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A. PUBLIC TRANSPORT There are several bus lines linking Baguio with Metro Manila and Central Luzon, and provinces such as Pangasinan, La Union, and those in the Ilocos region.
It generally takes about 5 to 7 hours to get to Baguio by bus. Trips for Baguio leave Manila every hour, seven (7) days a week. The popular buslines are Victory Liner, Dagupan Bus Line and Philippine Rabbit. Taking the bus is the most common and economical way to get to Baguio.
Buses are generally modern and air-conditioned but seats are sized generally for Filipinos and tall people would need to take advantage of the various stopovers to stretch their legs. Bus fares costs around 450 Pesos per person one way.
A non-stop deluxe bus service is offered by Victory Liner also available for 700 Pesos per person one way. But you will have to buy your tickets ahead of time and in person, in order to secure a seat.
A 240-250km trip to Baguio City take seven (7) whole hours by bus because the buses stop TWICE for a meal and in every town to drop off or pick up new passengers.
Note that there is no central bus station in Metro Manila and in Baguio City and the different bus companies maintain their respective terminals at different locations in both cities. B. PRIVATE TRANSPORT Taking a trip to Baguio from Manila by car usually takes just 5-6 hours during the day, and sometimes less at night. (Night travel is much faster because there is less vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and fewer slow-moving public utility vehicles.) But visitors need to keep in mind that traveling to Baguio during holiday weekends takes much longer than usual due to heavy traffic. From Manila to Baguio City, enter at Balintawak, take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and exit at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), which is right past the Dau Exit. Upon entering SCTEX, take the first right at the fork (going straight will lead you to Subic), and drive the length of the SCTEX, exiting at the Tarlac City exit. From there, it's back to the old McArthur Highway until Rosario Junction, La Union. Motorists drive through the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan and La Union (if via Marcos Highway) or Benguet (if via Kennon Road). Of the three main routes leading up to Baguio, scenic Kennon Road is the shortest taking only three-quarters to one hour from the foot of the mountains in Rosario, Pangasinan. Marcos Highway starts in Pugo, La Union (a little further to the northwest from Rosario) and takes about one hour but is a wider, less winding road with a more gradual uphill incline and is safer in the rainy season. It has spectacular vistas of the South China Sea on a clear day. Naguillan Road is usually taken by travellers from the north and will take longer. All three roads can get blocked by landslides and Kennon Road with its long winding stretches is both scenic and dangerous. If you are intent on driving to Baguio, it would be best to hire a Filipino driver for this purpose. To know more about Baguio, CLICK HERE...
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