Travel Advisory: Victory Liner Big Price Increase
June 16, 2008 by lisa
Filed under travel & transportation
As I boarded the 2am airconditioned bus to Manila last June 1, I was shocked to be charged Php450.00 for the Baguio-Manila trip. Had I ridden two hours earlier, I would have paid the usual Php385.00 for Cubao and (Php390.00 for Pasay). But I had not been feeling well, hence the procrastination.
So here it is folks, rates for Baguio-Cubao Php450, while Baguio Pasay-460, thanks to Nick (Watson) who took the Baguio-Pasay bus last weekend. Up from the previous rates of Php385/Php390.
I have been in Manila for the past 2 weeks, and when I called them for my return trip this weekend (yup, that’s why I have been quiet — still melting in Manila), I discovered that the Special Deluxe bus now costs Php700.00 one way (it used to be Php600.00 two weeks ago).
Of course the Philippines is reeling from the rapid increase in fuel costs. When the peso strengthened against the dollar from Php55.00 to USD1.00 to Php40.00, there was no decrease in fuel prices, the excuse being world crude oil prices had risen again.
I kidded the conductor that Victory Liner was trying to recover the buses that were blown up last month in their Cubao depot and told him that he “should not have done that kasi.”
WIth the 20% increase in fare rates, it still would be cheaper to get to Baguio by bus than to take a car, if there are only a few persons in your group. Ah, but when there are infants in tow, you will just have to grit your teeth, load the stroller and fuel up the family van.
The good news for Baguio visitors: lodging, food and shopping in Baguio is relatively cheap still. So, in the end, it all evens out. Plus there are many things to do that will not cost you a single centavo. For the list, please check Baguio for FREE.
We just...
Haay Lisa, everything’s on the rise except my manhood. Seems to be no relief in sight. Hard times. Belt-tightening needed.
Resty,
You actually cracked a joke! Hahaha!
If there’s anything Baguio folk are good at, it’s belt tightening. In fact the belts in Baguio are so tight folks can hardly breathe.
Oh, except the students, that is. They wear no belts so much so we can see the tbacks and the boxers.
Ah yes the price increase. I went up to Baguio one Friday night and the fare was still 390. but when I was going back to manila that Sunday night, 460 pesos na! I swear, 460 ang siningil sa akin. Bakit mas mahal by ten pesos? Hmmm…. and it was still 460 last weekend too.
Hi Nick,
Oh I get off at the Cubao terminal kasi — and I thought we paid for the whole length because it was a Baguio-Pasay Bus we rode in. Thanks for this. Let me edit the post above to reflect the rates.
Resty that was a good puncline…hehehehe … 450 to go home .. so a round trip would cost me 900.. wah no more eating then on the trip.. No more balut at the tarlac stopover for me .. hay…
Hi Liza,
! With the price of gas here in the U.S., staying home, reading, and eating dinengdeng while reading your blogs is heaven. I was lucky to get tickets to the Philippines in April. Husband and I are finally going there for five weeks in December through January. Been thinking of just getting on the bus to La Union instead of renting a van with a driver. Can’t imagine how much it would cost me at that time. So excited to visit!
My first week of summer vacation here in San Diego (seven weeks- the beauty of teaching!). Yay! I finally can sit down again and read what’s going on there. Resty’s joke greeted me first thing
Hiya Dan,
Ask your mommy to make you some baon! Hahaha! You can afford the balut. It costs Php10 max in the Philippines — I bet the mother ducks are upset that their babies are only sold for that much!
Cynthia, you’re coming!
Great!
You’re right about the bus rides — pretty reliable and way cheaper. Although, depending on your itinerary in the lowlands (no taxis there for you), I can recommend my cheap van rental service suki in Baguio who is soooo nice and accommodating…
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the info. We can’t blame Victory Liner for increasing the fare. The oil price is the same all over. We are reeling here in the US because we NEED to drive and public transport isn’t as feasible
Argh! Thanks for the info. Maybe I’ll take the Dagupan bus next time I go up to Baguio. But then again, maybe they will be increasing their rates too.
Hi Tina and Bill,
Yup prices are rising, and what we should do is really get into the energy conservation programs.
I, for one, prefer to walk than to ride — yup, even in the rain.
Oh yes, Bill,
Dagupan is cheaper by about Php50.00. I haven’t heard of a price increase though. A lot of the Baguio residents prefer to ride that bus line because it’s cheaper, although there are fewer trips. And though they only have one terminal in Quezon City, that shouldn’t be a problem for you.
pls check bus #1622 bound to tuguegarao…umalis sa kamias na sira ang aircon just dis morning at 745…and take note hinihi blad na ang pasahero na hinatid ko sa init sa loob…at wala pang respeto mga driver. wala daw silang magagawa…sayang ang ibinayad ng pasahero…
Hi Flor!
I can understand how upsetting that would be, especially on such a ling trip. I suppose when the aircon conks out or if the bus breaks down, there should be some kind of refund for the customers.
Victory Liner and other bus companies must be made to understand that, as public conveyance, they have a duty to ensure customer safety and comfort at all times.
ei lisa, i went to baguio just last week and i was shocked with the fare as well.. 450 pesos pasay-baguio!!! i remember back in college it was just 385php… well, things have changed and i think there’s nothing that we can do abt that..
another thing.. i was shocked to see the overpass in bgh. haay… it’s there, so i’d rather not comment..
hello Ms. Lisa,
I really like your site. It was such a great help for me when I went to Baguio City for the first time last December. But, I was only in Baguio for 1 day. I longed to go back in the City of Pines with my parents and let them see just how beautiful Baguio is.
I noticed the Victory Liner Special De Luxe Bus in the Victory Liner terminal although I did’nt get to ride in it. Is there a Comfort Room in that Special De Luxe Bus that’s why it’s expensive? aside from being able to take passengers to Baguio faster than the regular bus???
Well, I’ve been wondering if there is a bus that could make senior citizens and old folks like my parents’ travel to Baguio comfortable for them.
Thank you very much Ms. Lisa and have a nice weekend.
Therese
Hi Adie,
I accept the fare increase as necessary to cover costs. But that flyover — totally unnecessary, an eyesore, a testament to greed and corruption!
Hi Therese,
The Php700 de luxe bus is more comfortable and does not make stops, which is why you get to your destination faster.
The senior citizens will have a tough time in the restroom, unaided, because it can pretty rough when you use it. However, it is nice to know that there’s one you can use if necessary. In all my trips to and fro Manila I have used the bathroom less than half the time.
On top of the restroom, the seats are wider and more comfortable, with a drink holder, and a lower-leg support. Instead of a conductor, there’s a stewardess who cleans the bathroom and gives you a bottle of water and a mini-cake.
Hello again Miss Lisa,
Thank you very much for the information. I really hope I could bring my parents with me to beautiful Baguio City if not this year, maybe early next year!!!
thanks again
Therese
do you guys have any idea how much is the cheapest fare goin to baguio? manila-baguio? and cheap rooms? as in cheap?
how much is the cheapest fare going from manila to baguio?, baguio to manila?i need your response immediately. thank you very much
Hi, Lisa,
I stumbled into your site while looking for info about Baguio, and I love it — articles and posts are very informative and fun to read. I’m planning my Philippine vacation in mid-November and would like to take Victory Liner deluxe bus to Baguio. (I’ve not seen Baguio for 20 years.) I have tight schedule hence the need for pre-planning. Do you know the VL deluxe bus sked to/from Baguio/Cubao? The bus website does not show this info. Thx much.
Marc and Pierette, sorry I missed responding to your queries.
I guess Dagupan Bus Lines from Cubao would be cheaper than Victory Liner, but you’ll have to call their landline (check out Manila Yellow Pages or something). I don’t know their rates offhand as I write this…
Hi Julie,
They have trips departing around noon and midnight with some extra trips. They must be beta testing or something as they have been adding trips due to the demand for a non-stop bus ride to Baguio.
Since you have to buy tickets in person anyways, it would be good to give them a call first.
hi can someone tell me what the bus fare from Tuguegarao to Manila.
Thanks very much.
hi lisa,
this coming sembreak my husband and i are planning to go to baguio for at least a 3 day vacation. we’re bringing our daughter whose 1yr 5mos, do you think she’ll have a hard time riding a bus lang? its so expensive na kc to bring our car na. thanks in advance!!!
Hi lisa,
Thanks for this very good info, do you know the sked of that deluxe bus from pasay to baguio? Actualy Im from Cebu and its our first time to be in baguio w/ my friends next week. Appreciate your help.. Thanks!
Hi Irish,
If you choose the deluxe bus @Php700/adult one way, the trip is non stop so you get to Baguio in 5 hours. The regular airconditioned bus (@Php450) is tiring as there are so many stops for meals and to pick up passengers.
For those with young children I always recommend bringing a car because of all the gear you will have to lug around everywhere. FYi, my sedan loads up about Php1,800 one way.
The NLEX is also such a dream to drive through so fuel consumption is actually minimized for the first 90km (a little more than 1/3 of the way).
For more information please check http://www.gobaguio.com/advisory.html
Hi Claudio,
They’ve been adding trips, so I don’t really have them memorized. But essentially the trips leave around noon time (between 10:30am and 2:00 pm) and around midnight (between 10pm and 2am).
You can also contact them through their website — just google victory liner philippines.
thanks lisa!
thanks… tulog ito sa pasyal naming mag-anak
Ngng,
Walang anuman po. At kung marami po silang aakyat dito, maaaring makapagpabawas sa gastusin ang magdala ng sariling sasakyan.
hi LISA!
can you kindly recommend the “cheap van rental service suki in Baguio”? thanks! what is the name and contact number? thanks
HOLD A SEC! P700 for deluxe bus and you posted this last June. I went to Baguio in May of this year it was P650. Wow, im going to Baguio in January 2009 so im expecting it’s almost a thousand. Hehehe. To be fair with Victory Liner, when our bus almost broke down and ac wasnt working anymore, another bus came to the rescue!!!
Hi Lisa!
It’s unfortunate that I found you sites too late, I was in Baguio last Dec 6-10, and was traveling blindly in the city. But hey, I managed to survived, although my wallet didn’t. Lol!
Anyway, I wanted to comment to Christine, Deluxe bus trips to Baguio are of two types: (1) those with a cr, which costs Php710, and (2) those who doesn’t, which costs Php650.
And by the way, Victory Liner now offers hourly, on the hour, trips to Baguio at Php450/head.
And thank you, I’m using your site as reference as I write my blog of my recent trip.
Hi TheGreenPig,
For complete information on everything about the City of Pines, check out my main site – Go Baguio! at http://www.gobaguio.com.
There you will find info you did not even know you wanted! Hahaha!
Thanks for dropping by…
pagsabihan nyo ang lahat ng driver na maging magalang sa lahat ng pasahiro
Hi Ms Eva,
It might be better if you were to tell Victory Liner your complaints directly. Here are their cutomer service telephone numbers: (02) 361-1510 ; (02) 364-2926. Hope this helps.
hi ma’am…
just want to ask if meron ba motorcycles for rent in baguio…? para sana mas maka tipid at mas convenient ang tour… balak kasi namin 1 day lang kami sa baguio… dating kami by 5AM then alis din kami agad by 10PM na trip pabalik ng manila… would that be possible?
i hope you can help us with this… thanks…
Good day po…
patulong na lang din po ma’am… hehehe! may rooms ba na mura lang? yung for matrimony lang sana, couple kasi kami… for overnight stay lang if ever matagalan kami…
PLEASE help us… thanks po….
Hi Goyang,
I do not know of, nor would I recommend any motorcycles for rent. Just take taxis to move around in and do a lot of walking, I suppose.
Hi Goyang,
Best to check http://www.gobaguio.com/lodging.html and the Go Baguio Directory. Hope this helps.
thanks sooo much ma’am liz…
Hi, how’s the weather now in baguio? we are planning to go this wednesday by afraid that the weather would ruin the whole trip, saw in your gobaguio website that if it rains here in Manila, it probably raining there too.. please help. Thanks in advance!
Hi Angel,
Yup, wed is 90% chance of precipitation, while Thursday and Friday show better figures of 60% chance of precipitation. Got this from the weather underground forecast for Baguio with lows of 16-17 degrees — cool!!!
But these are just your regular April showers, I believe. Actually, I LOVE it when in rains in the City of Pines!
Thanks for your quick response!
So it will not be unsafe or anything like that, If we still go?
and we are most likely to say in a transient house in Lourdes Sudv. is this not too far from the common tourist spots?
Thanks!
Hi Angel,
It’s just regular “scattered rain showers and thunderstorms,” as far as I know, and even with typhoons, Baguio City is pretty safe. If you’re driving up, best to take Marcos Highway and if you’re coming up by bus, then you’ll be in the hands of highly experienced and competent drivers, so no need to worry. Lourdes is near the grotto of course, close to Tam-awan, Easter Weaving, and on the way to Asin. It’s not to far from Burnham Park but Camp John Hay, Mines View, The Mansion, Botanical Garden, Teacher’s Camp are on the other side of town. Not to worry, the Summer Capital of the Philippines is just about 8km from east to west, and about 7km from north to south.
Folks do get a faster response from me via the comments section of this site versus sending me an email (I have several sites with several email accounts and messages tend to pile up)
hi. i am planning a trip to baguio by 1st week of august. just want to ask if we can take the bus bound for baguio and get off at manaoag… we plan to visit manaoag first before going to baguio.
also, how do we get to baguio from manaoag?
would really appreciate your help…
thanks a lot…
Hi Emelyn,
Since you’re the second person to ask me about this in one day, I decided to create a post about Getting to Manaoag just for you.
hi.. i really appreciate your taking the time to help me in my query. also enjoyed reading your experience in going to manaoag.
will visit the link for responses….
thanks so much.
hi there. i am wondering if there is any cheap but nice, neat, cozy, within the budget kinda place that you can recommend for me & my fiancee. within the budget would mean something like 800-1000. we plan to get to baguio by july 17? we are planning of staying for 4 days. thanks for the help, appreciate it much.
Hi. How long is the trip from Manila to Baguio? They said it takes 5 hours for the Deluxe bus. What about the ordinary ones (fare 450)? Thanks!
Hi Jodi,
The ordinary aircon bus trip that they call Special (versus the De Luxe) takes 7 whole hours to get here with at least 2 stops along the way. If you leave at about 11pm, sometimes just 5-6 hours because the tricycles in the lowlands are still “asleep.”
good day!!
me and my hubby with our 3yrs old daugther we’re planning to go to baguio
this august. i would like to know where is the terminal of victory liner with
a deluxe bus! how much the fare is? where can i avail the tickets?
thanks a lot!
Hi Ruby,
There are victory liner terminals on EDSA, one in Pasay near Tramo, one in Cubao near New York Street. The rate is about Php480 per person for the airconditioned bus that takes about & hours to get here, and I don’t think your daughter will be charged if she sits on your lap. The deluxe bus service is much faster, about 5 hours during the day and 4 hours at night, with wider seats and a toilet, Php700 per person.
You can buy your tickets in advance or immediately prior to departure at the terminal. Victory Liner does not have online booking.
Hope this info helps.
we’re planning on a holiday to the philippines this December, coming from Australia with Kuala Lumpur via Clark, where can we get the deluxe bus to baguio via la union and what time?
thank’s in advance!
mel
Hi Melanie,
There’s no de luxe bus service from Clark to Baguio via La Union. You will have to take a bus from Pampanga to La Union, and another bus from La Union to Baguio. My suggestion would be to google trips schedules of Philippine bus lines plying Luzon routes.
wow…ya…im from baguio too…and ya nagmamahal na nga…www.travelistas.org