mexico city to patzcuaro

I will be in Mexico City in the next week and am hoping someone can give me
some helpful info. about which bus station and bus line can get us as
quickly as possible from Mexico City to Patzcuaro, even if that involves
going through Morelia. I've tried looking up some web sites, but am finding
7 hour bus rides and few departure times. Any help from recent travelers
through that area would be appreciated. Muchas Gracias!!

Amy

My bus book says to go the Poiniente (West) station in Mexico City.
Look for Herradura de Plata or Primera Plus line, should be many buses
per day, 5 hour travel time.

Remember that taxi robberies are a problem in Mexico City, do not take
random passing taxis. The airports and the bus stations use a taxi
ticket system, buy a taxi ticket at the taxi ticket window, and take it
to the official taxi stand, this should be safe.

Richard



Amy wrote:
> I will be in Mexico City in the next week and am hoping someone can give me
> some helpful info. about which bus station and bus line can get us as
> quickly as possible from Mexico City to Patzcuaro, even if that involves
> going through Morelia. I've tried looking up some web sites, but am finding
> 7 hour bus rides and few departure times. Any help from recent travelers
> through that area would be appreciated. Muchas Gracias!!
>
> Amy
>
>

Amy,

Funny you should ask: I just came (yesterday and the day before) from
Patzcuaro to Mexico City! Putting my own itinerary backwards, what you
can do is...

Take a sitio taxi from wherever you arrive at in Mexico City (the
airport, a bus station) to the bus station on the west side of Mexico
City. Lonely Planet calls it "Terminal Poniente," but the ETN bus
schedule I have refers to the station as "Observatorio." (If you're not
sure what "sitio" refers to, read up on Mexico City taxis before you
leave for Mexico to avoid potentially dangerous situations.)

At the Observatorio station, catch a bus that goes toward
Uruapan--which is to say, one that goes west out of Mexico City to
Morelia and continues on the same highway west of Morelia to Uruapan,
although you won't be going all the way to Uruapan. It's a little over
4 hrs. from Mexico City to Morelia; Patzcuaro is another hour beyond
that Morelia. (I stayed overnight in Morelia because I'd never been
there and had heard such good things about it, and I'm very glad I did.
I don't know your tastes or interests, of course, but you might want to
read up on Morelia and consider making a stop there yourself.)

I took ETN, the delux bus line, because I felt like stretching out
and relaxing and because it wasn't all that much more expensive--like
$25 USD from Mexico to Morelia, if I remember right; but other bus lines
make the same trip. If I'm reading my (now crumpled) ETN bus schedule
right, there are six west-bound ETN buses from Observatorio to Uruapan
every day: 1:00, 9:30, 12:00, 14:00, 23:00, and 24:00. It's a good
highway; the scenery, some of the most beautiful I've seen in
Mexico--especially now, with all the rain that's come down in the last
few weeks.

The Patzcuaro zócalo is a 5 minute taxi ride from the Patzcuaro bus
station.

BTW, yesterday both of the ATM's in the Observatorio bus station were
out of service.

Good luck, and have a great time!

Richard





In article <10e6m7s9d0cgr8d@corp.supernews.com>,
"Amy" <amyneal@rose.net> wrote:

> I will be in Mexico City in the next week and am hoping someone can give me
> some helpful info. about which bus station and bus line can get us as
> quickly as possible from Mexico City to Patzcuaro, even if that involves
> going through Morelia. I've tried looking up some web sites, but am finding
> 7 hour bus rides and few departure times. Any help from recent travelers
> through that area would be appreciated. Muchas Gracias!!
>
> Amy
>
>

I went by bus from Mexico City to Patzcuaro in March. I did it in two
stages staying in Angangeo for several days before moving on to
Patzcuaro. Going drectly from DF to Patzcuaro is more direct, but
follows a similar route to mine.

The bus terminal in Mexico City is Poniente (all places to the west)
that is across from the subway station 'Observatorio'. We got off the
subway and crossed the road and into the bus staion. I can't remember
the names of the bus companies without looking them up. But it is easy
to just arrive at the terminal, and walk up and down looking at the
various schedules and prices. You want a bus to Morelia and there are
several buses going there. Pick the next available one that is 'directo'
(this means it might still make stops but not too many) and a good price
is what I do.

In Morelia, you arrive at the brand new bus staion at the outskirts of
town. Find a bus for Patzcuaro here. It is about another hour.
From DF to Morelia, about 4 hours, depending on the traffic out of the
city and the route. Then another hour to Patzcuaro.

I usually look for the class of bus above first class so it is directo.
and doesn't make too many stops. The top of the line is usually very
expensive and not really necesary. But you don't want the second class
or plain first class bus either.

If you are arriving at the airport, you can get a bus right for Morelia.
It is marked inside the airport arrival terminal and relativley easy to
find. This would be very convenient!

Good luck. You can't go wrong with the buses in Mexico. There is always
one going where you want to go at a good price. And you don't even have
to find the right bus. Invariably, they will find you!

Amy wrote:
> I will be in Mexico City in the next week and am hoping someone can give me
> some helpful info. about which bus station and bus line can get us as
> quickly as possible from Mexico City to Patzcuaro, even if that involves
> going through Morelia. I've tried looking up some web sites, but am finding
> 7 hour bus rides and few departure times. Any help from recent travelers
> through that area would be appreciated. Muchas Gracias!!
>
> Amy
>
>