Getting round Belize is seldom a protracted and drawn-out course of. This just isn’t some super-long nation like Argentina or Chile the place you may drive for 20 hours and solely be partway to your vacation spot. This is a small nation, with most islands not very far offshore, so touring round Belize will often take you a number of hours at most. Domestic flights are often someplace between 20 minutes and an hour with stops.
Since this nation has a inhabitants of lower than a half million and there aren’t quite a lot of mass-tourism operations other than the visiting cruise ships, there’s seldom a lot visitors on the roads both. The primary Hummingbird Highway going north to south is sort of nice, with fairly views a lot of the best way.
When you trip in Belize, you’re touring across the latest nation within the Americas: it gained its independence in 1981. Here’s our Belize transportation information to getting round.
Getting Around in Belize by Car
If you’re staying on the mainland of Belize, the simplest possibility is to journey by rental automobile. You can lease a automobile once you land on the Belize City airport and many of the ordinary manufacturers have franchises right here, comparable to Alamo, Hertz, and Avis. Your house driver’s license is often wonderful right here in case you’re coming from the USA or Canada, but it surely wouldn’t harm to apply for a world driving allow simply in case since you should use it later for different nations too. This is particularly essential in case you’re from a rustic the place your license just isn’t in English–the official language of Belize.
Check rental automobile charges on Kayak right here.
Naturally you’ll have to have insurance coverage, each collision that’s often included along with your bank card, and legal responsibility which is often not. It could also be included within the rental charge, but when not you’ll want so as to add legal responsibility insurance coverage on in case there’s an accident the place you’re at fault. Use a bank card with a excessive out there steadiness as they’ll put a maintain on it that’s greater than the rental worth.
You can really drive throughout the border from Mexico to Belize once you lease a automobile in Chetumal in case you deliver it again there, however we might solely discover one firm that permits that, Europcar, and so they pulled an insurance coverage rip-off on it that we had no selection however to just accept. They make you purchase insurance coverage for Belize from them, very overpriced insurance coverage, then once you get to Belize they inform you it’s not legitimate there and also you then have to purchase (far more affordable) insurance coverage on the border that truly works in Belize.
Hopefully by the point you learn this there’s a extra sincere rental company in Chetumal that may allow you to drive their automobile in Belize, so do some analysis and see. Otherwise, you’re higher off going to Ambergris Caye and ultimately Belize City by boat, then renting a automobile there. At the tip you may fly house or fly some place else in Mexico as an alternative of returning to Chetumal.
Driving is on the proper aspect of the street, pretty simple, although you will want the GPS on as there aren’t many indicators to get round Belize when you get off the primary roads. As is regular outdoors the USA, a guide transmission automobile will often be simpler to seek out and rather less per day than an computerized one.
You might wish to skip getting behind the wheel altogether although, particularly in case you’re solely visiting one jungle lodge or coastal resort. Just organize the transfers once you make your reserving. You may soar on excursions that head out on journey excursions or go to Maya historic websites.
Getting Around Belize by Air
Despite being a small nation, Belize has a strong home flight system that’s environment friendly and quick. A fleet of prop planes from Maya Island Air and Tropic Air ply the routes and runways everywhere in the nation, working like a bus system within the sky as a lot as an airline: a flight to Placencia or Punta Gorda might contact down in a number of different spots earlier than it will get to your ultimate vacation spot. It’ll drop off a number of individuals, decide up a number of, and also you’re in your means.
I’ve flown on each airways a number of instances and there’s not an entire lot of distinction within the consolation or service, so examine each websites to see which one coincides higher along with your timetable. If there’s stormy climate, there might be delays, so don’t minimize it too shut in case you’re vacationing within the wetter months of summer season.
If you’re going to take a number of of those flights, it’s finest to not overpack. These are small planes with someplace between 8 and 24 seats often, so in case you include three massive suitcases it’s going to be hassle and also you’ll pay quite a lot of surcharges. The excellent news is, you don’t have to point out up two hours forward of time. You gained’t wish to both: a few of the “terminals” are simply small buildings with a number of chairs.
Traveling Belize by Boat
Since Belize is a coastal nation that runs alongside the second-longest barrier reef on the planet, quite a lot of guests find yourself touring to their vacation spot by boat. Sometimes they’re referred to as ferries, water taxis, or shuttle boats, plus there are live-aboard dive boats and transportation to island resorts for kayaking, fishing, or scuba diving. Or you may go Belize island hopping on a yacht.
If you’re on some sort of organized tour, just like the Glover’s Reef Atoll kayaking journey we did with Island Expeditions, they’ll make all of the boat journey preparations for you. The identical goes in case you’re headed to a non-public island resort like Thatch Caye or Ray Caye.
There are industrial boat journeys as nicely the place you purchase a ticket and hop on a often scheduled ferry. These largely ply the routes between Belize City and San Pedro (Ambergris Caye), Belize City and Caye Caulker, and Chetumal (in Mexico) to Ambergris Caye.
The most costly one-way ticket is $77, the longest doable journey between Chetumal and Caye Caulker. The busiest route between Belize City and San Pedro might be between $30 and $40. There are a number of firms working on numerous routes. Try San Pedro Belize Express, Caribbean Sprinter, and Water Jets International.
Frequently Asked Questions About Transportation in Belize
A whole lot of transportation questions come up time and again for vacationers coming to Belize, particularly if it’s their first time. Since we’ve been to Belize 4 instances now and a few of our correspondents much more, we’ve received your solutions right here.
How do you get from Belize City to San Pedro?
San Pedro is the capital of Ambergris Caye, the most well-liked space for vacationers in Belize. It’s not removed from the largest metropolis and airport, however you’ll be able to’t drive there. You have to both fly there on one of many two home airways from the identical airport you landed in or you should take a ferry (usually referred to as a water taxi) from the Belize City port to one of many San Pedro piers. Then on the opposite finish, you are taking a taxi or golf cart to your Ambergris Caye luxurious resort or villa.
This implies that in case you lease a automobile in Mexico and are available down from Chetumal, your automobile goes to wish to sit down within the Belize City port car parking zone till you come. It’s a safe lot, however you’ll need to pay the each day price. If you’re going to lease a automobile in Belize City to get to a different vacation spot within the nation, do it after your Ambergris trip half.
Can you journey to Ambergris Caye from Mexico?
Yes, after being suspended for a few years throughout the pandemic, a ferry (water taxi) is again up and working once more between Chetumal in Mexico and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Check the schedule right here. This saves an enormous period of time and trouble in case you fly into Chetumal on a home Mexican flight after which simply take the boat over. Otherwise, it’s a protracted journey overland in a automobile.
Side word, Chetumal is close to Lake Bacalar, so this feature means that you can go to that stunning blue and inexperienced lagoon earlier than you head to the ocean in Belize. Here’s one of the best place to remain in Bacalar: Casa Hormiga.
Is there Uber in Belize?
Unfortunately, Belize is a type of international locations the place the taxi organizations have managed to fend off ridesharing, so pulling up your cellphone and getting a journey, and even an estimate of prices, just isn’t doable. There’s no Uber or Lyft in Belize, so that you’ll want to rearrange the whole lot journey by journey with a taxi driver or, higher but, organize a shuttle along with your lodge so that you’ve received it arrange upfront and also you’ll have somebody to name if wanted.
Keep in thoughts that in case you’re flying into San Pedro or Placencia, the posh resort we characteristic will often embody a pick-up within the charges. The airport just isn’t far out. For the jungle lodges, they could require an additional price for pick-up, but it surely’ll be price it to go straight to the place you should find yourself.
Can you journey by bus in Belize?
Yes, Belize has a bus system, however frankly it’s horrible. While Mexico has very nice specific buses that really feel like enterprise class on an airplane, the buses in Belize are run-down, outdated, and never very comfy. The terminals are additionally awful or only a spot to face in a car parking zone, so depart this feature for getting round Belize to the backpackers and discover a higher means.
See our detailed critiques of the finest Belize luxurious accommodations and resorts.
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