ADO bus travel: all your questions answered

The short version

1. Suitcases and hand luggage

Checked luggage is free up to a weight that depends on the service:

• ADO first class (Primera) and direct economy (AU): up to 25 kg.
• ADO GL (executive): up to 35 kg.
• ADO Platino (luxury): up to 50 kg.

Extra weight may cost around MX$5 per kg, depending on the terminal. Check your bags at the luggage desk from 45 minutes before departure and keep the tag until you collect them.

Hand luggage: up to 2 pieces per ticket, each no bigger than 23 × 43 × 22 cm and without wheels (a backpack, laptop bag or handbag). Wheeled bags of any size go in the hold.

2. Power, air conditioning and Wi-Fi

Every ADO service has air conditioning, reclining seats and an onboard restroom.

• ADO Platino: 110 V power sockets, USB-A and USB-C, Wi-Fi and a personal screen.
• ADO GL: charging ports, Wi-Fi and personal screens.
• ADO first class, OCC and AU: charging ports on many buses; Wi-Fi on some buses only.

Sockets use the Mexican and US plug type. Bring a power bank as a backup, since equipment varies by bus.

3. Types of buses and services

• ADO Platino (luxury): wide seats that recline almost flat, personal screens, a complimentary drink. Best for overnight trips.
• ADO GL (executive): more space, personal screens and coffee or water on board.
• ADO (first class): the widest timetable, with direct trips across central and south-east Mexico.
• ADO Aeropuerto: direct buses from the airports of Cancún, Tulum, Mexico City (AICM and AIFA) and Veracruz.
• OCC and AU: first-class and direct-economy lines on regional routes.

Compare them in detail on ADO bus services compared.

4. Pets and children

Pets travel free, but only in the luggage hold, in a rigid carrier (no fabric carriers, cages or boxes), one pet per carrier and up to two per bus. Bring a vaccination certificate and sign a release form at the ticket office before boarding. Pets can't travel on trips over 8 hours, when temperatures on the route go above 26 °C, or if they are flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs or cats. Only service dogs and emotional-support animals, with their documents, may travel in the cabin.

Children aged 5 to 12 travel on a discounted child fare; from 13 they pay the adult fare. Children under 5 travel free on the lap of the adult they are with (one child per adult). Bring proof of age, such as a passport. Under-18s can't travel alone. More tips: travelling Mexico by bus with kids.

5. Ticket flexibility: changes, cancellations and arriving late

• Change the date, time or destination at any ADO ticket office up to 30 minutes before departure (online tickets from 20 minutes after purchase). Bring the e-ticket and an official ID matching the passenger's name. Names can't be changed.
• Cancel up to 60 minutes before departure. ADO refunds as Saldo Max credit, with no penalty. Promotional and advance-purchase fares can't be cancelled.
• Running late? Change your ticket before departure. Missed it by up to 60 minutes? ADO sells you the next bus to the same destination at 50% off at the ticket office (the Pasajero Quedado discount): see missed your ADO bus.
• Flight delayed? ADO airport tickets are valid on the next bus on the same route that day, if seats are free. See missed your bus after a late flight.

6. Bikes

Bikes travel in the luggage hold, never in the cabin, when they are properly packed and there is room. Lower the seat, turn the handlebar or remove the front wheel if needed, and use a bike cover or box. Usually up to about 3 bikes fit on one bus, and passenger luggage has priority, so arrive early. Extra charges may apply if your total luggage goes over the allowance. Full guide: travel with your bike on ADO.

7. Finding your bus stop

Your e-ticket shows the exact station your bus leaves from. Big cities have several ADO terminals (Mexico City has TAPO, Norte, Sur and Poniente, for example), so check the name before you set off. Arrive about 30 minutes early, or 45 minutes if you are checking bags.

Find maps and directions for every terminal in the ADO bus station guide. At Cancún Airport, ADO buses leave from Terminals 2, 3 and 4: see the Cancún Airport bus guide.

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