View Full Version : Other A couple of questions about the buses from a tourist new to Tenerife
Firstly hey guys and apologies if this isn't the correct sub-forum to be asking these sort of questions.
Okay so me and my partner are going to Tenerife in a months time for a week. We don't really like staying in built up areas with large apartment complexes and want something more peaceful, so we've looked to stay at Playa san juan, going to book it in the next couple of days. We've been in touch with an apartment owner who has very good reviews and seems to be very friendly and helpful, even leaving a phone with credit in the apartment so we can call him if we want to ask anything, which is nice. However I don't want to trouble him too much so was wondering if I could get some answers to these questions?
1) There are a couple of places we'd want to visit, such as loro park. I've done quite a bit of research on the TISTA bus network so already know which buses I'd need to get and how the BONO card works, hopefully there's a place near us which sells them. However I was wondering about the best way to know when to get off the bus if you're not going to where it terminates? I understand the English of the drivers can be very limited or non-existent, so I imagine our English attempts to pronounce the towns may not always be understood, though I've been looking at Spanish ways to say different places. I assume writing it down on a bit of paper and showing it to the driver would be okay along with dos personas to let them know I want to scan the card twice? But they may not understand if I'm trying to ask them to tell us when to get off to change to another bus. Do buses here have screens which display stop names as they approach them or anything? I mean I could print off the route and count stops, but I can;t be sure every stop we'd pass applies to that bus.
2) I've heard when getting the buses it can be a bit confusing as some buses use stops at one way streets and so buses going in the opposite direction may use the same stop. Is there a clear way to distinguish them? Say I wanted to go to Las Americas, its the bus which goes down that way and also comes back up and ends at Los gigantes. I'd have thought the bus would display its final destination at the front though?
3) What's Tenerife like for mugging, well less likely direct assault, but I mean pickpockets dipping, distraction techniques, bag snatchers etc? I want to take my camera with me, I won't have it around my neck all the time, but to loro park/monkey park or boat trips say, I'd want it with me. It's an SLR with a couple of lenses so quite big obviously. Is it safe enough to carry that sort of thing around as long as the bag strap is around my neck/shoulder and I've got my hand on it?
cheers for any help guys.
Hi Joey,
Playa San Juan is a pleasant place, and it's certainly quiet. It has good bus connections to the main bus station as well as to Los Gigantes, Adeje, etc. For Loro Parque you will need to change at Los Gigantes for the bus to Puerto de la Cruz. It's a long trip, but quite scenic. Loro Parque is within walking distance of the bus terminus at Puerto de la Cruz (head for the coast then turn left to go past a couple of beaches).
If you don't speak Spanish, you will probably do fine by stating your destiation as you put the Bono ticket into the machine. No need to even say "dos personas"; just put the card in again when the machine spits it out. The drivers are usually friendly and helpful, and are pretty good at working out where people want to go. They are used to tourists. But having the destination written on a piece of paper could be helpful in case of difficulty.
When I first came to Tenerife, I found it difficult to work out where to get off the bus. You can't depend on the driver remembering to stop at the place you asked for, so you will need to keep track of it yourself.
The road signage is good, so there's no trouble seeing when you enter a town. Most of the buses do have a display showing the next stop ("Proxima parada" in Spanish) but it's not always working. In any case, it only flashes up just before the stop, so you might end up getting off at the following stop.
I have found two foolproof ways of getting off at the right place. The first is to preview the area first on a computer, using Google Maps Street View. I look for a big landmark just before where I want to get off. The second way is to use a smartphone with GPS, and an offline maps application such as Osmand. You can even switch on the "bus stops" layer in Osmand, and watch the moving dot on the map as it creeps towards your bus stop.
Another difficulty with the buses is knowing which road they take. The timetable usually lists only the time of departure from the starting point, and the main towns along the way. But you can go to openstreetmap.org then click the "Layers" button and select "Transport". When you zoom in, it shows the bus routes in red with the route numbers along them.
By the way, the TITSA ticket windows and enquiry windows at the main bus stations are usually staffed by people who speak reasonable English.
You asked how to tell which bus stop to use for which destination. Fortunately, most bus stops now have a list of buses departing from that stop, so it's no problem. Because they drive on the right, you need to get used to waiting on the "unintuitive" side of the road, compared to in England. The buses display a route number and a destination on the front. At the main bus stations there are dedicated signed bays for different destinations, so it's not too difficult. There are also some illuminated signs - but take care because some of those are for "Arrivals" not "Departures"!
All in all, the bus service is excellent and it won't take you long to get used to it. Pick up a timetable ("Un horario por favor") from the window at the bus stations at Los Cristianos or Playa de las Americas. You can get Bono cards everywhere. There will certainly be an outlet in Playa San Juan, but it won't necessarily be at the bus stop. It will probably be at a tobacconist or a small general store. It may have a "Bono" sticker in the window. If not, just ask at any shop: "Tiene bonos?" (do you have Bonos?) followed if necessary by "Donde puedo comprar bonos? (where can I buy bonos?). One of the shops in the airport Arrivals area sells bonos, but it closes quite early.
You also asked about crime. Overall, crime is very low in Tenerife, although pickpocketing or distraction theft does sometimes occur. I would have no hesitation carrying around an SLR. The buses are safe, even late at night.
Have a great trip!
junglejim
12-05-2014, 16:19
Welcome to Forum!
A good reply from Ribuck on query- I personally think the best way to Loro Park is by a tour operator deal which will cost around €36 each - it will get you there and back efficiently and give you about 6/7 hours in the park which, with planning you will get to see all the shows .
However if you opt for Titsa there is a courtesy little train free from bus station to park and back that you can use .
You should be able to buy a Bono ticket in one of the local shops , the bus fare with Bono to Puerto is €9.60 each way ( so by the time you pay the Bus and entrance , the Tour bus is very similiar)
You need to be in PDLA bus station for 09.00 or 08.25 in Los Cristianos -
http://titsa.com/index.php?accion=linea&IdLinea=343
http://titsa.com/index.php?accion=tarifas&IdSeccion=52
Also for twin tickets
http://www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk/siam-park-tickets/loro-parque-and-siam-park-twin-ticket
Welcome to the forum.
You've chosen a great area in Playa San Juan - when we visit Tenerife that's where we always stay, also in private apartments. You have a choice of some good places to eat, right under where we usually stay is a lovely Italian pizzaria and there's an excellent restaurant in the square near the church called Creativo.
If you do any food shopping avoid the smaller supermarket type places on the seafront as they are a bit expensive. There is a larger supermarket 'Altesa' I think, up near the school that does everything you should need.
There's a number of buses that pass through San Juan and they are so regular that we don't bother hiring a car any more and just buy a Bono card from a shop in San Juan and go out and about on them. Los Gigantes and Playa la Arena cost about €1.30 each when we last went.
My sister carries an SLR camera around with her alot of the time and has never felt the need to conceal it or leave it behind, though the constant stops to take yet another photo of yet another plant or lizard makes the rest of us wish she would sometimes.
Hope you have a great time.
Thanks for all the info guys! Yeah Ribuck I also had the idea of using street view and looking for a landmark near a stop, the apartment we like the most has free wi-fi so we'll be able to plan things quite easily.
I did see a bus which does to loro parque operated by the zoo it seems, which costs €13.50 return and picks up from san juan textiles sur. Excursions wise I assume we'd need to travel to one of the bigger hotels/resorts as that's where such coaches would pick up from? The entry to the park is €34 so can excursions really be as low as €36? I've looked at a few sites, did see one for €39 which is good, albeit they don't seem to say where they pick up from, not sure if when you went to the payment page they'd show it.
But hey I'll figure it out all, I do like to plan the details haha and with wi-fi I'll always have this forum for advice too!
As for playa san juan, with it being quite quiet, I assume the locals in shops, bars etc don't have the same grasp of English compared to what folks at the big resort towns would have?
Really hoping this apartment doesn't get snapped up this week, unfortunately we can't book until my partner finds out the results of a job interview at the end of this week.
junglejim
13-05-2014, 02:25
I've seen the advert for bus from San Juan Textiles , that bus leaves at around 07.30 - most of the bigger resorts pick up around 08:30 to 09:00 so you would have to get there . For example we booked with Admiral Travel in San Eugenio last year at €36 in May with pick-up at Bouganville 08:45 , great day out and were back at 18:30 .
I've seen the advert for bus from San Juan Textiles , that bus leaves at around 07.30 - most of the bigger resorts pick up around 08:30 to 09:00 so you would have to get there . For example we booked with Admiral Travel in San Eugenio last year at €36 in May with pick-up at Bouganville 08:45 , great day out and were back at 18:30 .
Yeah that's the one I was looking at, the good thing is it means you get there early, downside is it picks up at like 4:30. But I guess you\d get 6 hours there. Actually looking at Stewarts minimart suggestion I found textiles sur on that road haha, google maps told me it was in the middle of nowhere at the bottom of a gorge, I was skeptical...
StewartK yeah the guys Philip haha, he seems really nice. You mentioned supermarkets to go to, is Supermarket Alteza good? Someone above mentioned it. I think in the first day we'll just explore the streets a bit, I'm sure we'll find a bono card seller somewhere.
Also boat trip excursions wise, as we were going to try a few boat trips, do these actually leave from playa san juan or do you need to go to larger ports to actually meet the boat? I was assuming you might have to go to los gigantes or down to christianos.
junglejim
13-05-2014, 14:14
Nearly all the excursion buses leave at 4:30 .
Some boat trips are Los Gigantes, Puerto Colon ,Los Cristianos .
Depends what excursions you want to do. We have done the whale/dolphin trips from Los Gigantes a few times and from memory it's about €15-€20 each. Can recommend one couple that run trips from there - look out for the Oriental-looking lady who speaks with an American accent, they run a small yellow and white boat that takes you out to the whales, and if they're about, across to the fish farms to see dolphins too, and back along the coast under the high cliffs there.
We have also done the trip to La Gomera from Los Cristianos on the ferry. It was quite a bit more expensive - possibly near €100 - but was a good day out. Just don't forget your passport like we did!
Don't worry about it being a quiet place and no-one speaking English, we've never had any problems. Just with us trying to speak Spanish to them usually, and them preferring us to use English. Damn cheek!
Yeah noticed that looking at a few now Junglejim, one reason the zoo's own bus from textiles sur at 7:30 may be an idea, as I assume it would get there by 9:30, so would give us more time than some others.
Addick I was thinking one of the spot the whales type trips. The bus to los gigantes is really cheap anyhow so we can look around and see if they look good, will watch out for them! How long do you get on these trips for around €20, is the odds of actually seeing a whale a seasonal thing? The pronunciation differs so much between different regions of folks speaking Spanish, the Mexican pronunciation of gigantes is easy, just take off the g at the start. Mainland Spain one has that trill which is fun to try doing haha. Pronouncing the g like a H at the start is apparently meant to be enough to get you understood. But yeah I imagine after trying a few words they'll laugh and rather try using English themselves haha.
The couple who run the trips we go with have been doing it for many years and I think they have only had something like 1 day in that time when they didn't see any because of the weather. They even offer a money back guarantee. Total trip is probably a couple of hours.
If only they'd pose while you try to take a photo!
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Cheers for the info Stewart! Where does that walk which seems to pass through an old crumbling building on the cliff edge take you? Starts south of the town if I'm looking at google maps right.
I'm street viewing on google maps haha, found a supermarket called fruteria, a €1 store, lots of pizzerias on the beach front strip. Where abouts is the plaza?
Oh just had a thought, what's the tipping culture like over there?
Oh just found out about this Masca gorge walk. Anyone had experience doing it? The reviews seem very variable, from it being fairly easy and taking young kids with them, to dangerous parts with falls and blood on rocks...nice. It looks very scenic, we're not hikers but not unfit. Sort of place I'd like to take the SLR albeit I'd have to keep a damn good hold on it haha.
There seems to be a bit of different advice on whether you need to book the boat trip back beforehand or if you can buy a ticket at the beach from folks there. A website online has a 20% discount for online, not sure if that's an excursion or just the trip back, though I suppose I'd need to find a printer if they want you to print tickets off.
Oh just found out about this Masca gorge walk. Anyone had experience doing it? The reviews seem very variable
Masca Gorge is absolutely spectacular, although it's not for everyone. About 70% of the walk is straightforward; about 15% is along high paths with a drop off to one side (but no problem if you're sure-footed and not afraid of heights); the remaining 15% could be described as "clambering over rocks" (not for everyone, but no problem if you're happy using your hands and feet and are reasonably fit).
The last time I went down the gorge, there was indeed someone selling boat tickets at Masca Beach, but you can't count on this. You can get tickets in Masca Village before starting the descent. Also, they will know if it's one of the (rare) days when the sea is too rough for the boat to call.
I take three and a half hours for the descent, but if you don't normally do such active trips you could allow more. I would think that anyone who can do the trip could do it comfortably in four and a half hours.
There's good swimming in beautifully clear water from the steps off the stone jetty at Masca Beach.
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From Playa San Juan, the best way to do the Masca Gorge trip is to get a taxi-load of people and share a taxi to Masca. Walk down through the gorge then catch the boat back to Los Gigantes, then return by bus to Playa San Juan (every 30 minutes). Masca Village is attractive and interesting, so leave enough time to look around there too.
To do the gorge without taking a taxi to the start, you would need to get one bus to Los Gigantes, then another to Santiago del Teide, then another to Masca. The connection in Santiago del Teide is a long one, so you would need an early start.
Once you find the start of the walk (don't worry about the "closed" notice, which refers to an avalanche-prone part of the beach rather than the part where the jetty is), navigation is straightforward. Just keep doing down. In any case there will be plenty of other people doing the same trip so you shouldn't get lost.
Just a few coins definitely not more than ten percent locals object to tourists leaving large tips for no service five percent is as much as a local will tip unless staff have done something special
That is the walk that takes you from Alcala to Varadero. Unfortunately you can't walk from San Juan to Alcala without going on the main road.
The Plaza, or old Church Square is at the bottom of Reina Sofia where it Joins Avenida Juan Carlos.
Tipping. A few coins if it's a coffee or a single drink. If it's a few tapas or a full meal then 10%.
I must be confused haha, I believed if I'd not misunderstood its location, a path along the cliff which begins just south of playa san juan, can see it in some photos of the corner of the beach (though the beach doesn't lead to the path), unsure if its the same path which seems to feature a derelict Church. I assumed it took you nowhere in particular tbh, first destination south is some golf resort.
Just a few coins definitely not more than ten percent locals object to tourists leaving large tips for no service five percent is as much as a local will tip unless staff have done something special
Ah interesting, I imagine the staff don't object haha, but I suppose they might see it as arrogant, flashing cash etc.
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