Driving down to Roatan

[dontyouliketheparty]

Hey Ya'll!

As planned some 7 months back in wintery Scotland, UK, I'm now at long last on my way to Roatan!!!
I'm currently with a friend in Fort Worth Tx & we are contemplating our journey down to Roatan. We've decided to drive down through Mexico etc and reach Roatan by car if possible. My question is have any of you guys driven to Roatan from the U.S? If so which route would you advise on also I know there is a passenger ferry from La Ceiba but is there a car eqivalent?
We have been warned about the risks of driving through Mexico & Guatemala time again, but I reckon risks aside what a brilliant way to see some of those countries than take a road trip with safety in mind. It's the journey that counts, besides the cost of flying and all the hassle of transfers makes the the choice a little easier.
Thanks for any help and luck permitting I'll be there in 2 weeks!

From what I've read on other posts there's some good deals to be had on Roatan at the moment, so fingers crossed.

Lee

 

[Chaseh]

It sounds like an adventure. I'm a big fan of driving through continents, especially by motorcycle, but in this case I have a couple of thoughts.
1. You seem to have heard enough about safety.
2. Don't let the cost vs. flights motivate you. What this will do to your vehicle, plus the costs combined of fuel and other expenses while on the road, will not be mucher cheaper than flying. It may cost more, and by flying you could be spending the costs of room and board while diving.
3. The roads on Roatan are not good. There's a primary loop that is rough, can be very busy, and is not scenic. Driving on the island would not be a fun distraction.

 

[nicvanzee]

I have never driven directly to Roatan but have made the trip from MN to costa rica by car then back to tegucigalpa and to roatan by plane. The trip through MX and Guatemala is very fun if you like adventure. I do. My brother was with me and he speaks fluent spanish and mine is ok. I would encourage you to travel in the daylight. Lots of bribes and police corruption in MX. Not so bad in Central America. We went right through Guatemala but you can also go north through Belize. I don't remember the exact route but I do remember that it was one of the most memorable trips I have ever taken. Lot's of fun. Just be careful of your surroundings and all the other stuff you do when you are travelling. The roads have gotten alot better in MX than they were. Have fun

 

[RTBDiver]

The only little problem I see is the pesky little ocean. There is no regular car ferry like you may be thinking of. You would need to make arrangements with one of the shipping companies and then spend time trying to explain to customs that your not importing a car and just visiting which would be near impossible. Add to that the cost of shipping a car from Cortez or ceiba and the trip isnt that cheap anymore.

 

[Roatan Marine Park]

There is a car ferry direct from La Ceiba to Roatan. It costs between $100 and $150 and is just before the passsenger ferry. The car ferry leaves in the middle of the night and arrives early morning. You will have to catch the Galaxy Wave and then take a taxi in the morning to pick up the car.

One thing which you may get hassled with when driving into Honduars is the age of your vehicle. Honduars has a rule about old cars and it can make importing vehicles very difficult.

Chaseh says the roads on Roatan are bad, but unless your driving a low rider, it's not that bad. They have done an islandwide fixing of the roads and the fun dirt roads you can rally drive on are being slowly concreted over. Having a car on Roatan makes life easier but is not essential. A few days of exploring and you are almost done with driving round the island. 4 by 4s will provide you with the most enjoyment.
Good luck and safe travels

 

[dontyouliketheparty]

Thanks for the advice so far. Good to hear we can get a ferry to Roatan. It's not that we intend on doing much driving on Roatan, it's a means of getting there really. The car is a small toyota 04 model but not in the best condition to look at but runs well..

Hey Roatan Marine Park do you happen to know the name of the car ferry service?

 

[ncchuck]

"The roads on Roatan are not good. There's a primary loop that is rough, can be very busy, and is not scenic. Driving on the island would not be a fun distraction." I DON'T AGREE!

Driving on Roatan can be extremely scenic. The road on the eastern part of the island has some breaktaking vista's. In some places you can see the ocean on both sides of the island. The road is on top of the mountains in many places. Some of the towns are beautiful from the road. The road has some pot holes to be sure but it's not that bad. There are some real hair pin turns but that's part of the fun. The cab drivers tend to drive a little eratic but if you're careful, you'll be fine. I've even driven many of the dirt roads on Roatan and have never had a problem with the vehicle breaking down or getting stuck. I would avoid travel on dirt roads after heavy rains however.
Have fun on your adventure.

 

[robint]

Hey Ya'll!

As planned some 7 months back in wintery Scotland, UK, I'm now at long last on my way to Roatan!!!
I'm currently with a friend in Fort Worth Tx & we are contemplating our journey down to Roatan. We've decided to drive down through Mexico etc and reach Roatan by car if possible. My question is have any of you guys driven to Roatan from the U.S? If so which route would you advise on also I know there is a passenger ferry from La Ceiba but is there a car eqivalent?
We have been warned about the risks of driving through Mexico & Guatemala time again, but I reckon risks aside what a brilliant way to see some of those countries than take a road trip with safety in mind. It's the journey that counts, besides the cost of flying and all the hassle of transfers makes the the choice a little easier.
Thanks for any help and luck permitting I'll be there in 2 weeks!

From what I've read on other posts there's some good deals to be had on Roatan at the moment, so fingers crossed.

Lee

I have to disagree with you on this.... there are direct flights from Houston to Roatan which last less than 3 hours. The journey you are talking about will take almost week most likely. The roads in Mexico aren't like the super highways of US (poorly maintained and pot holes, no lights, etc.) and gas stations may not be readily available at convenient points. I haven't done this, but a friend had looked into doing a drive down to Cozumel once and after hearing all the problems he decided to fly instead. He had an SUV and was still warned that roads weren't good and he might have some serious problems. I think he was also warned that his car insurance wouldn't cover the trip.

If you really want an adventure, I would fly to Roatan and then rent a car for the week and drive around the island.

 

[nicvanzee]

I do agree with chaseh about the cost. Don't do it for the cost savings because you will be dissapointed. If you are going to do it, do it for the adventure of it. You are going to get a lot of people who tell you of the grave dangers and there are a few, but just ask them if they have ever done it before. If they haven't, don't spend too much time listening to them. Just like my friends who think it is too dangerous to vacation in Roatan. It's ok because I really didn't want them there anyways!

 

[RTBDiver]

Good Luck, Not that I think it dangerous but rather a major hassle that may not even be able to be done. Make sure you have all needed documents when you get to the shipping company in order to get the vehicle on the ship and you probably want a customs broker ready once on Roatan to help with the details even though your not "really" importing it. As mentioned, you can ship cars but thinking of driving and shipping a car over for a trip is looking for big headaches. Driving into Honduras shouldn't be a problem, just stay away from any boarder Mel might be near.