Chapala Bus Plus: 5 Smart Ways to Take the Bus from Guadalajara to Incredible Ajijic, Mexico
(HOW TO GUIDE)
Table of Contents
Take the Local Bus
If you are in Guadalajara and wish to take a bus to Ajijic to either explore the area or perhaps you live in Ajijic, and want to know how to take the Chapala Bus from Guadalajara to the Ajijic bus terminal this post is for you.
Now at the time of the article, I have been living in and traveling throughout Mexico for the past 9 months with a home base in the Ajijic/Lake Chapala area.
I love the Lake Chapala area, the weather is perfect, the locals are friendly and Engish is widely spoken. It’s right on the largest lake in Mexico and the food is fantastic …what more can I say?
Two Main Bus Stations
There are two main bus stations in Guadalajara – Central Nueva, which is the newer bus station, is located in the Southeast part of the city, and is typically for long-distance bus rides.
Long distance meaning, Primera Plus or ETN for example, and trips to many places throughout Mexico, and several terminals. We have taken these bus lines many times in Mexico and love them, watch the videos here and here.
There is also Central Vieja – which is the older bus station and is for bus trips back and forth to Ajijic and Chapala via a bus line called Chapala Plus Bus. There are direct and indirect bus routes.
Direct and Indirect
In this article we are concentrating our efforts on Central Vieja, the Old Bus Station – which takes you right into Ajijic.
Now there are two ways to get into Ajijic via the Chapala Bus. One is a direct bus, and the other is an indirecto bus.
The direct bus will directly travel to Ajijic with a short quick stop on the side of the highway in Tlaqueplaque. Otherwise the direct bus will take you all the way to your destination which is about an hour bus ride.
The indirect bus will take the same route, but will make many stops along the route and will take longer about an hour and 30 minutes.
How to Get to the Bus Station
You can arrive to Central Vieja either by Uber, or by Taxi locally, I opted for the Uber and had a great conversation on the way there. He gave me additional tips to ensure my safety as I was traveling though there which I was grateful for – and I tipped him accordingly.
How to Purchase Bus Tickets
f you wish to purchase a ticket for the Chapala Bus, head to the station inside the terminal for the Chapala Bus.
This is what I say…Necesito comprar una boleto a Ajijic directo, por favor. (I need to buy a ticket to Ajijic, direct, please.)
I will also confirm the time and I ask for a seat in front if possible. We will touch on seating further down in this article.
You cannot purchase tickets online. They must be purchased at the ticket counter.
If the bus is full for some reason, then you may have to either wait about an hour for the next bus, or if you are in a rush, you can opt to take the indirect bus, which takes several stops from Guadalajara to Ajijic on the route, and it will take longer.
Related: Airport Transportation Options from Cancun in Mexico – Plan Before You Go!
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Scheduled Times
The station has bus routes from 5 AM until 10 PM and usually departs on the hour.
Cost of Ticket
For my trip, I paid $63 pesos, which is about $3.50 USD or $4.67 CAD.
I always compare prices when I travel on different means of transportation. I asked a taxi driver while I was touring the Plaza de la Liberacion in Guadalajara what the fare was to drive to Ajijic and he quoted me $2000 pesos, which is about $100 USD/$148 CAD.
An Uber, was about $1500 pesos so about $75 USD/$111 CAD, and this seemed excessive to me. The price of the Chapala Plus Bus Directo, was just perfect for me.
How to Get on the Bus
After I purchased my ticket, I located the bus number on my ticket. In this example, it says 615. So, I got in line at this bus behind others and waited for the line to move as boarding began.
I was carrying two backpacks. I wasn’t sure if I could take both onboard, or if I would have to stow one below. Update: I was able to take both onboard.
Bus Safety
This bus station, I have heard from multiple people, both locals and foreigners that it’s not located in the best part of town.
With that being said, as a solo traveler, I wanted to arrive at the bus station strategically.
On my most recent trip to Ajijic from Guadalajara via this exact bus, Chapala Bus Plus, Directo, I arrived at 10:53 AM for the 11:00 AM bus. I had just enough time to purchase my ticket (boleto) and wait in line for a short time, maybe 5 minutes, board, get settled in, and prepare for my one hour journey.
Did I cut it close, absolutely.
Safety Tips
While venturing through the Guadalajara Central Vieja, it’s important to take precautions. Here are several tips to keep in mind as you are traveling through the station.
- Phone – Keep your cell phone hidden. Don’t take it out to snap cute photos. Put it away and resist the urge to snap instagram photos, I know you want to.
- Don’t Chat with Others: This was the advice from the Uber Driver. He said for me not to talk with others, I followed this.
- Vendors – There will be people who will come up to you, beggars, asking you to give them money. Be aware.
- Be aware of your surroundings: Keep your head looking around you, pack your items in the least amount of bags, and move with caution throughout the station.
Seats on the Bus
When I got on board, I sat in my seat, which was seat #4, but then was soon directed to take another seat, so I did. I went to the other open seats in back of the bus and that is where I remained.
At the destination, the bus will make a quick stop to let people off. Get your back ready and start to walk the front before it’s time to get off. The bus does not stop for too long, so you want your exit to be quick and efficient.
The bus is air-conditioned which is nice and the seats were comfortable.
I had a great experience taking the Chapala Bus Plus directo and do recommend it as a cheaper alternative to taxi or Uber, to explore the Ajijic area.
Are you considering taking a bus to Ajijic and wondering the best way to do it? Have you taken Chapala Bus Plus directo and care to share your experience? Drop a comment and let us know!
