Last Night in Antigua or Guat City?

Is it possible to catch a taxi at 0400 from Antigua to make a 0724 flight out of GUA assuming an hour for travel?

Or would it be better to stay the last night in Zona 10?

Thanks!

It's possible. You can book a private transfer to the airport for $25USD at most of the zillion travel agents in Antigua. The first shuttle of the day also leaves at 4am, but you never know how long they are going to spend driving around Antigua picking people up.

Take a shuttle for $10--no problem. They are going in anyway to pick up people coming in on the red eye specials that land at 4:45.

I've done both and spending the night before in Antigua is much more pleasant.

Another vote for the shuttle. So what if it leaves a little late, you have 3 1/2 hours to waste. But do use a reliable company, not someone like Ruta Maya, and have someone to phone if the shuttle doesn't show. Worse comes to worse, you can take the 5am shuttle and still get there in plenty of time to catch your flight. That is if there still is a 5am shuttle.

Buen viaje!

If you are most comfortable mostly among fellow tourists, and would do nothing more than arrive in time to sleep in Guate, by all means just stay in Antigua and get up earlier the next morning. I have taken both approaches too, but cannot now imagine spending my last even couple of days in Antigua. During my last two visits to Guatemala I have not even gone there at all.

I'll second Mayaphile. When I am catching a plane home I much prefer a short cab ride to the airport from the zona viva to a sit-and-wait hour-long shuttle with ten other anxious passengers.

But spending the night in Guate involves an hour-long shuttle, taxi or bus ride to get there the day before. So what time has one saved? That also involves packing up and unpacking two additional times. All in all, I figure I have about 2 hours more life to enjoy by spending the night in Antigua, and a much nicer place in which to enjoy it. Now if one is talking about spending a few days in Guate that's a whole different matter.

Buen viaje!

My piece of advice would be to stay in Guatemala City, there are so many things to do there, excellent restaurants, cafes and shops. It would be a 10 minutes ride from the airport. I would stay in zona viva (Xamanec hostal or biltmore hotel), I would arrive early afternoon, check in, go around zona viva, walk around and have a coffee at sophos (for example), have dinner at Hacienda Real, or Tre Fratelli, go for drinks at Allan Poe or another of the bars in Paseo Plaza Business Center and go back to the hotel sleep until there is 2 hours to get the plane.

I've done both and prefer to say in GC but then I really like GC almost as much as Antigua and I walk around Zona 10 and Zona 9 at night and have never felt the least bit uncomfortable in any of the half dozen times I've been there. Depending on budget there's some nice small hotels in and around Zona 10 - Otelito Santa Clara is my favorite, Ciudada Vieja is also decent and there's some budget places as well.

Go to Hooters for some wings and beer!!!

Cheers,
Andrew

Hooters, eh? A person could also have a beer, maybe even a Budweiser, at Applebee's if that is what a person wants, but with so many places to choose from in la Zona Viva, why settle for a chain?