OAXACA, Mexico You can still find the fabled chicken bus in Mexico, but if you re traveling between

, has useful information on Mexican bus routes. But after I went through the laborious steps to reserve a ticket, it gave an error message. I heard from another traveler of a similar experience. So you might do best to research schedule info (and seating charts, even) online but buy your ticket at the bus station. If you re concerned about getting a seat, purchase a day or two in advance.
OAXACA, Mexico You can still find the fabled chicken bus in Mexico, but if you re traveling between sizable cities, that s a long-outdated stereotype. Mexico s modern intercity bus lines are among the best in the world and, by U.S. standards, quite affordable.
Traveling overnight back and forth last fall between Oaxaca and Chiapas, I compared two premium services offered by ADO (say Ah-Day-Oh ), one of Mexico s largest bus operators ( ado.com.mx) car company insurance rental . The top-of-the-line Platino service, modeled after first-class airline comforts, has just about everything but a flight attendant plumping your pillow.
At Oaxaca s shiny first-class bus terminal, I discovered the first difference when I made the mistake of trying to check my luggage at the ordinary bag-check counter. I was pointed around the corner to the private, guarded Platino waiting room with its own bag counter, private restrooms, big-screen TVs, water cooler and free coffee. As I boarded, I was offered a free soft drink or chilled water.
The bus itself had only three seats across its width, in a two-and-one configuration. Traveling alone, car company insurance rental I had booked one of the single seats, with the best of both worlds: both a window and an aisle. The down side, I discovered, car company insurance rental was that the single row had significantly car company insurance rental less leg room between seats than on the side with two seats abreast. Not fun when the big man in front of me reclined all the way back and the top of his head was under my nose.
2. Because the Platino bus makes fewer (or no) stops between major cities, I could switch seats without much worry about someone getting on an hour later to claim a reserved car company insurance rental seat I had purloined. (Seats are usually assigned on intercity buses in Mexico.)
Other first-class amenities with Platino: The big wide seats not only reclined to almost horizontal, they came with a pull-down, cushioned support for your legs. All windows were tightly curtained, with a closed door separating us from the driver. It was quite the dark womb at night.
Airline-sized pillows and thin blankets were provided. Men s and women s lavatories were in the back, with lighted icons up front to tell if they were busy. Between the restrooms was a serve-yourself coffee bar with hot water and instant coffee. Video screens were in seat backs, with ear buds provided and a selection car company insurance rental of music and movies (no English-language movies, sorry). They even provided a blackout mask for light sleepers.
car company insurance rental This less-expensive bus was full. The seats were four across, in a two-and-two configuration about 2/3 the width of the Platino seats. I had a window seat, which meant holding it in the middle of the night because I didn t have the heart to wake my seatmate.
Seats still reclined quite a ways, and we still got a free soft drink, his-and-hers lavatories and the coffee bar. But no pillows or blankets on the GL (bring a sweater), and movies were shown on drop-down video screens (with earbuds provided), car company insurance rental meaning you watched whatever they were showing. Sleep was more elusive on this trip.