Bus Travel

Belize has frequent and inexpensive bus service on the Northern and Western highways, and, also reasonable service to southern Belize via the Hummingbird, Manatee, and Southern highways. Elsewhere, bus service is spotty. There's no municipal bus service in Belize City, although several of Belize's franchised bus companies have terminals in Belize City. In late 2005 the largest bus company in Belize, Novelo's, shut down due to financial problems, and smaller regional companies struggled to take up the slack.

Belize Companies

Novelo's (W. Collet Canal, Belize City. 227/2025). Southern Transport (3 Havana St., Dangriga. 522/2160).

Classes

Expect to ride on old U.S. school buses or retired North American Greyhound buses. On some routes of Belize, there are a few express buses with air-conditioning and other comforts. These cost a few dollars more.

Fares & Schedules

Belizean buses are cheap (about BZ$2-BZ$20 for intertown trips). On average, it works out to around US$2 an hour to ride buses in Belize.

In Belize, most buses on main routes run according to more-or-less reliable schedules, although the closing of a large line, Novelo's, in 2005, has meant schedule changes and less frequency on some routes; on lesser-traveled routes the schedules may not mean much. The Belize Tourist Board sometimes has bus schedules for popular routes.

Paying

Buses accept only cash in U.S. or Belize dollars.

The main terminals in Belize City and some towns have ticket windows where you pay in advance and get a reserved seat. If you board at other points, you pay the driver's assistant and take any available seat.

Reservations

Advance-purchase bus tickets and reservations are usually not needed or expected in Belize, even for Pullman departures. Arrive at bus terminals about a half hour before your departure. Reservations are generally required for shuttle service.

Shuttle Travel

Belize has some shuttle service, primarily between Belize City and San Ignacio. San Ignacio Shuttle charges BZ$60 per person from the international or municipal airports in Belize City to San Ignacio. The Aguada Hotel in San Ignacio is one of several Cayo hotels that offers van service to and from Belize City, at BZ$70 per person.

Companies

Aguada Hotel (501/804-3609). San Ignacio Shuttle (501/823-2265. www.sanignacioshuttle.com).