Honduras

Getting around

Boat

In La Moskitia, boats are the local transport of choice, as there are few roads and fewer bridges. On Roatán, water taxis are the best way to get from West End to West Bay, and around the town of Oakridge. Lanchas (motorboats) are also used to ferry passengers to and from Isla El Tigre, in southern Honduras.

Motorboat

In La Moskitia, almost all transportation is along the waterways, including the long ride up to Las Marías where a number of popular outings begin. You will also take motorized canoes from town to town in La Moskitia, and across one or more of the region’s huge lagoons.

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Car & motorcycle

Rental

Rental cars are available in all the major cities and on Roatán. Prices start at around US$30 per day for an economy car and US$50 for midsize cars or larger ones. Remember that renting at the airport typically costs 10% to 15% more than in town simply because of airport taxes. Rental agencies include the following.

Advance Rent A Car (in La Ceiba 441 1105, in San Pedro Sula 552 2295, in Tegucigalpa 235 9531; www.advancerentacar.com)

Arena Rent a Car (in Roatán 445 1882; arenacarrental@yahoo.com)

Avis (in Roatán 445 0122, in San Pedro Sula 553 0888, in Tegucigalpa 239 5712; www.avis.com)

Budget (in Tegucigalpa 235 9528; www.budget.com)

Caribbean Rent a Car (in Roatán 455 6950; www.caribeanroatan.com)

Econo Rent-a-Car (in Tegucigalpa 235 8582; www.econorentacar.net)

Hertz (in San Pedro Sula 668 3156, in Tegucigalpa 238 3772; www.hertz.com)

Molinari Rent A Car (in La Ceiba 443 0055, in San Pedro Sula 553 2639, in Tegucigalpa 237 5335; molinarirentacar@yahoo.com)

National/Alamo (in Tegucigalpa 220 5000 ext 7814; national.hond@multivisionhn.net)

Insurance

Insurance is required on vehicles in Honduras; if you’re renting, it will be included in the rate. A few companies – like Advance Rent a Car (www.advancerentacar.com), with offices in all the large cities – will allow you to waive the collision damage insurance if you have coverage through your Visa or MasterCard. This can save you US$10 per day or more. If you think you might rent a car in Honduras, take the time before you arrive to familiarize yourself with the terms of your credit card coverage. Be sure to ask if the insurance covers dirt roads and pickup trucks.

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Bus & tram

Bus

Buses are an easy and cheap way to get around in Honduras. Service usually starts very early in the morning – at 3am or 4am on some routes – but may end by early evening, or even late afternoon. Buses between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula run later. Microbuses or rapiditos are smaller minivan-type buses that cover some routes, and tend to go faster and leave more frequently than regular buses.

Costs

Buses are very affordable. Directo fares include: US $6 for Tegucigalpa–San Pedro Sula (4½ hours); US$4.80 to US$5.50 for San Pedro Sula–Copán Ruínas (three hours), US$2.50 for La Ceiba–Tela (1½ hours).

Bus

It is highly recommended that travelers do not use city buses, especially in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. Not only is pick-pocketing and petty theft common, but public buses are occasionally targeted by area gangs for what amounts to a ‘toll’ for passing through certain neighborhoods. With taxi fares so low (and colectivo taxi fares even lower) buses just aren’t work the risk.

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Travel documents

Reservations

Reservations aren’t usually necessary and are rarely taken, even on ejecutivo buses. For travel during Semana Santa (the week preceding Easter), however, you should buy your ticket a day or two in advance, which assures you a spot and saves you the time and hassle of waiting in line in a jam-packed bus terminal.

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Local transport

Taxi

Taxis don’t have meters in Honduras, but in most towns there is a fixed one-ride fare, usually from US$0.50 to US$1 per person. You can expect longer journeys in a major city to cost around US$4. In many cities, colectivos (shared taxis) ply a number of prescribed routes, costing around US$0.50 per passenger. In all cases, confirm the price of the ride before you get into the cab. If it seems exorbitant, negotiate or simply wait for another cab.

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Water

Ferry

Two comfortable air-conditioned passenger ferries, the MV Galaxy II and the Utila Princess, serve Roatán (US$16, one hour) and Utila (US$22, one hour) respectively. There is no service between the two islands – you have to go via La Ceiba. There is no scheduled service to or from Guanaja.

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Air

Domestic flights are surprisingly affordable, and flying can be a good way to save some time if your schedule is tight. Of the airlines listed in the previous section, Sosa, Atlantic, Isleña and SAMI offer domestic services.

There are three or more daily flights to Roatán, fewer to Utila and Guanaja; most originate in San Pedro with a stop in La Ceiba.

You can also fly to La Moskitia, and within the region once you get there. All flights go through La Ceiba; when we passed through, Sosa had daily flights to Puerto Lempira and three flights weekly to Brus Laguna. Atlantic also has daily departures to Puerto Lempira, but is less reliable.

SAMI is a private operation with just one pilot and a couple of tiny planes. Service is semiregular at best – don’t plan any tight schedules around SAMI flights. Still, it is a convenient and affordable way to get around the vast Moskitia region; stops include Palacios, Brus Laguna, Ahuas, Wampusirpi and Puerto Lempira.

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Bicycle

Mountain biking around Honduras is not common, which is not to say it wouldn’t be a great adventure, although there are plenty of lightly trafficked dirt roads through beautiful terrain. Some of the highways in Olancho are known for roadside robberies – thieves may not know what to think of a cyclist, but better to play it safe and avoid those areas. Try Ruta Lenca and parts of the north coast, instead.

Rental

Bike rental is still uncommon in Honduras. There are rental outfits in Tela, and mountain-biking tours and rentals in La Ceiba. A few hotels also offer bicycles for guest use. Expect to pay US$10 to US$20 per day.

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