Last Updated
Cancun travelers in town for the end of the winter holiday travel season have experienced challenges visiting a Yucatan travel hotspot recently due to the lack of bus tickets being available for transportation.
Sold Out Merida Buses
Anyone in the Mexican Caribbean looking to get to or from Merida recently has experienced that nearly all of the bus tickets are sold out due to strong demand from locals as well as tourists.
That’s even despite the fact that local bus operators have increased their runs to the city by more than 40 percent in anticipation of strong holiday demand.
ADO, one of the primary bus companies operating out of Merida, was recently requesting that travelers book their tickets well in advance to avoid the disappointment of arriving at the bus station just to find out that the desired bus is sold out.
Because of this, many have had to skip the express buses to locations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum for more regional buses with increased stops.
That makes a trip from Merida to Cancun a nine-hour ordeal for some travelers, as the regional buses can make up to ten stops in between the two destinations.
What’s Behind the Increase?
While the increase in passengers is common during the busy winter travel season with locals heading to and from Merida to spend time with family, this year’s demand is higher than normal.
“This time of year, we usually have about 180 buses in operation, but given the extraordinary demand, we have added nearly 80 more,” ADO Director Angeliuca Marroquín told a magazine in Merida.
However, the recent popularity of Merida as a destination to visit in 2024 has also increased the demand for bus tickets to the travel hotspot.
However, there are some alternatives available for travelers, including a new option that just recently started.
Travel Options for Merida
Visitors heading to and from Merida do have transportation alternatives, although some will cost them dearly.
For example, there are some private taxis and vans that will transport travelers between Merida and Cancun for about $300. A recent search for an Uber from the Cancun Mall to Merida was priced at $6,860.47 Mexican pesos, or about $400.
A new option for travelers debuted recently with the start of the Tren Maya route between Cancun and Merida.
It is expected that tickets for the train route to Merida will be substantially cheaper than the other two options available. However, the prices were unavailable to compare on the official ticketing website and travelers should be aware that there are only two trains available daily.
Tips for Travelers
As travelers to the Mexican Caribbean are learning to adjust to, reservations connected to a vacation in the area, from transportation to resort hotel rooms, should all be booked well in advance of travel.
Those who wait until shortly before the date of departure will not only find limited availability of transportation options but will also face high prices for the limited options still available. For example, the rates of $300-$400 dollars for alternative transportation to Merida, not including Tren Maya.
The good news is hopefully, the prices and availability for bus transportation between the Cancun area and Merida should adjust back to normal once the winter holiday travel period comes to a close.
However, visitors planning to travel to Cancun for the spring holiday travel period should expect a similar situation to occur with limited availability and high prices for transportation.
If Merida is on the bucket list for travelers this year, it is best to investigate and book future transportation plans sooner rather than later.
Plan Your Next Cancun Vacation:
Traveler Alert: Don’t Forget Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip!
Choose From Thousands of Cancun and Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties
↓ Join the community ↓
The Cancun Sun Community FB group has all the latest travel news, conversations and tourism Q&A’s for the Mexican Caribbean
Subscribe to our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Cancun Sun’s latest breaking news affecting travelers, straight to your inbox.