Driving around Yucatan, Chiapas and to Tikal (Guatemala) - risky ?

It may be difficult to find a rental car company that will let you rent in Mexico and enter Guatemala around the Palenque area. Are you planning a round trip or a one way with a drop off fee that can be as much or more then the rental fee it self...I have not heard of bad " recent events" in that area of the Yucatan...You could leave your rental in Chetumal and take a tour bus through Belize and on to Tikal for a day or two.......In the Yucatan I would not miss Calakmul, Balam Ku, Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam not necessarily in that order.. Here is a good site for different ruins in the area..
http://mundomaya.travel/arqueologia/paises

From a safety perspective, such a trip should be totally fine. I don't know what the logistics of doing it with a rental car would be--you would need to check with individual rental companies.

It is indeed possible and quite straightforward to drive across the border between Palenque and Tikal. The crossing is called El Ceibo, near Tenosique on the Mexican side and Naranjo Frontera (or El Naranjo) on the Peten side. It's an easy crossing; my only safety advice is to cross early in the day to avoid being on the stretch of highway on the Guate side after dark.

If the logistics of the border crossing are too complex with a rental car, bajadude is right: there are wonderful ruins to visit along the Escarcega-Chetumal highway. You could easily substitute Calakmul for Tikal--the two were the capitals of rival kingdoms, and are similar in scale, grandeur, and setting.

If you are able to take the rental car across the border, aslukas is correct. The El Ceibo crossing is easy. You can leave Palenque in the morning, cross the border, drive to Flores and be in Tikal by mid-afternoon. We have driven the route several times in our truck and pop-up camper. If you make it to Tikal, spend an extra day and go to Yaxha, just an hour or two away, toward the Belize border. Get there early, walk slowly. You might be the only tourists there. The bird sounds and sightings are amazing and the spider and howler monkeys are a common sight. We camp down by the lake and are in the ruins for the sun-up every day. My favorite place.

If you choose to consider traveling by first class bus, generally considered safe and comfortable, here is the website to check prices and schedules for routes in Mexico: www.ado.com.mx

Unfortunately, no car rental agency will allow you to take their car across an international border (Mexico/Belize/Guatemala).

Another poster with mis information, if you go to the American Car Rental web site you scroll down the page to Border Crossings this line appears:
America Car Rental offers the authorization to cross the South border of Mexico to the countries of Belize and Guatemala. Only if the next indications are followed:

Another car rental agency that allows their cars into Belize and Guatemala is AVANT.......
:

Great - good luck!

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