I just go back from a 16-day trip driving around Mexico, Belize and Guatemala with a Mexican rental car. Before I left, I did extensive research to prepare myself, but it was very hard to find information about driving and crossing borders in these countries. Two very good posts from the past were:
and
However, these weren't very current, so I wasn't sure whether the situation changed. Some people who helped me during my planning asked me to post my experiences so that others could learn from them. So here is everything I learned...
We rented from Caribbean Car Rental, but all of the documents say America Car Rental. The company has something like 10 names. It doesn't seem very legit. However, they were one of only two that I found that would allow their cars into Guatemala, so I didn't have much choice. The other was Avant, and there aren't many reviews of them online, so I chose Caribbean. In terms of customer service, everything was fine. The communicated well by email and phone, and they picked us up at the airport and brought us to their office. The affidavit for Belize (which proves that they allow you to cross the border) is free, but it costs 150 USD extra for the affidavit to include Guatemala. They need to have the specific car VIN number on the affidavit, so you can either pay ahead of time so they can have it ready for you, or you can pay on the spot and they can have it ready in 2 or 3 days. If you aren't staying in Cancun, you can pick it up at another office of theirs. I picked up the car on Tuesday afternoon and the affidavit was ready on Thursday evening at their office in Tulum. Make sure the affidavit has the correct VIN.
The car was a different story. I booked a Mini SUV because it had a higher undercarriage, but the gave me a compact (a Dodge Attitude) instead. They offered to switch, but the Attitude had a larger trunk, so we kept that. The car was apparently only 2 years old, but it drove like a 10-year-old car. It pulled to the left, and when we got to Tulum we realized there was a screw in the tire. They fixed it without a problem (I bought their extra tire and window insurance - glad it was worth it).
1) Driving in Mexico
- The road from Cancun to Tulum is quite good. We averaged about 80 km/h. There is a lot of traffic. The road from Tulum south to the border is a two-lane road but is very fast.
- Watch out for dishonest gas attendants – at the station we used in Tulum (right past the big intersection heading toward the beach) the attendant tried the following trick on me: I asked for 400 pesos of gas and had two 200-peso notes ready to pay. He put in 380 pesos worth and told me it was full. I handed him the two 200 pesos notes and in the blink of an eye he had a 200 and 20 in his hand and told me I owed him another 160 pesos. I told him that I knew it was a scam and started to get in my car. He then said that he was just joking and that the 20 pesos were my change.
- Otherwise, no worries driving in Mexico. Watch out for "tores" - speedbumps, which are everywhere. Mostly they are marked, but not always.
2) Crossing the border from Mexico to Belize
As you reach the border, there are two signs pointing to Belize and it is confusing. We took the one going straight, marked “A Belice por Libramiento”. It turned out this was the old border crossing with the entrance to the free zone. The Mexican border guard asked for 300 pesos (or 25 USD) for each person as an exit. I'm not sure if this was the actual departure fee or if he was conning us, but there was no one else around to ask. Much better, I found out later, is the new border crossing, the right exit marked “Subteniente Lopez / Belice”. Take this one instead.
After crossing the border (a small bridge), we stopped and bought Belizean insurance from the Atlantic insurance office. The guy was extremely nice, and even jump-started our car after our battery died while I was in the office. The insurance cost 29 BZ$ per week. Everything went very smoothly. You get a sticker for your windshield. Oh, the guy at the Atlantic office said that they will be moving their office to the new crossing in a month or so, so there probably won’t be an office at the old crossing – another reason to use the new one.
We then drove to the right and after 200 meters or so found the fumigation stand. We were expecting a car wash-type facility, but it was just a shack with a guy with a hose. It cost 5 USD/ 10 BZ$. You need to show the receipt later, so don't lose it.
After the fumigation, you park your car and go through passport control. You take all of your luggage (we left some shoes and small stuff in the trunk and it wasn't a problem) with you. There are porters there to help you if you need it. Pay them a dollar or two per suitcase and they will be happy. After passport control, you take the luggage through customs. All of our suitcases were thoroughly checked. The driver has to get a permit for the vehicle. You don't have to pay anything, but you need an affidavit from the car rental company. Make sure you get the affidavit back as you will need it later if going to Guatemala! You then get a permit that you have to have with you. The driver then goes back to the car and drives across the border. The border guard will check the permit, passport and look in the trunk. He will tell you to buy insurance. If you didn't at Atlantic, there is another office right over the border. The driver picks up the passengers and the luggage and you are finished. Not sure what happens with the luggage if the driver is alone. All in all, the Belizeans are very friendly and easy-going.
3) Driving in Belize
The roads in Belize are in poor shape. The Northern "Highway" is nothing more than a strip of asphalt with no painted lines and lots of speedbumps and potholes. The speed limit is 55 mph, though it isn't marked well. Make sure you have a good map, because there are many signs telling you where you are going. The Western Highway is basically the same. But Belize is small, so you can make good time even on these roads.
Gas is the most expensive in Belize of the three countries (about 11.50 BZ$ a gallon), but the gas station attendants are honest. I couldn't find windshield wiper fluid in any of the three countries. I guess they just use water.
We took two dirt roads with our 2WD Dodge. It was an appropriate car, because the drive is all about dodging rocks, ruts, pot holes, etc. We drove to Calico Jack's and the road was awful. We were surprised that we made it. Then we drove to Black Rock Lodge and it was just as bad. If you can at all afford a 4WD, get one. It is possible to do in a 2WD, but the drive will be very stressful and will take a lot longer.
4) Crossing the border from Belize to Guatemala
We crossed the Western border at the town of Benque Viejo del Carmen. As you get to the border, you will be approached by Belizean licensed money changers. They will all offer the same rate of 7 queztales for 1 USD (or 3.5 queztales for 1 BZ$). The rate is bad, but there are no banks or ATMs on either side of the border, so you have to exchange something. Here is what you will need:
- 160 queztales for the Guatemalan vehicle permit
- 50 queztales for the toll to cross the bridge right on the other side of the border
- 150 per adult if going to straight to Tikal (you can then change in the hotel in the park for a slightly better rate - 7.70 per USD at the Jaguar Inn)
You need to go through Belizean passport control and pay your BZ$ 37.50 per person departure tax (kids under 12 don't have to pay). The passengers go to the car, and the driver needs to go to the other side of the building (where people reenter Belize) and turn in your Belizean permit for the car. Then you get back in the car and drive through the fumigation station (this one does look like a car wash). There is no fee when going into Guatemala. You then park your car and go to Guatemalan immigration. You can leave your luggage in the car, as Guatemala doesn't check like Belize. First you go through the passport line (easy - no fees or complications), then you shift to the customs line to arrange the car. This took ages. You have to fill in a form, pay 160 Q at the window, get an “STP” sticker for your window. You MUST have copies of the rental car contract, the driver's passport and the driver's license, and you have to have the affidavit from the rental car company. Make sure you get the affidavit back, as the Belizeans will want to see it when you return. I forgot, but was able to convince them to let me in. Best to have a copy of this as well in case the Guatemalans don't give it back.
None of the Guatemalan officials spoke English, so if you don't speak Spanish, you will probably need help. There are plenty of money-changers and taxi drivers who will help for a tip - I gave the guy who helped me 30 Q and he was happy. He really helped me navigate the Guatemalan bureaucracy. The official will go with you to your car and check the VIN, then he will affix the sticker on your window. He will give you a permit that you will need to have with you.
You then drive the car through the checkpoint, which is easy because everything has been taken care of. Then you cross the toll bridge and pay 50 Q, and you are in Guatemala. No need to buy insurance for Guatemala, and I didn't see any place where it was possible. I would have preferred to have it for peace of mind, but I relied on the fact that I paid for the rental car with my Citibank Visa card and they say that insurance is covered. We didn't have any problem in Guatemala, so I don't know how reliable the insurance from the credit card company is.
5) Driving in Guatemala
I have seen a lot of comments about how people are scared to drive in Guatemala. I was nervous, but this turned out to be unfounded. The road to Tikal and Flores is great. Better pavement than in Belize and with painted lines! There are a few stretches where they are apparently repairing the road and it is rough dirt (no sign of any work going on), but otherwise a nice road and very clear signs. There are a few potholes and numerous marked and unmarked speed bumps in towns. The speed limit outside of towns wasn't marked - I drove 80 to 90 km/h and that seemed OK. In towns the limits are marked.
The road to Tikal is great, though once you enter the park you are given a slip of the paper with the time which you need to turn in at the end (about 20 km) - this is to make sure that you don't exceed the 45 km/h limit (which is torture, because the road is nice and beckons you to drive a lot faster). We averaged 50 km/h and we were fine. Don't lose this ticket while in the park as you use the same ticket on the way out.
The road to Flores is equally good - well marked and in good condition. We drove right to our hotel in Flores. Driving in Flores is easy. We also drove to Yaxha. The 11 km dirt road is in good shape. We tanked once in Guatemala (in Flores) and gas was around 37 Q a gallon, so cheaper than in Belize by about 50 US cents per gallon. The attendant didn't try any tricks on us.
6) Crossing back into Belize
Make sure to leave yourself enough queztales to pay for the bridge (50 Q). We were expecting to pay 20 Q per person for the Guatemalan departure tax, as is written in Lonely Planet, but no one asked us for any money. First, you show your Guatemalan permit and passport to the guard, and he will let you drive through. Then you park you car and go to the immigration line to get stamped out, then to the customs line. Take your sticker and permit with you and hand it over to the official. That is all - you can leave Guatemala.
You can sell your leftover queztales to the money changers for an even worse rate, then you drive through the fumigation station. Don't forget to stop at the Belizean office and pay the 10 BZ$ fee and get your receipt. If you don't, you will need to go back for it. On the Belizean side, you go through the same process as when you enter from Mexico. We didn't have to open our luggage, though; I think the officials are more laid back at the Western border.
7) The cayes - what to do with your rental car
Our original plan was to spend three days in Caye Caulker, and one of the hardest things to find out was what to do with my Mexican rental car while on CC. I heard that one possibility was to store the car at Edgar's Mini Storage (http://www.edgarsministorage.com), and the owner, Dave Edgar, said that we could store the car for 10 BZ$ a day and that a taxi from their site in Ladyville to the water taxi terminal would cost 30 BZ$ each way. I would also need my own padlock. That sounded good but then Dave went to the US and there would not have been anyone to let us in. At the border with Guatemala, however, we met a representative of San Pedro water taxi and he said that they have an agreement with the Radisson in Belize City that their customers can park in the guarded lot for a fee. That sounded ideal. In the end, however, we decided against going to Caye Caulker, so we drove back to Mexico.
8) Crossing the border back into Mexico
On the way back, we used the new border, and it was very nice and a lot quicker. First we stopped at the Belizean side and paid our exit fee, then I went to customs and returned my temporary permit. I drove the car through the checkpoint, showing my passport, and I picked up my family on the other side. Didn't have to take the suitcases out. On the Mexican side, there was a long line of Mennonites heading to Mexico at the immigration office. A guy who was hanging out by the door said that if we paid $10 each we could cut to the front. But by the time we filled in our new cards, we were at the front of the line. So we paid nothing. They stamped our passports and gave us the immigration cards, and we got back in the car and proceeded to the checkpoint. No one even came up to the car - it is all automated, and something scanned the license plate and then a gate opened like at a toll booth and we drove through. I guess we wouldn't even have had to go to immigration, but we needed the new cards. Because it was a Mexican rental car, I didn't worry about not having any paperwork for the car - not sure whether the gate would open automatically for a Belizean rental car. There was a fumigation station on the right side as we entered Mexico that said “mandatory fumigation”, but since we were already back in Mexico, we saw no reason to stop. We drove all the way back to Tulum, even going through one police checkpoint, and no one asked us if we had been fumigated coming into Mexico.
When we flew out (Cancun to Mexico City, then Mexico City to Paris on Aeromexico), I asked about the departure fee, and the woman said that we don’t have to pay anything. We never even went through customs or passport control – they just took our immigration cards as we were getting on the plane.
All in all, I am very glad that we decided to rent a car. Sometimes it was a bit complicated, but it was very convenient, especially considering I was travelling with my wife, who is claustrophobic and hates buses, and my 10- and 13-year-old kids. I had heard horror stories about tourists getting robbed at gunpoint, awful road conditions, etc. I am pleased to say that we had absolutely no problems driving in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend it to others.
