How to Get to Puebla from Mexico City by Bus

This is your step-by-step guide on how to get to Puebla from Mexico City by bus. We’ve spent a total of 4.5 months in Mexico, during which our main modes of transport were buses and colectivos. Using public transport to travel around Mexico is quite easy once you’ve got your head around all the different options. So, in this article our aim is to provide you with all the necessary information to get you to Puebla in an affordable, sustainable and safe way. You can also use this guide if you’re travelling from Puebla to Mexico City by following the steps in reverse order.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in the city, make sure to watch our dedicated Puebla video. If you’re interested in more Mexico content, check out the Mexico Playlist on our YouTube Channel.

Where is Puebla City in Mexico?

Puebla is located about 100km east of Mexico City, in the state of Puebla. The average journey time is around 2.5 hours, although it’s traffic dependent.

Getting to Puebla from Mexico City by Bus

Step 1: Getting to TAPO Bus Station in Mexico City

To get to Puebla from Mexico City by bus, you’ll first have to get to TAPO bus station, where the majority of buses to Puebla depart from. TAPO is about 4km (2.5 miles) to the east of the historic centre. There are a few buses that leave from Terminal del Norte and Terminal Sur, but we recommend getting your bus from TAPO due to the frequency of services.

Please Note – Mexico City has 4 bus stations: Terminal de Autobuses del Norte (North), Terminal de Autobuses del Sur (South), Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros Oriente (TAPO) and Terminal de Autobuses del Poniente (Observatorio). Make sure to arrive to TAPO! 

There are many ways to get there depending on where you’re staying in Mexico City:

• Metro is the cheapest way to reach the bus terminal. Before your first ride you’ll have to purchase a travel card called an ‘Integrated Mobility Card’ which costs 15 MXN. Then you’ll have to load it with money and tap it to enter the station. A one way journey will cost you 5MXN. Take Line 1 or Line B and get off at the San Lazaro metro stop. Depending on where you’re staying you might need to change lines once or twice. Click here to view the metro line map.
• Taxi or Uber is an easy and convenient way to reach TAPO station. However, the ride will be more expensive than the metro and may not be any faster depending on traffic.

Safety Tip. If you’re a solo female traveller, you can use the ‘Women and Children Only’ carriages at the front of the metro. During unsociable hours we recommend getting an Uber or an official taxi.

Step 2: TAPO Bus Station to Puebla CAPU

The Mexico City – Puebla line is served by the ADO bus company which covers the central, south and southeast regions of Mexico. AU, or Autobuses Unidos, is owned by ADO and is a budget version of ADO. We personally recommend booking an ADO bus to Puebla since we used many of their long-haul buses and never had any issues.

You can book your bus ticket online or from the ticket office at the bus station. We usually book our buses in advance to avoid them being full when we arrive to the station. However, there are frequent services to Puebla, so you can also wait until you’re at the terminal.

Even if you already have your ticket, we suggest asking the platform number at the ticket office as it won’t show that information on your e-ticket. Make sure to note your seat number and sit in the allocated one. Often you’ll be asked for your ID before boarding. Since you’ll be crossing a state border, it’s always good to have your ID and Tourist Card, or FMM form, with you even if you’re only visiting on a day trip.

The journey to Puebla is about 2.5 hours. The bus will normally have a toilet, AC and quite comfortable seats. They usually have USB chargers too, although sometimes they don’t work. We also recommend having some water and snacks in case you get peckish on the way. There are lots of places to purchase food in the terminal. Small change comes in handy for the bus station’s toilets.

Step 3: Puebla CAPU to Puebla Historic Centre

The main bus terminal in Puebla is CAPU – Central de Autobuses de Puebla. The station is about 6 km (3.7 miles) north of the Zocalo (Main Square) of Puebla.

The quickest and most convenient way to reach the Centro Historico from CAPU is either by taxi or Uber. Neither will cost too much, but you’ll arrive to the centre a lot faster than on the local buses. Just make sure to get into an official taxi.

If you don’t mind the slower alternative, or are on a very tight budget, then you can also take the local bus into Puebla Centro. Catch either the Ruta 64C or Ruta 20 from the Blvd Carmen Serdan stop. Depending on which one you get, you’ll be dropped off a few blocks from the Zocalo, so you’ll still have to walk a little to reach the centre.

Other Ways to Get to Puebla from Mexico City

This post’s purpose was to get you to Puebla in the most affordable and environmentally friendly way. However, if after reading our guide you don’t feel confident using the public transport system, then there are other, more convenient ways, to get to Puebla from Mexico City.

Hire Car

Having your own vehicle gives you the freedom to set off whenever you wish and spend as long as you want in Puebla. The downside of a rental car is the cost of hire, fuel and parking fees. Not to mention that driving around Mexico City can be overwhelming if you’re not used to it. People do drive a bit crazy and the traffic is more often horrendous than not.

However, if you do decide to drive, check out DiscoverCars where you can find the best rates because they compare local, national, and international companies.

Organised Day Tour

Lastly, a common way to visit Puebla from Mexico City is with an organised day tour. This option is perfect if you don’t have long in the country and can only squeeze in a day trip. Most day tours, like this one from Amigo Tours LATAM, also take you to Cholula, a lovely Pueblo Magico just outside Puebla.

The pro of a tour is that everything is organized for you. There’ll be no need to think or stress about your transport, especially if this is your first time in Latin America. Obviously, the main drawback of a day tour is the higher price tag and the fact that you have to follow a strict itinerary.

Final Thoughts on Getting to Puebla from Mexico City by Bus

We hope that this step-by-step guide gave you all the information you needed to confidently travel to Puebla from Mexico City. After spending 4.5 months in Mexico we cannot emphasize enough just how efficient the bus network is in the country. You can get to pretty much anywhere on public transport, even if we sometimes had to combine that with a few taxi and Uber rides.