Travel In Belize

Renting A Car

Rental agencies accept payment via credit card and honor licenses from country of residency, but a valid driver’s license must be presented. Ask if they have a map of Belize City. Most have disposable ones; it is the freebie-type with advertisements plastered in free space, but it will come in handy.

The airport’s main parking lot separates the strip of car rental offices from the airport curbside.

Taxis

Leaving from the International Airport, a row of official taxis (bearing green license plates) are available. Most carry arriving passengers the 20 minutes from Ladyville into Belize City at the rate of US$20. Taxis allow you to maneuver within Belize City, but are not ideal in more rural areas or as transport throughout the country.

Shuttle Services

Shuttle services provide transportation and are on call for your travel needs. Rates vary, due in some part to fuel prices, and you should get a specific price quote when requesting each transport.

A private shuttle is most common, but now some services are also starting to offer combined passengers and/or groups, as sharing the cost brings down the price for each individual.

You can check with the company to inquire if they have any other transports around your time frame and that you would be willing to share the ride (sometimes they don’t suggest it themselves because if there are multiple paying customers it’s more business for them).

Buses

Bus service throughout the country is extremely inexpensive and is the common means of transportation for Belizeans.

Most buses are old school buses that have been repainted to reflect the company of service. They do not have air conditioning or bathrooms, and flagging one down sometimes requires standing in the road (I have seen a bus roar by anticipating passengers not aggressive enough).

Travel is slow, due to the infrastructure in Belize, with many stops between destinations.

Needless to say, tourists are not widely advised to and rarely use the bus system. Still, if you have plenty of time and a huge sense of adventure it is possible to see all three major highways routes (North, West, and South) for about US$15.