BootsnAll Travel Community

I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip going overland through Mexico and C. America, ending up on Roatan in Honduras, I have a friend living there. Since I am just starting the planning phase I would love to hear some advice or stories from people who have done this or attempted to. Especially interested in $$$$, how much should I save,I plan on being gone 8-10 months, also the reality of traveling overland....Flying would cost too much, plus it would take away some of the adventure and uncertainty.....Anything would help.....Thanks

Going overland is incredibly easy. There are all types of buses from the wacky Chicken Bus (which is so called because you are crammed in with just over three thousand locals carrying home whatever they just bought which may include live chickents) To air conditioned buses.
I suggest you experience a chicken bus on a short hop first. You may find that you don't enjoy having an armpit in your face for the whole trip and that though this kind of thing is " authentic" it just ain't for you.

"Some Days You Gotta Dance/ Live It Up When You Get The Chance"
--Natalie Maines

pardon me. Just checking something. Doesn't matter. No one seems to be going to CA anymore...

[i] Uh, I think it's this way...[i/]

You don't need any beggining stage of planning, just don't make plans. Gather some info and then just head out the people you meet on the way will end up influencing your direction and next thing ya know all that planning doesn't mean a thing. I recommend some three by five cards of differnt areas you'll end up in with the bare essentials of info on places inthe area to see and things to do. I know it's hard but really you need a guide book. On a trip of this length I would imagine you will spend more then a day or two in most places and you'll surely end up traveling with other people at times and you'll always be getting advice on were to stay and what not. Anyways sorry for getting dso far off topic and to answer your question I can only recommend a site, it's called passplanet.com and it deals with prices in CA. As far as my experience leads I'd say you can spend $50 bucks one week and then $250 the next it all depends on what you want to do and how you choose to live. Say you string up a hammock on the beach and cook your own food for dinner have some fruit for breakfast and some veggies and bread for lunch, you read books, hike, swim in the ocean and lounge in the shade all day then yeah $50 would be plenty, but that's not everyweek, oh Honduras has the cheapest scuba certifaction inthe world, lotsa people go there strictly for that purpose, I think it's like $350 for a week and that include accomidation. It's something like that, worth checking into anyways. I think if you had $1000 a month you could live it up, I think you could scrape by with $300. So somewhere in between should suit your comfort level. Cao~T

I meant to say don't need a guide book

but that's jsut me, I'm sure others will disagree

Travis is right. You don't need a guide book. You just have to be willing to ask the right questions and fail once or twice. Travelling over land is a snap through CA and most people do it this way. There are so many busses that it ain't even remotely humourous. This is the world of busses baby! Just keep in mind that you have some options. CHicken bus or Air-con. Try one or the other!!!

--Uh. I think it's this way...--

I can only speak to Honduras, but here is my experience:

Basic food, less than a dollar a meal (more like 12 cents for breakfast.)

A really good meal, less than $5.

If you make it to the north coast of Honduras, you can stay at the Marazul in Tela for $3 a night. There is a crazy duck that will try to attack you. It's only about a block from the beach.

Elsewhere in Hondoland, accomodations run $3-6 a night (for cheapo hostels).

For a taste of local culture, stop by San Francisco de Soroguara, ask for Dona Marta, and tell her Jessica sent you!

Good luck, I envy you,
Jessie

"Whenever I have to choose between two evils, I always like to choose the one I haven't tried before." --Mae West, I believe