Terminal Central de Buses — Local services in Flores

(05/2022) SANTA ELENA - TIKAL ROUTE. The public bus leaves at 6, 8 and 10 A.M., we highly recommend going as early as possible. The journey takes 2 hours (15 to 20 minutes the bus is waiting at the "Mercado Viejo Santa Elena" market). BEWARE!! Everyone at the station will tell you that there is no public bus to Tikal and that you have to take the tourist shuttle (the price starts at Q125 / person, you can negotiate it up to Q80 / person, always for a RETURN ticket). Our experience was even worse, because they lied to us and on the way to Tikal, at the last minute, they put us on a public bus, which suddenly appeared (it was waiting on the side, see photo). We have the impression that they are working with the public bus staff, becuase it did not want to tell us the official price neither. The journey back was already OK (at 3 P.M. the red tourist shuttle picked us up and took us to Flores, anywhere we wanted). If you want to take the public bus (Q30 / person / 1 way), go straight to the market stop (be there just few minutes after 6, 8 or 10 A.M.).

P.S.: We had information about the public bus from the tourist office at the airport and from local people. Yet at the station they told us it was a lie and...

VERY IMPORTANT:THE COLLECTIVO ONLY PUT US WHERE YOU BUY THE TICKETS FOR TIKAL AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE NATURAL RESERVE AND VANISHED, THE ACTUAL SITE IS 17 KM AWAY WE HAD TO HITCHHIKE. There are collectivos to tikal at the back, locals pay 20, from us they wanted 50. Really frustrating and all the drivers say the same price. Outside there is a taxi man trying to convince you that there are no collectivos or busses and you should take a taxi. Don't listen to him and Don't go with the first person you see. Make sure the collectivo waits for you while you buy the ticket(at the official office only-you will see police and army you will know it's there). Our collectivo asked for the payment halfway during the drive and vanished when he dropped us off at the ticket office. From our experience the difference in price from private shuttles through tour companies just...

Caught the overnight bus from Floes to Guatemala City with Maya De Oro bus line. The staff at the office were helpful in explaining the times and costs. We purchased the first class ticket which had fully reclining leather seats and tv screens, the price was 260 quezstals per person. The bus ride was comfortable and safe. However you will arrive on the outskirts on Guatemela City at a shopping centre, which made it a bit more difficult for us to get on a chicken bus to Antigua as we had to catch a taxi into town which cost...