AmbergrisCaye.com Home
Posted By: Verbatim Cancun to Belize? - 09/23/09 09:00 PM
It's near impossible for us to afford to go to Belize now on the usual direct routes (what the heck is going on with these high prices!!) . But we just found some 'cheap' flights to Cancun for October and thought about booking Maya Air from Cancun to Belize city. We can save from $250-$400 each this way. This means a couple of connecting flights in total though, and a very long day, which makes us nervous. Especially with Maya Air which seems to come and go when it feels like it, not according to their posted schedule. Any thoughts on how precarious this might be? Anyone do this connection on a regular basis? There are 2 1/2 hours to 3 1/2 hours between the Cancun/Belize City flights so I hope that's enough time for any Maya delays or we're stranded!

It's unfortunate now that flights that would cost around $650 or less are now averaging $1,000 to Belize. Sheer craziness.
Posted By: JeanH Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/24/09 02:56 PM
Just take the bus from Cancun to Chetumal and save some money. Takes about six hours, but will save you hundreds of dollars.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/24/09 03:21 PM
We flew twice this summer back to the US thru Cancun because of the price. Fly or take the Thunderbolt to Corozal. Contact Henry Menzies, Belize VIP Transfer service: [email protected] - 422-2725 - in advance. He'll meet you at the airport, get you thru Customs and Immigration to the bus station in Chetumal. He also knows the bus schedule and can get your ticket. It's about $25US/person. Takes 5.5 to 6 hrs. bus is luxury altho over A/Cd - bring a sweater. Shows movies mostly in spanish, some English with subtitles. had one in Danish with Spanish subtitles. There are food vendors at stops - always Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Sometimes there's a milk run. You can get the schedule at: http://www.ado.com.mx/ado/index.jsp

If your plane goes early in the morning, you might consider spending the night. There's a nice hotel call Hotel Kin Mayab which is across the street behind the bus station - an easy walk. We stayed there and had one room that was $60US and another that was $39 - which was out back and just as nice. There are stores and restaurants all over near the bus station and when we were there, federales everywhere.

On the return, you can call Henry from the phone box store across the street once you know which bus. His guys aren't allowed at the bus station in Chetumal (territorial fight) at the moment but they will meet you at the Mexican border. It should cost 100 pesos to get to the border.

It makes a long day (which is why it might be better to go the night before or, if it's a late plane back, stay the night you get there) but it's very do-able.
Posted By: jaxjags64109 Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/24/09 03:59 PM
My husband and I did basically this same trip through Cancun, Chetumal and across the border with Belize Transfers. To be honest, we are a couple of middle aged, chubby farts and the trip was fairly easy. Our friends joke with us about riding the chicken bus through Mexico, but it really isn't at all like that. We enjoyed the ride and the bus was actually quite nice. The guys from Belize Transfers were great guys and they made the trip across the border go very smoothly. We saved hundreds of dollars, met great people and plan on doing it again in November 2009.
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/25/09 12:04 AM
Henry's people will meet you at the market in Chetumal, which is just a few peso's taxi ride from the bus station. They'll wait until the taxi you arrived in has departed before they show themselves though. Just tell the local taxi driver, if asked, that you're catching a bus from the market - it's a main stopping point for several.

The turf war has been declared illegal by the local authorities but it doesn't stop the local taxi drivers.

In my experience the bus ride takes five hours from Playa, and around 30 minutes from the airport to Playa. Cancun City is quite a few miles the wrong way.
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/25/09 12:06 AM
Originally Posted by Pinguino
There's a nice hotel call Hotel Kin Mayab which is across the street behind the bus station

Is that Cancun City or Playa?
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/25/09 03:56 PM
The only problem with Playa - and yes, Cancun is out of the way, is that the bus to the airport leaves from a different station than where the ADO bus come sin. If you go thru Cancun itself, it's the same bus station. That may not matter but it does affect time and cost.
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/26/09 04:04 AM
That's true, and it is a factor if you're just passing through. If you've arrived from Europe you're going to need to spend the night somewhere, and Playa is better than most in my book.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/26/09 03:37 PM
I agree. In fact, I came from London in Dec. and that's exactly what I did.

Posted By: Consuelo Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/26/09 05:13 PM
can you please confirm the names of some of the small Mexican cities that the bus from Cancun stops at on its way down to Chetumal? We did that trip last April and intend to do it again in Dec. and would like to stay in at least one place along the way - they seemed very charming. We found the bus ride just great - so nice to see the scenery and the food stops where people came on the bus were fun - we didn't get anything but I think we will this time.

Thanks so much.

Cheers.

Connie in Kelowna
Posted By: Phil Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/26/09 06:10 PM
Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Chetumal. There are plenty of other small towns you can get to from these main stops, generally Playa or Tulum. See this map.
http://www.maps-of-mexico.com/quintana-roo-state-mexico/quintana-roo-state-mexico-map-main.shtml
Posted By: Consuelo Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/26/09 09:38 PM
Thanks Phil - I knew about Playa, Tulum and Chetumal (last stop lol) - there were some other small places too our bus stopped at.

That map will sure help. Cheers.

Connie
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/26/09 10:52 PM
Express buses only stop at the principal places. On my last trip down the only stop between Playa and Chetumal was at Tulum.
Posted By: Consuelo Re: Cancun to Belize? - 09/28/09 03:13 PM
Guess ours wasn't an Express (l0l) - we stopped about 6 times or so along the way. We had an express though on the way back and don't remember if it was Tulum or not. We didn't find it made a huge difference timewise - maybe 40 mins tops between the two bus rides.

Just don't remember all the names - definitely some smaller little towns were some of the stops - but they looked quite charming.

Cheers.

Connie
© Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board