I wrote earlier about taking Omnibus Mexicanos north to Texas, and promised I’d write about the return trip when I felt better about it. It’s time. I’ve had a massage and a lot of rest. It wasn’t an easy trip. Like the trip up, the major problem was at the border. Last time it took us six hours going through U.S. Customs. I wrote that taking a “direct” bus that crosses the border wasn’t such a good idea, that it would be better to get off and take a cab or walk over to the Laredo bus terminal. I should listen to my own counsel.
On this recent return trip, I considered various options of getting to Laredo from San Antonio, crossing the border on foot or by taxi, and then taking wonderful executive class ETN southward. I asked a friend whose husband owns jukeboxes and ATMs in various bars across Texas if she was going to make a collection run to Laredo. “I hadn’t planned on one, but, hey,” she said, “you speak good Spanish. Maybe you can talk to this guy named El Cocodrilo about why there was only $28 in his jukebox after two weeks instead of $500.” I started looking at bus schedules again.
“Maybe going back won’t be so hard,” I reasoned. “U.S. Customs can’t be that stringent about people leaving the country.” I’d heard about Transportes San Miguel, a line that offers cross-the-border service between San Miguel de Allende and Texas. But I could not find any information on how to get in contact with them. Search engines came up with reviews of their service, but not phone numbers. Evidently the majority of their clientele does not book over the internet. Maybe doesn’t book at all, but just shows up.
I went back to the Omnibus Mexicanos terminal in the 400 Block of Broadway in San Antonio. The schedule posted on the internet indicated I’d have to change buses in Queretaro to get back to San Miguel, with quite a layover time. But the girl at the counter told me there was a new service, a bus that left at 1:00 a.m. that went directly to San Miguel. It wouldn’t even stop in Nuevo Laredo, she assured me, but would cross the border and go directly to San Felipe, Dolores Hidalgo (two towns close to San Miguel de Allende) and end up in SMA. There aren’t that many people going this time of year. The bus should be almost empty. Would I like to try that? “Sure,” I said, and bought a ticket for $77. That was Tuesday afternoon and I showed up Wednesday night – or, actually Thursday morning. I had a few panic attacks about mistaking the date, since my ticket definitely said Wednesday, but it was definitely Thursday that the bus would leave.
At 1:30 a.m., I was among three passengers remaining in the terminal. Fifty or more other people had boarded buses headed to Zamora, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and, finally, I was told to board a bus that had just pulled in. It was labeled “DURANGO,” a direction ninety degrees off the course I’d expected to be headed. Everything would be ok, they assured me. I’d change in Nuevo Laredo. “But…” I began. Never mind. I boarded an overflowing bus, finding a window seat beside a woman who was inexplicably seated on the aisle. Oh, it was her walker that occupied the seat I needed.
I won’t go into graphic detail. I changed buses five times on the trip. The first time was before we even got to Laredo. It was at the twenty-minute coffee stop they make in the middle of that three-hour trip. I ended up climbing over the lady with the walker three times. There were five of us on the bus I changed to, headed to Mexico City. At least it was a course correction. The next was at the bus terminal in Laredo, where we found that U.S. Customs had closed the border hasta el amanecer. Until dawn. We sat with about thirty other buses (where did they all come from?) for four hours.
It was full daylight before we crossed the bridge. A uniformed Mexican official boarded the bus and asked to see our documents. I presented my passport and FM2 card. “Where’s the piece of paper you got when you left Mexico?” he asked. I had no piece of paper. The official who had scanned my documents when I left Mexico had said nothing about getting a piece of paper. The man guarding the entrance back into the country was unsympathetic. “You have to have a piece of paper. How can we keep track of you if you’re not in the system?” Well, I’d sort of wondered that myself ten days before. This card business was new. Before I’d had a little paperback book that was dutifully stamped each time I crossed the border. But who was I to pose questions at 7:30 in the morning after a thirteen-hour bus ride north? Guys in uniforms are supposed to know what they’re doing. (OK, that’s a whole area of discussion we won’t address here.)
“Are you going to let me back in?” I asked plaintively. It wasn’t even in Spanish. I was ready to grovel. He softened and said, “Por supuesto.” Of course. “But get that piece of paper next time. You have to have it.”
Next stop, customs. I was lucky. I hit the green light. The bus driver greeted me on the other side of the building and escorted me back to my bus, lost in a sea of vehicles.
We stopped for another hour at the terminal in Nuevo Laredo, and again at another customs stop. And I know I changed buses yet again somewhere out in the middle of nowhere where I and my two much-handled bags, my pillow and blankie, my bag of fruit and nuts and a giant handbag were handed over to another capable crew of Omnibus Mexicanos drivers.
The buses were clean and comfortable, the drivers were all well groomed, exceedingly polite, to the point of being gallant. But I was feeling frayed. After one change, I’d been told I’d need to transfer in San Luis Potosi. After another change, I was told the transfer would be in Queretaro. It wasn’t until we stopped for a thirty-minute breakfast somewhere at the crest of a hill near Saltillo, and I engaged the current crop of drivers in a confusing conversation, that I found that I was indeed on a bus headed directly for San Miguel de Allende. I would not have to change again. How do you say Hallelujah in Spanish?
I arrived in San Miguel at 6:30 Thursday evening. I was the last passenger left on the bus. Their “new service” evidently hasn’t caught on too well. Still has a few rough edges, I’d say.
More about bus travel in Mexico:
Wonderful trip on ETN
Here is information on Transportes San Miguel that I cut and pasted off the San Miguel de Allende Civil List today. I wish I’d had this last week! Thanks to Amy Cox, a “straight shooter” from Texas. And at last I have phone number for what sounds like a really good bus line. — Susan
Beginning of post:
I have decided to respond to the whole CL because I see that this info is
requested quite often. I am a former full timer in SMA, living in Dallas
now, my hometown. There is a “non-stop” bus from Dallas to SMA, Transportes SMA. Let me stress, this is the only bus that I, or my family, would ever take from Dallas to SMA. It leaves Dallas around 5pm, of course times can vary, and usually pulls into SMA around 2pm. The charge from Dallas to SMA is approx. $99.00, fees subject to change.
They have always been very flexible with baggage, sometimes weighing it, but once they do, they don’t seem to do anything about it. I have seen people bring large plastic/rubber trash bins and plastic buns from Walmart, taped shut, of course along with your usual suitcases and such.
I usually make a reservation, and you pay when you get there. The garage is south of downtown Dallas, nothing fancy, and is sufficient with a bathroom and a 7/Eleven across the street for last minute snacks. The bus will make stops in Austin and San Antonio if there are passengers.
We always bring a small cooler for drinks and food, but the bus will make stops along the way, both in Texas and once in Mexico. We also always bring a pillow and perhaps a small blanket. We are not Spanish speakers, knowing just enough to get by, yet we have always felt at ease while on the bus. I usually drive my new Suburban, yet over the years, my kids have often preferred to take the bus, they think it is “cool” and more fun than driving with Mom, even though the SUV has 5 TV screens in it and they can watch movies or play video games along the way!!! Figure that one out????
There have been varying experiences while crossing the border, and a stop is made for those that need to get a turista visa. You might try to be
charged for this turista visa, but do not pay, as it is no longer required.
Also, on a few occasions, a “person of authority” has board the bus and
requested a “donation” in order to cross. This, we have discovered, is so
that the luggage is not pulled off of the bus and gone through and
inspected. This is fairly unusual, but I have given a few dollars along
with the rest of the passengers and off we go, with no luggage or bags
having been removed from the bus. Basically, a bribe to leave everything
alone!!!!! Nothing to worry about, just wanted to make a note of that just
in case this situation might present itself to another first time passenger.
The stops that are made in Mexico, I feel, are all safe, and are at
locations that I normally stop at myself when I make my 3 to 4 times a year drive myself. There are 2 drivers and this route is all that they drive and believe me, they know what they are doing. They keep in contact with Dallas and SMA via cell phones, and make this trip 365 days a year. The return fee from SMA to Dallas is slightly less, around $90 last time the kids took the bus. I have let them take this bus by themselves over the years, always feeling that they have been placed on the best bus possible to make the trip. Checking fares today, it is more than $700 to fly RT from Dallas to SMA, that is why we take the bus or drive on most trips.
The bus is received at the SMA station up near the old Gigante, again not a fancy office, but it works for all. Transportes SMA has 2 buses, and I know that near the holidays, they sometimes use both buses on the same day, that is why it is always a good idea to make a reservation. The Dallas phone number is 214-946-2022 and a Spanish speaker will answer, probably later in the day. There may not be an English speaker available, so do the best you can to make a reservation, they try their best to help.
I am a former leisure travel agent with Neiman Marcus travel, and therefore have a great deal of experience in trying to help people with their travel plans and to give as much info as I can. Please contact me is someone should have any questions. I am a “straight shooter” as we say here in Texas and I give info exactly as it is, not just my opinion. I hope I have been of some help and please excuse the long message, just wanted to try and give all info at once.
> Blessings to the animals and their keepers.
>
> Amy Cox
> The Paws Cause
Sounds like a hellish trip to me!!! I’m not a big fan of public transportation and the only bus I’ve ever taken in Mexico was ETN to Guanajuato..After 1 1/4 hours I was more than ready to get off the bus.
You have my sympathies
Bobbi
Good lord! And I’m planning on taking a bus down early next summer. Perhaps they’ll have the kinks worked out by then?
You must have been exhausted!
Jackie in Louisville
Jackie, give Transportes San Miguel a try. Then let us know about your experience. Louisville….Texas???