Because our travel is also a way to share our good tips, here you have our « Practical Information » category. Enjoy !
Today, we take you in Central America to cross the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
There are 2 borders. One in the south – La Mesilla – which will bring you quite fast to Xela (Quetzaltenango), Atitlan lake or Antigua. But you have also the possibility to go through La Ceibo to join Tikal and Peten; the Mayan archeological ruins in the northern Guatemala.
Personnally, we did San Cristobal de Las Casas (Chiapas state) to Atitlan lake straight. As we wished to arrive in one day to Atitlan, we chose a private transportation company.
In November 2017, the transportation from the hotel in San Cristobal (service included) to Panajachel pier (the main place around the lake) costed 350 MEX$. We changed van at the border; border which lasted 1h30 more or less. The car was very confortable, the service fast. We did not regret our choice.
For savings, it is of course possible to take a local bus until the border. In Guatemala, chicken bus is always easy to find. A lot of backpackers also choose that solution. The arrival time in Guatemala is not as determined as with private transfer but for sure nothing to compare for the local life experience.
Additional costs
We read and heard a lot about that. In November 2017 (beginning of the month), we had to pay 500 MEX$ per person to exit Mexico. According to the van driver, this amount is due to people who stayed more than 7 days in Mexico. Nothing appears officially and to be honest with you, the fee did not look legal at all for us but we did not have choice.
In Guatemala, it was the same. We had to pay 2$ per person to enter the territory. No idea if it was legal because no document, no receipt, nothing… but well, hard to not pay.
So here it was our practical information of the day. Very easy but a bit confusing.
We are Ela & David, 2 citizens of the world. In quest of a new way of living, more respectful from the environment and the Humans, we travel slowly to discover new cultures, to look for inspirations and with a wish of sharing. Wants to know more?
