SJO COSTA RICA TO ROATON

Take a Tica bus (http://www.ticabus.com/ing_rutas_horarios_nica.html) from Costa Rica to the Tica bus station in Managua, Nicaragua. Best to travel as little as possible in Managua. Not the place to argue over cab fare. You can stay in a clean safe room at the Tica bus station for cheap, rooms start at $11 plus tax per person. When you arrive buy your ticket for the next days trip to San Pedro Sula. Leaves early, about 5. Will arrive in SPS later than scheduled due to work on highway. Stay the night is SPS. Many different shuttles, buses etc to La Ceiba. Unlike the rest of CA, SPS has a modern new bus terminal which services all bus lines. If you stay the night in La Ceiba, be careful. Heard some crazy stories from other travelers.

Man that's a long road trip, especially round trip. I would fly. Is Roatan your main destination or CR and yes Lac Ceiba is a piece a crap.

Managua is the place to argue over cab fare. Before you get in. Taxi fare is all over the map and you are going to be grossly overcharged unless you take the time to shop around and bargain a little bit.

We did the trip a little over a year ago and well, it's long... I definitely wouldn't want to do it both ways. We did it a little different than grilledspicytuna recommends though.... we did the first half on Ticabus but only went as far as Tegucigalpa with them, from there we grabbed a taxi to the other bus station (each company has their own - and the taxi drivers will know where to go, but negotiate $$ before getting in) and took the next bus to La Ceiba. We spent the night in La Ceiba and were able to catch the 9am ferry to Roatan.

This route is about 3 hours shorter than going all the way to San Pedro Sula (although the ticabus is much more comfortable) and allows you to catch the morning ferry instead of the afternoon ferry.

Basically it would look like this:

Part 1:
Costa Rica - Managua (Stay overnight) - Tegucigalpa (all Ticabus)

Part 2:
Option 1:+ Tegucigalpa - San Pedro Sula (Stay overnight) - La Ceiba = 10hrs and afternoon ferry (Tica Local)
Option 2: Tegucigalpa - La Ceiba (Stay overnight) = 7hrs and morning ferry (Local bus only)

(If you go with option 1, definitely confirm the times as the Tica site doesn't really make sense, as it says you arrive in Tegucigalpa at 1, but yet the bus for San Pedro leaves at noon... this might be something to check, as it could mean an extra night in Tegus which would not be ideal, and then you'd definitely want option 2).

You can read about the trip for us on our blog: http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/15/from-tamarindo-costa-rica-to-roatan-honduras/</a>

For you Hermosajoe saying that La Ceiba is a piece of crap, you better watch your mouth. Its easy to badmouth a place when you think that the people are beneath you, you must be an American for sure or you were here looking for drugs and cheap prostitutes.

Compared to San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, San Jose Costa Rica, Managua, La Ceiba is paradise, and I will take the Pepsi challenge with anyone.
So watch what you say about our home or else.

Edited by: barillasproductions

Well, you got me, every town you mention is a bigger piece of crap than La Ceiba. Managua topping the list, you forgot about Guat. City. You need to set the bar a bit higher. You bet, that's why I traveled to your town, drugs, nothing more fun than dealing with local punk gangs and I only went for the most expensive hookers in La Ceiba. Pepsi challenge? Or else? Put em up, put em up!