Things to Do in Veracruz-A Menu of Activities

Time is a Luxury
From time to time I do tour guide work and have gotten to know a lot of the drivers as well as the bus companies here in Veracruz. I have also rented buses for personal use with friends for long trips, and they are fun.

What I´ve found is that most of all, you have the flexibility and freedom to stop anywhere, and you don´t have to plan your trip around a bus company schedule. It´s hard to be late and miss the bus when it´s yours.

On one trip, we stopped and picked watermelons to take home for about 20 minutes. Another time, our picnic got rained out and we picked everything up, and left early. On the way back we found another park that had more shelters, so we spent the rest of the afternoon there, and got home that evening at about the same time we had planned. I like renting buses.

Here in Veracruz, I came across a tour organizer the other day who had a problem I´ll share with you. Maybe at one time you may have had questions about renting a bus in Mexico.

A Headache for Trip Leaders
"John I have a real problem. Maybe through your contacts in Veracruz, you can help me." He had seen my article on Renting a bus to Playa Hermosa, Veracruz.

It was Jim, the designated treasurer and trip organizer for a group of about 20 people. They were in town for a special event, and had 5 days free after the event was over. No one in the group had ever been to Mexico.

Several weeks before their trip to Veracruz, he had researched the internet, and they decided after the event to take the bus to Huatulco, Oaxaca for a couple of days at the beach, then another day or two in Oaxaca City, then on to Mexico City for 2 days before flying home to the States.

Jim´s Trip to Huatulco

The Dilemma
He had tried to reserve bus tickets with ADO before coming, but Ticket Bus service and ADO don´t have user friendly web pages and he couldn´t make the reservations on line from outside Mexico.

When he arrived in Veracruz he tried to make reservations for 20 people, and found that the only direct bus from Veracruz to Huatulco was full.

Compounding the problem he had already paid $3,000 in hotel reservation deposits.

He had read about renting a bus and contacted me.

My First Thoughts
We sat down at one of the tables in the dining area with maps and itineraries. My first impression was the large amount of downtime spent in travel on the road. From my own experience in driving, the trip from Veracruz to Huatulco takes about 10-12 hours; then from Oaxaca to Mexico City it´s about 8 hours. This kind of travel, especially if you have to change buses, leaves you exhausted for a couple of hours after you arrive at each destination.

The other thing is that in Huatulco you are only going to find beaches. In Oaxaca city you will find pyramids, and the Santo Domingo Church. Picturesque markets to browse are just about everywhere in Mexico.

As a first possibility, I suggested they stay in Veracruz, rent a bus by the day, and not waste a lot of time on the road. There´s lots to see here. Perhaps a more varied mix of things to do than in Oaxaca. He would make the most of his time since he is already here. For the return trip, Mexico City is about 5 hours from Veracruz by bus.

"Out of the question for now", he said. "The problem is the hotel deposits I´ve already made. I don´t want to lose them." I can understand that.

To Rent a Bus or Not
"Do you know people who rent buses on short notice like this. Can you contact them for rates?"

That´s when I called my friend Carlos González. He´s the travel organizer for one of the bus companies here in Veracruz. They rent their luxury buses to cruise ships, conventions, and other events. They are even licensed to drive to the States, and can pick you up or drop you off in front of your house.

Over the phone Carlos gave me the following rates as possibilities for a bus which includes a bathroom, TV, video, and 5 2 lt. Cokes when they leave.

It turned out that from Veracruz to Huatulco to drop them off, and come back empty, it worked out to $1,500 pesos each, or about $130 US dollars for each person. Minimum is 20 passengers for the 12 hour trip.

"That´s a solution, but it´s kind of expensive", said Jim.

"What are some other possibilities?" I asked Carlos. "After Huatulco, they still have to go to Oaxaca City, then on to Mexico City, and don´t have bus reservations."

It turned out that additional days are cheaper. For the whole 5 days, it worked out to $2,000 pesos each, or about $175 US dollars. If you divide it by 5 days, you get total daily transportation costs of about $35 Dollars per day for each person.

"Yes, that sounds a whole lot better," said Jim.

"That way I won´t have to pay taxis from the hotel to the bus terminal and waste a lot of time waiting for the bus which are sometimes late. Travelling like this with a bunch of people is sometimes really uncomfortable for everybody."

I could see Jim´s mind thinking about the logistics of finding 5 taxis for his 20 people at each transfer point along the way. Taxi fares like this add up, too.

Another advantage to renting a bus in Mexico is you can stop anytime along the way at colorful restaurants or take little side trips to explore villages along the way or pick watermelons. The bus time is yours. There´s also plenty of storage space available underneath.

Jim´s Trip to Huatulco

Rent a Bus for Day Trips Around Veracruz
What if Jim´s groups decides to stay in Veracruz, and wants to take side trips on their own?

It turned out that tickets for groups of 20 or more are $340 pesos each, or about $30 US dollars a day.

Not bad!

Carlos also has an 11 person van with a driver for $600 pesos each per day per person which is about $52 a day per person, 5 person minimum. For longer trips outside the Veracruz day range the customer pays for the drivers expenses, tolls and gas.

"Where do people go around Veracruz? Can you give me an idea?" Jim said.

"Sure, here´s what a lot of people do":

Day 1 - Getting your feet on the ground. 6-8 Hours with Lunch
Centro Historico, San Juan de Ulua, and the Aquarium. Boca del Rio, and lunch in Mandinga. Do a Walking Tour of Downtown. Nothing heavy the first day to get your feet on the ground and get the lay of the land.

Day 2 The Route of Hernán Cortés - 6 hours
Quiahuiztlán-Villa Rica, pyramids at Cempoala, lunch in Antigua.

Day 3 Alvarado and Tlacotalpan - The Southern Route 8 hours
Shrimp Boats and Seafood in Alvarado and beautifully restored Tlacotalpan Lunch in Mangdinga.

Day 4 Xalapa - Former El Camino Real 8 hours
Restored Hacienda at El Lencero and Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa. Lunch at el Mirador on the way back.

Day 5 - Los Tuxtlas and Lake Catemaco - 12 hours
Tlacotalpan or the Falls at Eyipantla, Lake Catemaco, boat ride to Nanciyaga. Lunch at La Ceiba restaurant in Catemaco.

Day 6 - Beaches and Boat Rides Roca Partida and Playa Hermosa - 12 hours
Roca Partida and Playa Hermosa are new areas where you have everything to yourself. No tourists. Pristine jungle river next to a blue beach cove. Boat trips to Pirates cave at Roca Partida. After seafood lunch you can relax in a hammock at Faustino´s place.

Day 7 - Rafting at Jalcomulco and El Carrizal Hot Springs 7 hours
Jalcomulco Rafting and Hot Springs at El Carrizal for those interested or relax in warm thermal waters and hammocks. Lunch at the restaurant in El Carrizal.

Carlos said these excursions are the most frequent destinations for local day trips. The distance limits are Alvarado on the south, Xalapa on the west, and Quiahuiztlán/Villa Rica on the north. Roughly anything an hour or so from Veracruz.

Drop Offs to Mexico City are Frequent
Mexico City is about 5 hours from Veracruz, and Carlos said frequently groups of people need to be picked up here in Veracruz and dropped off at their hotel or the airport in Mexico City.

A 4 Day Shopping Trip to McAllen, Texas
During our conversation, Carlos told us about one group here in Veracruz who organized a shopping trip over the 4 day Día de los Muertos weekend. It´s about a 12 hour trip. Carlos says he sends a relief driver on the long trips so they make good time.

"These are bus rental rates, so don´t forget to add entrance fees, tour guides, toll roads, or lunch costs", he added.

A Happy Ending
Jim and I talked about all the options and he decided to stay with his original plan to go to Oaxaca. He wanted to rent a bus for 5 days.

I called Carlos back and he said he needed 50% down and the balance could be paid when the people boarded the bus to leave for Oaxaca. That sounded good, so we agreed to meet at Jim´s hotel that evening.

Carlos arrived on time and had a sales contract form. He filled it out agreeing for the bus to leave day after tomorrow at 11:30 PM Friday night. At the conclusion, we all shook hands, and Jim heaved a sigh of relief.

"Let´s go get a pizza at Domino´s. I´m inviting!" I like sausage and pepperoni with extra cheese, so off we went. One less headache for a trip organizer.

Carlos told us later that prices may change a little according to the price of oil and other variables. He also said he has vans with drivers for smaller groups.

If you are with a group of more than 20 people, and need any more information, send me an e-mail.

How to Rent a Bus Like an Expert
Now is the time to think long and hard about quality and security and how much it is worth to you and your people.

In Mexico people rent buses at all kinds of rates. The range is wide, and you can get some very good prices, but sometimes the cheapest rate turns out to be the most expensive solution.

There are breakdowns because of bad maintenance, especially on the older models. I have seen busloads of students a long way from home, stranded beside the road, with the bus driver and mechanic working on an old bus. Oil is coming from under the bus, and you know it´s going to take a long time to fix. It was probably the bus´s last trip. Rather than wait some of the kids are trying to hitch a ride home.

There are too many stories of problems with cheap buses to tell here.

Here is what I do:

Insurance Papers First
Before you rent, tell the person you are renting the bus from that you want to see the insurance papers. If he is reputable, he will understand.

What to Look For on the Papers:
Current. Be sure the policy is up to date, so look at the dates of coverage.

Compatibility. In Mexico, the best bus models are Irizar, Mercedes Benz, and Volvo. Sometimes the body will wear out, and a new body will be placed over the old chassis. If this is the case, be sure the Mercedes Benz body is on a Mercedes Benz chassis, and not mixed. The bus may look good, but sometimes there are compatibility problems in the wiring, and other things.

Driver Qualifications. There is an old saying in Mexico. Don´t get cross wise with your cook. The same is true with your bus driver. Your life and the success of your trip depend on him.

Ask to see his driver´s license.

Driver´s Expenses. Find out ahead of time who pays his lodging and meal expenses. Also ask about who pays for fuel costs. You or the company.

The Route. Has the driver recently driven your route? Does he have a road map? If not, you need to get one.

English. Does your driver know any English. You should find the best Spanish speaker in your group to be the "Designated Interpreter" to help you in coordinating with the driver.

Cellular Telephone. Hopefully, the driver will have a cell phone. Be sure to ask. I like them because they give you a feeling of security. If you want to buy your own, I´ve seen good models for about $60. You can buy extra Telcel time at most convenience stores or street corner vendor.

Tipping the Driver. Tipping makes everybody feel good, especially, when the service has been good, and you´ve had fun. I think it´s only fair to tip the driver at the end of the trip. It is very common in Mexico. In case of a large group, 2 dollars a day per person is good. You also might want to talk about this ahead of time with the person you are renting the bus from.

Rates
I don´t haggle over rates. It´s like haggling with your doctor or dentist before a large operation. Let the person you are renting from explain the rates, and any discounts. If you have the money in your budget, go for it.

Look for the best. I´ve found it´s cheaper in the long run.

When you compare rates, look at the daily cost per person. If you think it´s worth it, then go for it.

Feedback
I look for feedback from the people I help. Jim told me afterwards his people were pleasantly surprised.

"It was so easy for all of us to go to the beach. We didn´t have to look for 5 taxis each time we went somewhere. I have no idea how much we saved by renting a bus. We could go anywhere, anytime we wanted to."

Be Sure to Plan Ahead.
I don´t like any kind of surprise, especially the bad ones. A boss I had one time always told me, "John, Plan the Work, and Work the Plan", and everything will turn out all right. This is true, especially in any foreign country. The less surprises the better.

This has been my experience, and I hope it helps. If you have done this before, I´d like to hear your suggestions about what worked for you.

Email: jtoddjr@lycos.com

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