Tucson, AZ to Oaxaca Mexico by Bus

Phoenix/ Tucson through Chihuahua to Oaxaca By first Class Bus
Updated December 2014

    For travelers to Mexico from the Southwest USA there are several ways to get from Tucson, AZ  and cross into Mexico.  The two most commonly used bus routes, because of their transportation services, are the crossing at Nogales and the one at Douglas Arizona/Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico.    If you are vacationing in the USA and want to visit Mexico, these bus and shuttle services make it possible.
     The route into Mexico could depend on where you are going in Mexico. On the trip described here, the route is direct to Mexico City and beyond to Oaxaca City, so the Douglas, Arizona route is the shortest. This is a distance of 1,600 miles and is a little more direct than the coastal route through Nogales to  Mazatlan and Guadalajara.
The route through Douglas will take you to Chihuahua, Zacatecas, and into Mexico City, and a whole lot of great Colonial Cities in between if you wish to tour.
        The first leg of this trips starts with the shuttle from Tucson to the border. The Douglas shuttle starts trips in the early am, 7-8 am. There are a few Douglas shuttles all located on or near South 6th Street in Tucson.  The Douglas Super Shuttle and others cost $25-$30 USD.
If you are going deep into Mexico you will need to get a six-month tourist card (Permission to visit Mexico)  at the border crossing. You can change money at the bank ATM in Agua Prieta
     You might pass through the border at Agua Prieta without a check of any papers, or luggage. Nogales is a different story; they have the red light/green light system and you might be checked by US and Mexican officials or you might just pass through.
     In the Agua Prieta crossing and the Nogales crossing, apply for the tourist card and pay 280 Pesos at the nearby (same building) bank.
On walking out of immigration at Agua Prieta look for the ATM a short distance down the street at the crossroads, or find a casa de cambio to change some money. The bus station will take USD but you are better off to have Pesos. They do have the figure in their head to make a currency change, however.
As you travel beyond the border you should use pesos.
      Catch a cab at the border for 70 pesos ($6 USD) and head for the Central de Autobus de Agua Prieta.  (Estrell Blanca Bus)
At the station you will find an Omnibus station on the same street.  Also find  Chihuahuenses service to Chihuahua.  The Omnibus station is across the street from the Central de Autobus, so you have options; they go to Mexico City Norte Station as well.  I prefer the Chihuahuenses Bus because I like their leg rests and deeply reclining seats for a long trip.
   
    If you are not fluent in the language, write your name, destination, and ticket price on a paper or note book and hand it to the ticket seller. Also be sure to pick a seat that will be comfortable for you;  towards the front is quieter and a smoother ride.

see Tips, destination and ticket price  

The buses are frequent and you could book directly to Mexico City (28 hours) or to an intermediate city such as Chihuahua, San luis Potosi, or Zacatecas for rest and and some great sightseeing.

Chihuahua/Copper Canyon .

Zacatecas Ruin Sites

San Luis Potosi photos

Oaxaca Guelaguetza Parade July Youtube

Bus Travel Mexico, Border Crossing, Douglas AZ, Agua Prieta

Agua Prieta/Douglas Arizona

     After the Douglas Shuttle from Tucson and the border crossing by foot, taxi to the bus station, and ticket purchase,  we pulled out of the Central de Autobus de Agua Prieta at 11:50, headed for Chihuahua.
We were soon on a straight, black road through the middle of a flat grassland with mountains in the distance. The road runs parallel to the US border for a long distance, then heads south over low mountains before entering another plain on its way to Chihuahua.
At Janos, we joined Caretera Federal 10 (Highway 10) which comes southwest from Juarez/El Paso, 90 miles south of White Sands NM.
      At 2:00 PM, we stopped at an Estrella Blanca station. ( Chihuahuenses is a division of Estrella Blanca) The driver made no announcement as he went in to have dinner. This is a twenty to thirty minute stop, I knew from previous trips.     

     Unfortunately the drivers rarely announce stops except on the ADO buses that run south of Mexico City. It is best to ask them how long a stop will be. Usually the stops are five minutes, (cinco minutos) and it will not do to leave the bus. It is best to get out and stretch the legs whenever possible, however; just stick close to the bus.
     Use the bathroom on board the bus.  It will usually be cleaner than what you will find in the station and you don't risk getting left behind. The driver might take a "headcount" but not with any list. Passengers do get left behind, including me on a trip to Catemaco when The driver said cinco minutos (5) and I thought he said quince. (15)

The bus route south from Agua Prieta runs through mountain and flat grasslands north of Chihuahua

     Lucky for me, on that occasion, it was the next to last stop and I quickly caught a local bus to Catemaco in time to reach the station just as my driver wolfed down his first bite of dinner. His jaw dropped when he saw me and I wondered if he pulled out of that station knowing that I was not on board.

     At 3:10 we reached Nuevo Casas Grandes for a ten minute stop. Outside of Nuevo Casas Grandes ($70 peso cab ride) there is a great ruin called Casa Grande or Paquime. This is a non-Mesoamerican site. (Mesoamerica's northern boundary is the Tropic of Cancer)   Casas Grandes more closely resembling a Southwest US Pueblo site. The ruin site has a great museum.

     Turquoise flowed through Paquime on its way south from Arizona and New Mexico to Teotihuacan and all the way south to Palenque and the Yucatan Maya.

From Casas Grandes we continued southeast on 15 and then joined Highway 45.  We then turned due south with a bead on Chihuahua., a place where you can book a train ride or bus ticket to the Copper Canyon. 

     These are great roads, as flat and straight as can be and we averaged about 50 miles an hour.  If you are figuring time between stops, the 50 MPH holds up in most cases, except in the steep mountains.

Next Chihuahua
Oaxaca Semana Santa, Silent Parade, Easter Week,       Oaxaca Guelaguetza Parade Video
Oaxaca Day of the Dead