How do I get from quetzaltenango to Puerto Escondido? How long do buses take, what is the cost? Is it safe?

Question

I am travelling in September...I heard its in rainy season, which makes it harder to get around..

Answer 1

I just spent  looong time trying to find a bus line or lines to patch together that trip for you...some that list the route, actually no longer run it.  I found one that goes from Tapachula to Oaxaca...but that is all.  It takes 11 hours and costs about $40.00usd. I am sure it can be done...but some bus lines do not have websites, or do not put routes and schedules on their sites. I see you got another answer talking about the trip...but he did not tell you what bus line and how to get tickets, etc.   and THAT is what you need.  Often, you need to be THERE and go to the bus station to get the info...do you have friends or contacts at one end or the other of this trip that could do that for you?

Answer 2

There are a couple of ways you can do it .You can take a bus or shuttle from Xela to Guatemala City and from there you can catch a King Quality or Tica bus to Tapachula,MX. then take a direct bus from there to Puerto Escondido.

Second option is to take a bus or shuttle from Xela to San Cristobal de las Casas, MX. and from there take the overnight bus to Puerto Escondido.This is the way I would recommend especially if you haven't been to San Cristobal before.(Tapachula has no redeeming qualities in my opinon)

I would also choose the shuttle from Xela in either case.More expensive than the bus,but much more comfortable.Xela to San Christobal de Las Casas is 7-8 hours.From there to Puerto Escondido is a little longer. Safe? Yes, I think so as I have never had a problem.Most of the stories you hear are urban ledgends.The everyday comings and goings in Latin America are not generally affected by the rainy season.You will have a much better trip if you try not to worry so much. The cost of public transportation throughout Latin America is inexpensive.The shuttles are private and cost more.

Have a great trip!

San Cristobal Information:

http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Cristobal_d...

For more information on the shuttle you can  email 'Josh' at Monte Verde tours in Xela at:



http://www.monte-verdetours.com/shuttle....

Another good Xela resource is:

http://www.xelapages.com/

**Look over the Q&A there and use the forums for any other Guatemala questions you might have. Unlike Yahoo Answers,Tom,the owner of the xelapages.com website, personally checks all the answers for their accuracy.You wont ever get any bad info on the boards there.