Getting to Xela : If you arrive in Guatemala city early and wish to come directly to Xela, you can take a taxi or bus directly to the bus station (see below). There are several first class companies, though most of our students use Galgos, Alamo or Linea Dorada (the Guatemalan equivalent of Greyhound).
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Arriving at the Guatemala City airport:
Visas:
Generally 90 day visas are available, though occasionally they have been shortened for political reasons. Sometimes a clerk will assume that you want only a 30 day visa. Just ask politely for 90 days if you need it.
Changing money:
Once through immigration, you can change money at the glass booth directly in front of the stalls. The exchange rate has been described as one of the best in Guatemala, so change the amount you want. It might be good to check the exchange rate from home, before you arrive. You can do this on the Internet or at various banks. For those of you arriving in the wee hours of the morning (i.e. 5 am) you'll find that you might have trouble finding ANYWHERE to change money. If this is the case, you might want to bring some Guatemalan money from home (if you can find a bank that has access to it). If you're in a real bind, one of our past students, Natasha, a student from Canada, found that a McDonald's in the city (which open pretty early) took US money and gave her Guatemalan change in return.
Bus Terminal:
The bus terminal is open until about 9 or 10 pm, but you should go early in the day. You should try not to travel in Guatemala at night for your personal safety. If your plane gets in after 12 noon, it's probably best to stay the night in Guatemala city (unless you have experience traveling and getting around in the country).
To get to Galgos, Alamo or Linea Dorada Bus Terminal:
Take a city bus: There is a bus stop in front of the airport. You might want to verify with the driver that you are going to Zona 1. (if you don't speak Spanish yet, writing it down might help). The cost is about a quetzal or perhaps a bit more.
Taxi: It's about a 10 minute ride to Zona 1. Negotiate the price BEFORE you get in. It costs about Q70 or a bit more (as of 2003).
Arriving in Xela:
Get off at the Rotunda: The cheapest way to CBA is to get off the bus at the Rotunda (it's a make-shift terminal). You will have to tell the bus driver ahead of time you don't know the town and to please let you out there. "Me gustaria bajar a la Rotunda, por favor?" will do for those who don't yet know the language. Then they will unload your stuff there and you can get a cab.
Negotiating cab fare: Negotiate a price BEFORE you get in. Usually you can get the cab driver to drop his price 1/2 to 1/3. It may cost around 20-25 Quetzals (1997).
Give the address: CBA: 12 Avenida 10-27, Zona 1. It's one blocks south from Parque Central.
Getting off at the terminal: Should the 1st class bus not want to fool around unloading your stuff at la Rotunda, don't worry, get out at the terminal and take a cab. It will just be a little longer. 20 Quetzales should be enough (2003).
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