BootsnAll Travel Community

We would like to have some information about crossing borders from:

Sabanetas,El salvador to honduras?
Then from Copan,honduras to guatemala?
and from el naranjo,guatemala to la palmas,mexico?

Where can we find a good map of guatemala in antigua? just a little one but with enough details to travel? (the lonely planet ones suck...)

ok, we allready figured out about el salvador to honduras...

To get the map of Guatemala that you want in Antigua, go to the tourist bureau. It is on 4th Calle, about 1 block east of the central park. If they don't have what you want, they should certainly be able to tell you where to look.

They speak great English, so even if your Spanish isn't too good, you won't have any problem.

Ok.I don't know about El Naranjo to Mexico. I usually went through the other, to Comitan.

Copan is a stones throw from Guatemala, and is a days travel at most from the Guatemalan border. Its a very easy border crossing.

Just make sure you have your Guatemalan Travel Papers,and make sure you get them at the border. No one reminds you to go to another booth sometimes. If you don't have them, you can't leave, or face a massive fine.

Make sure you get your travel Papers in Mexico as well!! You'll need them since you'll arrive in the South, and there are always checks.

what are these travel papers like?

we only have a stamp in our passport that we enterred guatemala and 90 days before we have to leave...

They may have changed things, but they used to give you a paper to go inside your passport. its been a while, I know mexico required one. eeks, have I confused mexico with guatemala? Anyway, don't overstay your welcome in Guatemala. Theres a fine attached to that.

will check...

Ok...with luck you won't need anything but a stamp....

if your papers are in order, you can survive any encounter with officials or police at checkpoints. They're not looking to make trouble for you, they just want to follow orders.

Things were quite streamlined, the last year. Guat, Honduras, El Sal and Nic have adopted a somewhat open border policy. It is much easier to pass to and fro, I found. The downside, for those who count them, is that the border stamps are gone. One stamp for four countries.

El Naranjo - getting to El naranjo from Peten is a bit of a pain in the butt - its at least a 5 hour journey from Santa Elena/Flores (youll get the best price from Santa Elena bus station, but have to change etc). last year the road was still trashed, but i hear there are plans to re-do it - so double check that. It would shave hours of the journey if it was done.

Mexico side there is no problems. nice and easy.

El salv to Honduras - I went from san miguel - perquin and into honduras (i think thats your route, no?) and it was easy enough on the El Salvador side. From perquin you get a bus that actually drives right through into honduras and up to Marcala (a guard comes on and checks your visa/passports etc). Incidentally, we didnt have any visas etc and he just looked at the passport (he seemed a bit bemused as i dont think its the busiest of gringo crossings) and that was it. no stamp, nothing.

At marcala you have to change busses. we were heading up santa rosa de copan way but coulnt get any further that day. we stopped overnight and headed off a couple of days later since the bus didnt run the following day due to flooding.

It took us a few more days than expected as we found some cool little places on the way and stopped off a few times too. be aware though that there are no ATMs on the way and its real tough to get cash out if you get stranded. Take a few more dollars with you than you normally would before you cross incase you do get stranded. I wrote an article on it a while back - google 'traveling the lenca trail' if you want to read it for more info.

hope that helps