Happy Steps travel blog

Schedule of barge (inter-island vessel) trips: Cebu (Toledo) to Negros Occidental (San Carlos) and vice versa

Inter-island travel between Cebu and Negros islands is made possible with barges or inter-island vessels where the Ceres buses (and container vans, trucks or private vehicles) are loaded.

The ports of destination are Toledo City in Eastern Cebu and San Carlos City in the Northwestern part of Negros Island. Travel time is about 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on sea and weather condition. Continue reading… »

Bacolod-Cebu and Cebu-Bacolod Ceres Bus rates and schedule as of April 2009

Thanks to Myles for being helpful enough to provide the bus schedule update!

Please note that due to weather and other travel conditions, the bus schedule and rates posted here are subject to change anytime by the Ceres Liner management. The best way is to confirm the schedule ahead at the Ceres bus terminal. Bacolod and Cebu contact numbers are posted below.

For more details on the routes (destination ports and municipalities passed by) with corresponding maps, you may want to check out my previous post on Bacolod-Cebu and Cebu-Bacolod Ceres Liner bus routes. Continue reading… »

Bacolod-Cebu and Cebu-Bacolod Ceres Liner bus routes

Ceres bus trips from Bacolod in Negros Occidental to Cebu City in Cebu Province and vice versa pass through different routes among many cities and municipalities so they could pick up passengers along the way.

On peak travel season, passengers from other municipalities station themselves at least an hour earlier before departure time at the Ceres Liner Terminal at the Shopping District in Bacolod and at the South Bus Terminal in Cebu so they can get the best seats.
Continue reading… »

Bacolod-Cebu and Cebu-Bacolod Ceres Bus rates and schedule

Updates on bus schedule and rates are posted on this tag: Ceres bus updates (http://www.happysteps.net/tag/ceres-bus-updates/)

Due to insistent public demand *wink*, here are the rates and schedule for Ceres buses from Bacolod to Cebu and Cebu to Bacolod as of January 17, 2009:

Bacolod to Cebu:

Route 1: Bacolod to Cebu (Toledo port) via Don Salvador Benedicto
Rate: Php350.00
Departure:
6:00 AM
7:00 AM

Route 2: Bacolod to Cebu (Tabuelan port) via Escalante
Rate: Php370.00
Departure:
8:00 AM
11:00 PM

Continue reading… »

Inter-island travel with the van

When it comes to going places, having your own vehicle can be a big convenience, and I mean not just within the city but for out-of-town trips as well and even for inter-island travels. Yup! We’ve traveled twice between the Negros and Cebu islands with our trusty van. This was made possible with inter-island vessels or barges which regularly travel between these two islands and could accommodate about 10 vehicles (not only cars but big trucks and container vans too).

If you have your own vehicle and need to use it in Cebu, then loading it on an inter-island vessel is the best option. It’s really convenient especially if you’re traveling in groups, or if you plan to transport some stuff or go on a shopping spree. Using a bigger vehicle such as a van is more practical too since you have additional space to accommodate the items you bought and there’s the added comfort of bringing more trip essentials like food, plates, glasses, and necessary utensils, pillows, and of course your loads of pasalubong.

Bacolod-Cebu trips via buses and barges

Being a native of Negros and having studied in Cebu with my siblings, we regularly traveled with Bacolod-Cebu buses via the San Carlos-Toledo route which goes like this:

1. Get onboard bus at the Ceres terminal in Bacolod (make sure it has the Bacolod-Cebu trip pasted on its front windows, LOL)

2. Bus departs as scheduled (passing through towns and cities such as Talisay, Silay, Victorias, etc.) until it arrives at the San Carlos port in the eastern part of the Negros Island facing Cebu. Estimated travel time: 3 hours

3. The bus is then loaded in an inter-island vessel or barge. Estimated travel time: 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours

4. Bus arrives at the Toledo port (in the western part of Cebu) and is unloaded from the barge and resumes its trip (passing by towns such as Naga, Minglanilla, Pardo, etc.). Estimated travel time: 1 hour

5. Bus arrives at the Cebu City south terminal.

Alternate routes for Bacolod-Cebu:

1. Via Escalante (Negros Occidental) to Tabuelan (northwestern part of Cebu)

2. Via Don Salvador Benedicto to San Carlos which is the fastest route since this is a cross-country trip from Bacolod to San Carlos passing through the mountains of Mt. Kanlandog. Estimated travel time from Bacolod to San Carlos: 1 hour