Moon Spotlight Guatemala City and Antigua by Al Argueta

Author:Al Argueta
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Avalon Travel
Published: 2012-12-24T16:00:00+00:00

La Aurora International Airport

Taxis are easily booked from a kiosk inside the airport terminal, as are rental cars. A taxi from the airport costs $8-20 depending on what part of town you’re going to. Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National have kiosks inside the airport terminal. Their lots are across the road fronting the airport’s three-level parking garage. If you’re arriving on a later flight and have never driven Guatemala City’s chaotic streets before, it might make more sense to take advantage of free airport shuttles to Zona 10 hotels and have the rental car company drop off the vehicle at your hotel the next morning. You could also just as easily take a cab or shuttle from your hotel to the airport the following day and pick up the car at that time.

If most of your travel involves the Guatemala City and Antigua area, my advice is to forgo a car rental in favor of taxis and shuttle buses. You can also hire a driver to take you around for about US$75-100 a day. Local hotel concierges can usually recommend someone for you. Doing so will allow you to get a feel for the city without the stress of having to drive on its unfamiliar streets. It will also allow you to get acquainted with the particular style of Guatemalan urban driving you’ll need to adopt if you do end up driving here.

If you’re bypassing Guatemala City altogether, you’ll find shuttle vans to Antigua (about $15) are easily booked upon arrival at the airport. There is also a very helpful INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo) information desk just after passing customs. It’s staffed by English-speaking agents who can help you get your bearings.

It’s not a good idea to ride a public bus into the city, especially at night. The Transmetro is perfectly safe and efficient, but its coverage area is limited. It will not get you to or from the airport, though the newer eje central route can get you as close as Bulevar Liberacion, which fronts the airport runway’s northern extreme.

Several U.S. and foreign carriers fly daily into Guatemala City. Most of these airlines have city ticket offices, including American Airlines (Barceló Guatemala City, 7a Avenida 15-45 Zona 9, tel. 2422-0000), United Airlines (18 Calle 5-56, Edificio Unicentro, Local 704, Zona 10, tel. 2385-9610 or 801/812-6684 toll-free), Delta (15 Calle 3-20 Zona 10, Centro Ejecutivo, Primer Nivel, Zona 10, tel. 2337-0642), TACA (Avenida Hincapié 12-22, Zona 13, tel. 2470-8222), and Iberia (Avenida La Reforma 8-60 Zona 9, tel. 2332-0911). American Airlines and United Airlines passengers can check bags in the day before their flight at service centers in the Barceló Guatemala City hotel (7a Avenida 15-45 Zona 9).

The only domestic service is to Flores, near the ruins of Tikal, though other routes may open if government plans to revamp several smaller airports throughout the country ever come to fruition. The only airline leaving from the main terminal for domestic flights is TACA, with several daily flights to Flores. Local carrier TAG (Ave.

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