Airplane: the Guatemalan national airline, Aviateca, is part of the regional Grupo TACA (together with El Salvador’s TACA, Costa Rica’s Lacsa and Nicaragua’s Nica). The US Federal Aviation Administration only gave the civil aviation authorities of Guatemala and El Salvador category 2, which means that they do not meet international aviation safety standards.
Flights from Germany, Switzerland and Austria are offered by Lufthansa, Swiss International Austrian Airlines in cooperation with the airlines Mexicana, Aeromexico, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Iberia and American Airlines. Iberia is the only airline that flies direct to Guatemala from Europe (but with a stopover in Miami).
Other airlines that offer flights to Guatemala include American Airlines, Aviateca, Continental Airlines, Copa Airlines, Cubana, Delta Air Lines, Inter, Lacsa, Maya Island Air, Mexicana, TACA, Tropic Air, United Airlines.
Grupo TACA flies between Guatemala and San Salvador, Tegucigalpa (Honduras), Mexico City, Managua (Nicaragua) and San José (Costa Rica). Copa flies to Panama City and San José. United Airlines also flies between San José and Guatemala City. Cubana flies twice a week between Havana and Guatemala.
Mexicana flies daily between Mexico City and Guatemala City. Inter (part of Grupo TACA) flies between Guatemala City, Flores and Cancun.
Lacsa (with a change in San José, Costa Rica) and COPA (with a change in Panama City) fly between Guatemala City and Bogota (Colombia), Caracas (Venezuela), Quito (Ecuador) and Lima (Peru).
From the USA there are direct flights to Guatemala City from Atlanta (Delta), Dallas (American Airlines) Houston (Continental), Los Angeles (United and Grupo TACA), Miami (American Airlines, Grupo TACA and Iberia) and New York (American Airlines) and Grupo TACA).
Airports: Guatemala City Aeropuerto La Aurora (GUA) is the main international airport in the country. It is located 6 km south of the city. buses and taxis run from the airport to the city center. There are several car rental companies at the airport, including Hertz, Tabarini, Nesa, San Juan Travel and Payless.
The airport in Flores (FRS) receives only a few international flights from Mexico and Belize (including Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly daily between here and Belize City).
Ship: Autotransportes Río Chancalá and Transportes Montebello drive on the Rio Usumacinta between Palenque in Mexico to Frontera Corozal.
Other possible river routes between Mexico and Guatemala run along the Río de la Pasión from Benemérito de las Américas to Sayaxché and on the Río San Pedro between La Palma, Tabasco to El Naranjo. However, there is no reliable passenger traffic on the routes mentioned. You would have to bring a boat, which can be expensive.
Several cruise lines dock on their cruises from North America, Europe and Asia in the ports of Puerto Quetzal and Santo Tomas de Castilla. Cruise lines that have stops in Guatemal include Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises and Radisson Seven Seas.
Rail: According to andyeducation, there is currently no passenger traffic in Guatemala.
Car: To enter in your own vehicle, you need the following documents: current and valid registration, proof of ownership (if you are not the owner of the car, a notarized letter of approval from the owner is required), current and valid national or international driver’s license, temporary import permit (available free of charge at the border for a maximum of 30 days).
Motor vehicle insurance from abroad is not recognized in Guatemala, so you have to take out national insurance. Car insurance is available at most border crossings and nearby towns. In order to prevent foreigners from selling cars in Guatemala, the driver / owner must also leave the country together with the car after their stay in Guatemala.
The Panamericana route leads via Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador to South America. There are also roads to the Mexican cities of Cancun, Tapachula and San Cristobal Las Casas. Highways connect Honduras and El Salvador with Guatemala. However, especially in the south of Lake Atitlan and on the connection between Guatemala and Panajachel, there are repeated attacks and illegal roadblocks.
Border crossings:
Belize
The border crossing is between Benque Viejo del Carmen and Melchor Mencos. Dorada Línea / Mundo Maya and San Juan Travel offer daily direct buses between Belize City and Flores. Buses also run between Belize City and Benque. Buses and minibuses connect Melchor Mencos and Flores. Buses also run between Melchor Mencos and Guatemala City.
El Salvador
border crossings are located at La Hachadura / Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado on Carretera al Pacífico (Highway 2), Las Chinamas / Valle Nuevo (Highway 8), San Cristóbal / San Cristóbal (Interamericana Highway or Highway 1) and Anguiatú / Anguiatú (Highway 10). Several bus companies operate between San Salvador and Guatemala City. The bus usually has to be changed at the border.
Honduras
The main border crossings are Agua Caliente (between Nueva Ocotepeque and Esquipulas), El Florido (between Copán Ruinas and Chiquimula) and Corinto (between Omoa and Puerto Barrios). The bus company Hedman Alas runs daily in comfortable buses between Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula and Copan Ruinas (via the El Florido border crossing). Minibuses run between Copán Ruinas, Guatemala City and Antigua.
Mexico
The most important border crossing points are Ciudad Hidalgo / Ciudad Tecún Uman and Talisman / El Carmen and Ciudad Cuauhtémoc / La Mesilla on the Interamericana between Comitán (Mexico) and Huehuetenango (Guatemala). These border crossings are served by numerous bus routes, but only a few buses go all the way between Tapachula and Guatemala City. There are direct bus connections between Guatemala City and the three border crossings mentioned. Línea Dorada / Mundo Maya and San Juan Travels operate daily direct buses between Chetumal, Mexico and Flores (via Belize City).
