Getting round Belize is seldom a protracted and drawn-out course of. This isn’t some super-long nation like Argentina or Chile the place you might drive for 20 hours and solely be partway to your vacation spot. It is a small nation, with most islands not very far offshore, so touring round Belize will normally take you a number of hours at most. Home flights are normally 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 principle Hummingbird Freeway going north to south is kind of nice, with fairly views a lot of the best way.
Whenever you trip in Belize, you’re touring across the latest nation within the Americas: it gained its independence in 1981. Right here’s our Belize transportation information to getting round.
Getting Round in Belize by Automotive
In case you’re staying on the mainland of Belize, the best possibility is to journey by rental automotive. You possibly can hire a automotive if you land on the Belize Metropolis airport and many of the regular manufacturers have franchises right here, corresponding to Alamo, Hertz, and Avis. Your property driver’s license is normally advantageous right here in the event you’re coming from the USA or Canada, however it wouldn’t harm to apply for a world driving allow simply in case since you should use it later for different nations too. That is particularly necessary in the event you’re from a rustic the place your license is just not in English–the official language of Belize.
Verify rental automotive charges on Kayak right here.
Naturally you’ll have to have insurance coverage, each collision that’s normally included together with your bank card, and legal responsibility which is normally not. It could be included within the rental fee, 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 obtainable steadiness as they’ll put a maintain on it that’s larger than the rental value.
You possibly can truly drive throughout the border from Mexico to Belize if you hire a automotive in Chetumal in the event you convey 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 alternative however to just accept. They make you purchase insurance coverage for Belize from them, very overpriced insurance coverage, then if you get to Belize they let you know it’s not legitimate there and also you then have to purchase (rather more cheap) insurance coverage on the border that truly works in Belize.
Hopefully by the point you learn this there’s a extra trustworthy rental company in Chetumal that may allow you to drive their automotive in Belize, so perform a little analysis and see. In any other case, you’re higher off going to Ambergris Caye and finally Belize Metropolis by boat, then renting a automotive there. On the finish you might fly house or fly some place else in Mexico as a substitute of returning to Chetumal.
Driving is on the fitting facet of the street, pretty easy, 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 handbook transmission automotive will normally be simpler to seek out and rather less per day than an computerized one.
You might need to skip getting behind the wheel altogether although, particularly in the event you’re solely visiting one jungle lodge or coastal resort. Simply organize the transfers if you make your reserving. You too can leap on excursions that head out on journey excursions or go to Maya historic websites.
Getting Round Belize by Air
Regardless of being a small nation, Belize has a sturdy 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 all around 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 closing vacation spot. It’ll drop off a number of folks, decide up a number of, and also you’re in your manner.
I’ve flown on each airways a number of occasions and there’s not a complete lot of distinction within the consolation or service, so examine each websites to see which one coincides higher together with your timetable. If there’s stormy climate, there could possibly be delays, so don’t reduce it too shut in the event you’re vacationing within the wetter months of summer season.
In case you’re going to take a number of of those flights, it’s greatest to not overpack. These are small planes with someplace between 8 and 24 seats normally, so in the event you include three large 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 received’t need to both: a number of the “terminals” are simply small buildings with a number of chairs.
Touring 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. Typically they’re known 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 might go Belize island hopping on a yacht.
In case you’re on some form 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 the event you’re headed to a personal island resort like Thatch Caye or Ray Caye.
There are industrial boat journeys as effectively the place you purchase a ticket and hop on a recurrently scheduled ferry. These principally ply the routes between Belize Metropolis and San Pedro (Ambergris Caye), Belize Metropolis and Caye Caulker, and Chetumal (in Mexico) to Ambergris Caye.
The most costly one-way ticket is $77, the longest attainable journey between Chetumal and Caye Caulker. The busiest route between Belize Metropolis and San Pedro shall be between $30 and $40. There are a number of corporations working on numerous routes. Strive San Pedro Belize Specific, Caribbean Sprinter, and Water Jets Worldwide.
Continuously Requested Questions About Transportation in Belize
Numerous 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 occasions now and a few of our correspondents much more, we’ve acquired your solutions right here.
How do you get from Belize Metropolis to San Pedro?
San Pedro is the capital of Ambergris Caye, the preferred space for vacationers in Belize. It’s not removed from the largest metropolis and airport, however you possibly can’t drive there. That you must both fly there on one of many two home airways from the identical airport you landed in or it’s essential to take a ferry (typically known as a water taxi) from the Belize Metropolis port to one of many San Pedro piers. Then on the opposite finish, you’re taking a taxi or golf cart to your Ambergris Caye luxurious resort or villa.
Which means in the event you hire a automotive in Mexico and are available down from Chetumal, your automotive goes to wish to sit down within the Belize Metropolis port car parking zone till you come back. It’s a safe lot, however you’ll need to pay the every day payment. In case you’re going to hire a automotive in Belize Metropolis to get to a different vacation spot within the nation, do it after your Ambergris trip half.
Are you able to journey to Ambergris Caye from Mexico?
Sure, after being suspended for a few years throughout the pandemic, a ferry (water taxi) is again up and operating once more between Chetumal in Mexico and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Verify the schedule right here. This protects an enormous period of time and trouble in the event you fly into Chetumal on a home Mexican flight after which simply take the boat over. In any other case, it’s a protracted journey overland in a car.
Aspect be aware, Chetumal is close to Lake Bacalar, so this selection permits you to go to that lovely blue and inexperienced lagoon earlier than you head to the ocean in Belize. Right here’s the perfect place to remain in Bacalar: Casa Hormiga.
Is there Uber in Belize?
Sadly, Belize is a type of international locations the place the taxi organizations have managed to fend off ridesharing, so pulling up your telephone and getting a experience, and even an estimate of prices, is just not attainable. There’s no Uber or Lyft in Belize, so that you’ll want to rearrange the whole lot experience by experience with a taxi driver or, higher but, organize a shuttle together with your resort so that you’ve acquired it arrange upfront and also you’ll have somebody to name if wanted.
Take into account that in the event you’re flying into San Pedro or Placencia, the posh resort we characteristic will normally embody a pick-up within the charges. The airport is just not far out. For the jungle lodges, they might require an additional payment for pick-up, however it’ll be price it to go straight to the place it’s essential to find yourself.
Are you able to journey by bus in Belize?
Sure, Belize has a bus system, however frankly it’s horrible. Whereas Mexico has very nice specific buses that really feel like enterprise class on an airplane, the buses in Belize are run-down, previous, and never very snug. The terminals are additionally awful or only a spot to face in a car parking zone, so depart this selection for getting round Belize to the backpackers and discover a higher manner.
See our detailed opinions of the greatest Belize luxurious lodges and resorts.
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