Tips for arriving in San Pedro Sula

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Arriving in San Pedro Sula can be a somewhat confusing affair particularly for North Americans used to being led by the hand. It's pretty typical for airline employees to sort of open the doors and let you off while staying aboard till the next flight. I've been told this is sometimes due to customs regulations. In times past, being left outside on the tarmac was pretty common at this airport but they've upgraded to jet ways so it's a much more modern affair these days.

One thing to note about Honduran bureaucracy is that government officials are never helpful and rarely chatty. I've never been so much as asked what I'm planning to do in Honduras. However, this time through I had my photo taken by a Honduran immigration web cam. I guess security is gaining importance there. On a side note, the baggage claim area is pretty chaotic and generally speaking, one can just grab and go without being hassled by the customs inspectors. I'm not recommending doing that but to avoid having the contents of your bags unpacked for you, sometimes it's easier just to put on your blinders and walk through the door.

When you exit the customs area be prepared to push your way through a sea of people waiting for their friends and relatives to arrive. If you're renting a car, the agencies are found in this area. Also, the Hedman Alas bus office is there as well although you have to push through the crowd to make it to the office.

For the non Spanish-speaking traveler, this is the point where you typically realize that you should have paid more attention in Spanish class. The general rule in San Pedro is that English will only get you a few steps through the door. Spanish is a must, especially when renting cars and booking travel on the bus.

One tip about renting cars in Honduras is that you will be required to leave a deposit on your credit card. This is usually between $700 and $750. When you return the car, this is credited back to you. This is something that the rental car agencies typically never tell you so I'm sure many foreign travelers have been taken by surprise on that one. If you return the car to anywhere other than the location where you picked it up, there will generally be confusion and indecisiveness about exactly how to refund your deposit. For example, I've been given a promissory receipt that basically says they'll call the office where the car was picked up and they will refund my card. At that point, you have to take them at their word. It's also wise to make sure you have some kind of insurance coverage whether it's through the car rental agency, your credit card or your own auto policy at home. Do a little research to avoid a hassle. I've had a car picked over with a fine-toothed comb and it's not fun to argue with them about where little scratches came from. This is especially necessary since the roads in Honduras are really conducive to car damage. Also, try to get a vehicle that you think would hold up on a rutted dirt road since probably 50%!o(MISSING)f the roads in Honduras aren't paved. You don't need a big truck or anything but a small economy SUV like the popular Daihatsu Terios is adequate. See my driving in Honduras entry for more details.

Also make sure you get a map from the rental agency or bring one with you. The Honduras Map by ITMB is the best I could find on the Internet although it only scratches the surface on a lot of towns and Tegucigalpa is the only city that is mapped in detail. Thrifty Car Rental has a pretty good map too that includes San Pedro Sula but it' pretty confusing to read and the print appears to have been blown up from a smaller image so you have that distorting pixilated effect. Hey, it's Honduras.

Oh, and don't expect a lot of people to be able to help you with maps along your travels. I'm generalizing here but I haven't run into anyone yet who knows exactly where they are when shown a map of Honduras. Maybe geography isn't a strongpoint in Honduras?

When you leave the airport parking lot you want to exit left which will take you to the main highway that goes to San Pedro. If you go left at the highway you'll go towards La Lima, Tela and La Ceiba. Turning right will take you to San Pedro Sula and to the other highways that lead to Tegucigalpa, Santa Rosa, and Copan. I'd suggest not driving too deeply into San Pedro Sula if you can help it. It will only frustrate you. There are also many gas stations along the road so make sure to fill up since they can be few and far between the deeper you get into Honduras. One thing to note is that gas stations are always full service in Honduras so you just pull your car up and someone will come to your window to pump your gas and take your money. They normally offer "Regular" and "Premium" grades as well as the occasional diesel. Gas is a little expensive in Honduras by North American standards but not by much. Europeans will find it to be pretty cheap!

Also, leaving San Pedro Sula means you will have to pay a toll. At the time of this posting it was only 6 lempira, which is about 30 cents US.

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