Car Rental for Cayo area, possibly Tikal

We're trying to decide whether or not to rent a car for our time in western Belize and appreciate your thoughts.

We'll be in the Cayo area for 5 days, including 1 night & 1 day in Flores/Tikal, and are willing to spend a bit extra for the freedom of having a car, but not if it adds significant costs.

I've read posts that say renting a car pays for itself when you consider the accumulated costs otherwise paid for buses/taxis/tours/etc. Conversely, other posts claim car rental is much more expensive than utilizing other forms of transportation. What are your opnions? Is it difficult/expensive to travel within Cayo area without a car?

I'm assuming having a car won't save money on tours to ATM and the like, but is it possible to provide our own transportation and save money on excursions such as Barton Creek tubing?

Also, I understand a 4x4/high clearance isn't necessary on the Western Highway but will we need it for short side excursions or the drive to Tikal if traveling in late August?

If we do rent a car, should we take it in to Guatemala or just use a bus?

Thanks for any help.

You don't need a 4WD on the paved Western Highway or to go to Tikal (though the first 10 miles or so from the Belize border are still unpaved). However, most rentals in Belize are 4WD, and you may need 4WD for some tertiary roads.

I believe both Cayo Rentals and Safe Rentals in San Ignacio still allow their vehicles to be taken into Guatemala, as does Crystal in Belize City, but you will have to go uninsured, as there is no place to buy insurance at the border.

With car rental rates at US$70 to $100 a day in Cayo, plus 10% tax and probably $15 CDW, plus gas at US$4+ in Belize, it's unlikely you'll save any money renting a car. It's more of a matter of whether you like the independence of a car, as I do, and you will offset some of the rental costs with savings on tours.

You can use buses on the Western Highway and taxis around San Ignacio, and a minivan or taxi to Tikal (or a tour from San Ignacio), but there are no buses into the Mountain Pine Ridge, and a taxi to places like Barton Creek or the Pine Ridge would be expensive. You'll have to go on tours, and they're going to be expensive -- no way around it.

--Lan Sluder
http://www.belizefirst.com

I prefer having a car. You should go online and see if you can book something at the places Lan mentioned. I never pay that much but I pre book online with Budget at the airport and they don't go to Guatemala. I always get a 4x4 for the roads off of the highway as they are mostly bad. You will save money on the tours as you can drive yourself there. Tubing and the such should be cheaper if you get there yourself. They will still let you go if you aren't on a tour. I did this at Jaguar Paw with no problem. Check with your car insurance carrier in the states. If you have a decent policy, most of them insure you in foriegn countries. I here traveling to Caracol these days is a bit tricky and they say you should drive in a convoy. You may want to ask about this on this site.

You definitely need a 4WD and good insurance. I was just there two weeks ago and the roads are horrendous. You'll be on gravel and dirt more than you are on a paved highway and it's not uncommon for a few months of the year to be driving through streams if there's been some rain. You might want to check into hiring a car and driver in San Ignacio. My guess is it would work out cheaper in the end, but I paid for (expensive) one-way shuttles, so I don't know for sure.