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Does anyone know a good website with info about busus in Guatemala? im trying to travel round more by myself than with organised tours, and my Rough Guide book is a few years out of date. The bits im most interested in are: Is there a bus from Coban to Flores, and when particular buses go from Xela to Guatemala city, or guatemala city to Copan for example. I dont want to get to a town and then find a bus out of there doesnt exist! Any information is very welcome!

King Quality, Ticabus, there are others. You can look from here, or easily find the stuff on the ground readily available

Here is a site that should help you a good deal: Guatemala Buses

At one time there was a more comprehensive site, but the individual bus companies do not do a very good job of keeping their individual sites current, so I guess the person who kept the site gave up.

I don't know if you are here right now or not, but I would suggest that you not take any chicken buses into Guatemala City until all of the murders of bus drivers and their helpers have been stopped for several months.

Oh my. You want schedules? Thats a tough call. The schedules change, sometimes the companies change hours.

In Antigua there used to be a very useful self published guide to the buses in Guatemala called

A guide to buses in Guatemala, or something like that, in English.

Its written and hopefully updated by an expat who needs some extra pin money.

It was of great help to me.

There are generally busses from anywhere to anywhere once you master the four major connection points.

1. Guat city. Sometimes you have to return to GUat city to get a bus to another part of the country. Ask your hostel people, or inquire at the bus stations when you arrive.

2. Huhuegtenango. Sometiems you have to change here, or at a dusty road area which appears empty until connecting chicken buses pull in. There is also a town bus station where you go to Todos santos and other areas. Huehe isn0t much of a town. more of an in and out situation.

a few others, including Quetzaltenago and Antiqua. Antiqua is a pretty major place, actually, because enough tourists there merit services to other areas like Pana and Quetzaltenango direct. I recommend them. Also, there are good tourist information places there, unlike Guat city.

Buses are always an issue in Guatemala. Thing is, the bus stations are in fact large parking lots, and repairs on the buses are done onsite. They inhabit areas in assigned bus stations, or in the case of antigua and guat city, occupy areas and blocks of the city.

One gets there as early as possible, and then takes a cab to the bus to that given area you want, especially in Guat city. You find out the times, and hope you're not too late. There are few night buses, so most long distance buses leave earlier in the day. Its often best to go to antigua for the night, then take the day bus to Guat city for advance scouting, IF you can't find the bus book, which used to be in many places in Antigua. It used to be yellow, and the size of a hand, a handy travel size.

I hope this helps.

T.T.is right, there was an invaluable Guatemala Bus guide, but I haven't seen one for sale in several years. The schedules change so frequently that I suppose the writer just gave up trying to keep it up to date.

Most people in Guatemala are too poor to be able to afford a car, so there is an extremely well developed bus system for the entire country. It would be almost impossible to find a town that does not have several buses leaving for other locations. Just take T.T.'s advice and ask a local how to get to your next destination.

Thanks guys, I am indeed in Antigua at the moment, and havent seen any handy yellow guides to buses lying around, so guess im gonna have to play it by ear (while avoiding the chicken buses out of Guatemala city I think!) Thanks for all the help xx

About the website "guatemala buses" that juan3 gave, we saw theres a shuttle from the airport to La Antigua (i guess it's the same as Antigua). Does this shuttle goes straight from the airport to Antigua? does anybody know from aprox. what time to what time this shuttle is going? (i couldn't find it on the website)
It would be great news, like that we wont have to go into guatemala city!

Buses in Guatemala! hahaha.

Tortuga Traveller and Juan3 gave some good advice.

I researched quite a bit before I went and found just about all online resources wrong. Things change quickly and the bus fleet is so old that they break down often making very little super reliable.

You best bet to coordinate bus rides after you arrive. Asking around when you arrive will be your best bet. That and staying flexible. Tight schedules are not a very good idea in central America.

Cheers.

There are shuttles to Antigua (La Antigua) in front of the airport when almost every international flight arrives. If you don't see a booth for shuttles before you leave the airport itself, when you get outside just go up to any 6-12 passenger van and ask for Antigua. They will either say yes or point to one that will take you.

There are also always taxis out front, and if you share one the price is also reasonable.