las Vegas to Puebla using Los Paisanos, a bus line that many Mexicans use. However, 46 hours on the bus is a bit much. Now I much prefer taking a 3.5 hour non-stop flight on Volaris Airlines from Las Vegas to Mexico City and a luxury bus from Mexico City to Puebla. It even costs less.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I agree with you Joycee the trip to Chiapas is 20 hours and it is tiring. I like taking the bus but more than one night on a bus would be tough for me. I would cut the length of the trip with one of the discount airlines. Right now I can take a plane to Chapias cheaper than I can ride a bus 2hours versus 20, guess and cheaper. I know the countryside by heart so guess which one I am taking.

By the way treatment on airplanes in Mexico is not unpleasant but the minute you go on an international flight you become a sardine and you are treated worst tan a dog. Where are the good old days when you would dress up to take a plane and had plenty of legroom? I am 5 f tall and I have no room and they managed to add more seats to planes..when is this going to be too much?


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