Honduras
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[edit] Basic Facts
- Population:7,483,763
- Capital: Tegucigalpa
- Fun fact: Honduras means "depths" in Spanish. Columbus is traditionally quoted as having written "Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas Honduras" (English: "Thank God we have come out of those depths") while along the northeastern coast of Honduras.[1]
[edit] Border Crossing Information
[edit] Entry Requirements
[edit] Necessary documents
 Passport Stamp Leaving Honduras |  Honduras Vehicle Import Permit |
- Passport
- Drivers license
- Vehicle Registration
- Vehicle Title
- Form from El Salvador or Guatemala, with stamp showing export of vehicle
- Three copies of all documents
[edit] Costs
- L135 or $7.15 for form 9A-1 (vehicle import permit)
- L435.34 or $22.35 (foreign license plate fee)
- L187.45 or $10.25 (Aduanet)
[edit] Procedure
When nearing the migration station (and even several km before), men may swarm around or chase after your car, offering to help you through the immigration process. You will have to be very insistent if you do not desire their services. Telling them in Spanish will help. If you do chose to use to use their services, make sure to demand receipts for every transaction, to ensure that you are paying the appropriate amounts.
You may have to pay a small fee to enter the country, despite the CA-4 agreement, depending on the border crossing. Ask for a receipt. Your passport will not be stamped by immigration.
In order to import the car, you will first give your documents and photocopies to a customs officer - who may or may not be uniformed, so ask to see ID to ensure he is legitimate. He will approach you as you near the actual border, check your papers to see if all is in order, and accompany you to the customs office for processing. There, after paying the fees indicated below, your passports will be stamped to indicate that you are traveling with a car and you will receive your vehicle import permit (permiso de entrada y salida temporal de vehiculo)
In addition to the documents listed above, you also need to provide them with photocopies of your newly stamped passport and import permit, which can be made at a nearby store or tienda that may charge around 2 lempira per copy. They also may accept Guatemalan quetzales, or American dollars, but likely at a poor exchange rate. Before you try to drive away from the border, it is a good idea to make several copies of your completed vehicle import permit, as an official further down the road may ask for this. Also, be sure to fasten your seatbelts before putting your car in motion - very attentive traffic police may be lurking just outside the border zone.
[edit] Exit Requirements
[edit] Necessary documents
- Passport
- Vehicle import permit
[edit] Procedure
At the border, you will need to show the above documents to the border officials. They will make a large notation in your passport to cancel the large importation stamp, thus taking up an entire page.
[edit] Individual Experiences
Honduras has a notoriously painful border crossing experience for most people. Read more here for people's individual experiences.
[edit] Roads and Driving
[edit] Road Conditions
According to U.S. Department of State:
Major cities are connected by an inconsistently maintained, two-lane system of paved roads.Many secondary roads in Honduras are unpaved.During the rainy season, even major highways are often closed due to rockslides and flooding from heavy rains.In the event of an accident, contact the Honduran Transit Authority (“Transito”) immediately.They may be contacted either directly through their local numbers, or through their national emergency number, *189.Honduran law requires that no vehicles involved in an accident be moved until Transit Agents arrive, not even to clear a traffic obstruction, unless you are in serious physical danger.
Some of the most dangerous stretches for road travel include:Tegucigalpa to Choluteca, because of dangerous mountain curves; El Progreso to La Ceiba, because of animal crossings and the poor condition of bridges from flooding; Route 39 through northern Olancho Department between Gualaco and San Esteban; and Limones to La Union, Olancho (route 41) via Salama and northward to Saba.Locals also refer to this latter stretch of road as the “Corridor of Death” because of frequent incidents of highway robbery.
Please refer to our Roads and Driving page for more driving information and tips.
[edit] Military Checkpoints and Police
The police set up periodic road blocks, and if your car seems unusual or they can tell you are a tourist, you will likely be asked to pull over. Sometimes they will examine your documents, ask you some simple questions, and you can proceed on your way. If you are pulled over and you don't believe you did anything wrong, see the scams and shakedowns section for techniques to avoid paying bribes.
[edit] Gas Prices
Gas prices are expressed in the units of the specific country.
12/20/08: Price is in Honduran lempira per liter
- Regular: L46.32/liter
- Premium: L50.06/liter
- Diesel: L48.06/liter
Conversion: 1L=0.26 gallons, 18.9 Lempira=1 USD
I think these prices are per gallon not liter prices now (12/3/09) are 63.96=reg., 67.7=premium, 57.88=diesel
[edit] Camping and Hotels
Nacome
If you are just trying to drive from El Salvador to Nicaragua, you will need to pass through the small Pacific coast section of Honduras. It is very possible to cross both borders in one day, as there is only about 40 miles of Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua. In a pinch, the Hotel Puerto Royal in Nacaome with a gated lot, swimming pool, and greasy restaurant (which is one of the few dining options in this small town) for $40/night. It's right on the highway, hard to miss.
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[edit] Notes
