San Cristobal de las Casas to Lake Atitlan by bus?

Most take a shuttle for this trip. I took one last year for around $40, if I remember. It is cheaper by bus. Any Travel Agent in San Cristobal will be able to book. (door to door)

Drifter

Oldrifter offers the best solution. It will get you there in a day. The alternative..chicken buses...are cheaper but take longer and yes you have to change. There is no such thing as a chicken bus company web site. Just be glad they occasionally have brakes.

You can't fly SC to Antigua...no commercial airports.

More importantly...Those 4 countries in 6 weeks???? Even if you pick just a tiny slice of Mexico...you will still go crazy zooming around. 6 weeks.. you begin to see Mexico. 6 weeks...the highlights of Cuba and Guat. Bye bye Belize. I'm serious... follow these threads for even a short time and you will see the most common newbie trait is to try and cover a continent. Pace yourself so you enjoy what you do get to. You can come back. I've been going for over 30 years...still feel like I'm scratching the surface in some areas.

I agree, a shuttle will definitely be faster and more comfortable. Though, I did the trip via chicken bus last year and it wasn't too bad. It, of course, is cheap, but will take you the whole day. You'll hear a million stories about tourists being robbed on chicken buses and while it has happened and is, to some extent, a problem, I have almost always used chicken bus as my mode of transportation throughout the entire country and never had a problem. (personally, I actually think the robbery problem lies on buses to and from guate city and within the city....not so much through long stretches in the rural parts like you'll be doing).
Sooo, chicken buses are kind of fun :-) and if you do use them, find the bus terminal in San Cristobal (just on the edge of town) and take one to Guate boarder (La Mesilla -- not sure what the name is on the Mexican side). Once on the Guate side there will be a few buses waiting, just ask the drivers the fastest way to Panajachel. Chicken bus drivers and the guys that work on them (ayudantes) are usually very helpful. From the boarder to Pana I'd estimate that you're looking at about a 6 hour trip.
Feliz Viaje!

Agree with Bob. 6 weeks is enough to scratch the surface of Mexico alone!

thanks a lot everyone

I guess we will just have to see how we will do it. I will definitely wanna try out the chicken buses but maybe not for that long

re: the length of the trip don't worry it won't obviously cover everything but even with the current plan I realise it is a bit ambitious

basically I am flying in to Havana on my own 2nd week Dec and will be in Cuba till 26 Dec
In Cuba the route is few days in Havana, Vinales, Cienfegos, Trinidad and a few days at Cayo Coco just to get some luxury before Xmas,
Then Mexico City (2-3 Days), Oaxaca (2 days) , Puerto Escondido (still debating if have time), San Cristobal, Palenque, Guatemala, Lake Atitlan, Antigua, Tikal, Belize by the cayes.

my bfriend is flying back to London from Belize on the 15 Jan and I have an additional week.
I am flying back from Cancun so for the remaining days I am planning to take the bus up to Mexico Yucatan form Belize and see some sights around Tulum and of course Chichen Itza.

what do you think? to be honest I know that some of things we may have to drop so this is just a rough itinerary

Thanks

Yes of course the shuttle. Not that expensive and much less pain. Pay when you make your reservation that way it is sure to run otherwise if not enough folk it may not go. You do the whole process in one day. I have gone by chicken bus and also several times by shuttle. I hate chicken buses not because they might have some one who would rob you but because they are dangerous as in such poor shape. One I road had a wheel come off going down the mountain into Pana. Photos see my website wolfcalls.com

Andilla... even with the clarification of your itinerary...it's still crazy. Say you forget Puerto Escondido... still there are some long bus rides. You would need to add a week to your time just to accomodate the travel time. Problem is you seem to have locked your route in with your exit tickets. Were you flying home from Guat. City you could manage it.

Evidently, some people don't have jobs. I'm tired of people who claim you need months to do a bunch of countries--I've traveled through a number of countries quickly and not only enjoyed it, but found it rewarding. Why? Life is short. Why schedule a month in a country if you've never been there before. Go quick, hit some selected places, and see if you want to come back.

I don't know who these people are who can take off months for travel. Good God, I'm a teacher and I can't go for more than six weeks. Do it.

bus transportation web site