Car Hire Honduras

Driving

Central America's second largest nation, Honduras, is a popular and affordable holiday destination. While driving around the country, visitors can take in the Mayan ruins at Copan, explore quaint colonial towns and villages, relax on Caribbean beaches and venture through vast national parks.

Driving Tips for Honduras

Honduras' road network isn't as developed as those in the UK, although cities are well-linked by toll-free, well-signed highways. In the country, dirt paths or gravel roads are commonplace so drivers should exert caution.

Driving licences: UK drivers are able to drive in Honduras with their full UK photo licence and an International Driver’s Permit.

Which side does Honduras drive on: the right.

Speed limits:
Motorways: 50mph (80kph)
Rural areas: 50mph (80kph)
Built-up areas: 31mph (50kph)

Alcohol limits: 0.07 per cent compared with the 0.08 per cent limit in Britain; an alcohol level exceeding this limit could land drink-drivers with severe penalties such as on-the-spot fines or even arrest.

Driving age: 18 years; 21 years for hire cars.

Seatbelts: compulsory for all passengers both in the front and rear. Children should sit in the rear of the vehicle.

Mobile phones and GPS: using a mobile phone while driving is strictly prohibited without a hands-free kit. Not all roads are marked on GPS but the technology can help drivers navigate between towns and cities.

Cost of fuel in Honduras: petrol is around half of the cost of fuel in the UK.

Car hire and fuel payment: not all petrol stations accept credit cards, meaning carrying cash on the road is advised. On the other hand, credit cards are required by most car hire companies.

Insurance: third-party insurance is included with car hire; however, excess insurance comes highly recommended as not all drivers in the country are insured.

Traffic and parking: penalties for parking violations can include fines, some of which are on the spot, and clamping. Traffic can be particularly bad around the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Transport

Trains
Although the railroads in Honduras' northern lowlands have been around since the 1880s, they were never extended to Tegucigalpa, neighbouring Central American countries or towns along the nation’s Pacific coast. There are sometimes trains to San Pedro Sula when carnivals are held along with a service from La Union to the national park and a city rail network that links parts of La Ceiba.

Taxis
Taxis from the country's airports to its cities are cheap and can be hired for a day or more if tourists wish to explore a city in its entirety. Visitors are advised to become familiar with the pricing system and make sure that a sum is agreed on before entering a meter-less vehicle to avoid getting ripped off. Rates are typically £2.50 for a cross-town trip of no more than 20 minutes.

Buses
Buses to the capital, Tegucigalpa, are available from other Central American capitals including Managua (Nicaragua), Guatemala City (Guatemala) and San Salvador (El Salvador). Fares are reasonable at between £12 to £25. Around Honduras, Hedman Alas supplies first class buses to San Pedro Sula Airport, La Ceiba, Tela and Tegucigalpa. With Toritos and Copanecos, it is possible to travel to Nueva Octopeque and Santa Rosa de Copan.

Ferries
The Caribbean port of Puerto Cortes received boats from Belize, although schedules are irregular. Numerous cruise ships, supplied by the likes of Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Carnival Legend, regularly take passengers to the Bay Islands. Boats from La Ceiba provide passage to Roatan and Utila, round trip fares are in the £25 to £30 range.

Airports
The cities of Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula (for Caribbean resorts) and Roatan have international airports with flights to major US hubs such as Miami and Atlanta. UK travellers can connect to these airports via the US as there are no direct flights from the UK. Toncontin International Airport is just a few miles outside of Tegucigalpa, with taxi rates to the city starting at around £3.

Explore

Exploring Honduras

Most visitors begin their holiday in Honduras at Tegucigalpa, which is host to the main airport. In the capital, they can enjoy Parque La Leona, an old neighbourhood that overlooks the city's central park and offers beautiful views, the National Zoo and the Museum of Honduran History and Art.

La Ceiba is popular for its Caribbean coast beaches and has the main port for ferries to the Bay Islands. Of the Bay Islands, Utila and Roatan are the most popular, although Guanaja and the Hog Islands are also often visited.

Those with an interest in Honduran colonial history and architecture usually head to the pleasant mountain town of Gracias, which is famous for being the home of the country's highest mountain and wonderful cloud forests in and around Celaque National Park.

Comayagua, the country's former capital, is laden with Spanish architecture. It is most famous for its cathedral, which is located in its historic town centre, and is as popular with Honduran tourists as with international visitors.

Just as old as Comayagua is Tela, which is most commonly frequented for its humid tropical botanical garden, the second largest in the world, and its coastline as opposed to its history.

Weather

Honduras is mostly hot and humid, although temperatures around the country vary by altitude and not season. Destinations along the Caribbean coast are best avoided between September and February, as this is when rainfall is at its heaviest. Tegucigalpa enjoys its driest spell between December and May but can become cool over Christmas when temperatures drop to 23°C from the usual nationwide average of 32°C.