Guatemala, getting there and around

By Plane

Grupo TACA is Guatemala 's national airline.

La Aurora Guatemala International Airport (GUA)

La Aurora International Airport is situated six kilometres from Guatemala 's centre.

The airport features car hire services including Avis, Budget, Dollar and Hertz, duty-free shop, bar, buffet, post office, restaurant, bank, tourist information desk, telephones and a bureaux de change.

Every 30 minutes a bus travelling towards Guatemala City is available and taxi services are available as well. Travel towards the city will usually take 20 minutes.

Flores International Airport

Guatemala 's second largest airport is situated just outside of Flores . The airport receives flights from countries and cities near Guatemala which includes Brazil and Mexico City .

Visitors can take a taxi from the airport to Flores city and it is about two kilometres from the small airport to the city's causeway.

By bus

Visitors can take a bus from Mexico but the journey is long and the stop would be at the northern part of the country. On the other hand, taking a bus ride from Honduras and Belize will only take visitors up to the border. To get to Guatemala City directly through bus, visitors can take a bus ride in El Salvador .

Buses travelling to Guatemala are sometimes air-conditioned. If travelling by bus, it is advisable to book every stage of the journey as advance from departure date as possible.

By ferry

One can also take a ferry ride from North America , the Far East and Europe which will travel towards Santo Tomas de Castilla and Puerto Quetzal. Seven direct links in the Far East that connects to Guatemala.

Getting Around

Travelling by plane is the most convenient and efficient way of getting to other cities in Guatemala as there are 360 airstrips in the country. Visitors may also book a private charter plane.

Guatemala has several bus services that travel between major towns. Taking the bus would be much cheaper although a bit crowded. Some of the more popular tourist spots can be reached through minibuses. Air-conditioned buses are available but are more expensive.

Visitors can also get around the country by driving a car but although the country has an extensive road network less than a third are all-weather. Cars can be hired or 30 days but an International Driving Permit or a national license is needed. Together with the production of a national driving license, a local license will be issued. For the more adventorous visitors, motorcyle hires are availble.

Taxis in Guatemala can be hired for a short or long drive and a flat rate is normally given. However, taxi fares are usually high.