Monterrey Transportation Guide — Bus, Taxi, Uber (Student’s Honest Review)
Just remember this one thing.
Bus ❌ Taxi ❌ Uber ✅
That’s it. That’s the guide.
Bus — Why You Simply Can’t Take It
First problem: there are no bus stop signs.
In Korea, every bus stop has a signboard with bus numbers. Here? Nothing. You have to ask locals using Google Translate just to figure out where to wait.
Okay, let’s say you somehow found the stop. Google Maps says the bus comes in 10 minutes. 10 minutes pass. Nothing. 30 minutes pass. Still nothing. I ended up waiting 40 minutes.
Bus finally comes. I get on. And then — new problem.
I have no idea if this is the right bus.
All the routes are written in Spanish. In Korea, buses have numbers — Line 54, Line 201. Here it’s all words. And it gets worse — one destination can have multiple routes. Say you want to go to Centro. There’s Centro A and Centro B. I got on a Centro bus and still ended up on the wrong route.
Even locals ask the bus driver one by one before getting on. For foreigners? Pretty much impossible.
Oh and one more thing nobody told me —
The bus stops like a taxi.
If you just stand there, it drives right past you. You have to wave your hand to make it stop. I found this out the hard way when I watched my bus disappear into the distance.
I loaded 200 pesos on my bus card and used maybe 30 before giving up. When I asked my local friends about it, they said — “Yeah, we don’t take the bus either.”
The university I attended (UDEM) is the most expensive private university in Mexico. Every student there drives their own car. The bus is for low-income residents, and the safety situation reflects that.
If you do ever need to take a bus, know the difference:
- ✅ Green Nuevo León bus (white lion logo) — manageable
- ❌ Old, colorful local buses — dusty seats, trash on the floor, pure chaos. Don’t.
Taxi — Even More Dangerous Than the Bus
Yellow taxis will honk at you the moment you stand on the street. Super friendly at first. “Hola~” and all that.
Then comes the drop-off.
A route that costs 100 pesos on Uber — a taxi driver offered to take me for 80. Sounds like a deal right? At the end of the ride he asked for 200. With the meter running the whole time.
But honestly, the money isn’t even the scariest part.
The taxi driver now knows where you live.
No route tracking. No driver ID verification. No record of anything. Get the wrong driver and you’re looking at a real kidnapping risk — I’m not exaggerating, I heard this directly from local friends.
Uber has driver verification, live route tracking, and upfront pricing. Taxis have none of that. You’re completely vulnerable.
Never take a taxi. Ever.
Uber & DiDi (DD) — This Is the Answer
Uber has driver ID, live route tracking, and you see the price before you confirm. It’s the only safe option.
DiDi (DD) is a Chinese app that’s usually a bit cheaper than Uber. Downside — drivers cancel pretty often. Sometimes Uber ends up cheaper anyway.
Pro tip: Enter your destination in both apps and compare prices. Takes less than a minute.
Carpooling — Actually the Best Option
Make a friend with a car and you’re set. I got rides all the time. If someone gives you a regular lift, buying them a drink or snack is just good manners. One local friend with a car beats ten Uber rides.
One Line Summary
Don’t even look at buses or taxis. Download Uber and DiDi, compare prices, pick the cheaper one. Done.
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