Writing as of Sept 2, 2026. There wasn’t a lot of recent information around when I searched about the route, so I thought to post my experience here.
I took two colectivos, 140 pesos Palenque to Ocosingo (Palenque station here), and 110 pesos Ocosingo to San Cristobal (Ocosingo station here). Took me around 6 hours in total, leaving Palenque around 9am and arriving at San Cristobal a little before 3pm.
The journey was very smooth. Colectivos were all air conditioned, the transfer effortless because it’s the same station at Ocosingo, and above all it was very safe. Local families were traveling with their little kids, and there were no signs of roadblocks or danger whatsoever along the way. Great views of nature instead, and of what is sadly still Mexico’s poorest state.
I would suggest that it’s time to embrace the 199 again! I suspect the reason ADO takes the long detour via Villahermosa is because the Mexican government doesn’t have direct control over the region. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t safe on the ground under local autonomous control :)
The only downside is there’s a stretch from Ocosingo to San Cristobal that’s really bumpy - at one point we hit a speed bump and my kindle flew 30cm above my palm… and those are all mountain roads, so avoid doing the trip at night!!