Central America Border Crossings
 

Hi everyone.

I will soon be traveling from the USA down through Mexico and Central America on a UK registered bike (I'm a UK citizen). Can anybody tell me the documentation required and related processes for getting the bike into;

1. Guatemala
2. Honduras
3. Nicaragua
4. Costa Rica
5. Panama

I think they all might be quite similar (TIP and insurance at the border) but I'm a bit new to all this so would be grateful for any advice from those of you more experienced...

Thanks in advance!

Easy - just takes time.
You will need your rego, and passport of course, may or may not need to buy insurance at the borders, and be sure to have lots of photocopies of all documents - some borders go through a bunch, and they are happy to send you to their friend in town who has the only photocopy machine in town...
Otherwise, patience, take food and drink, show up early in the day, be friendly, never get angry, smile and shake their hands. It's going to be an interesting day! :)

Border crossings
 

Hello,

I am from the states and have made the land trip 4 times and am planning a 16k trip up and back later this spring.

You can get your paperwork for Mexico in advance and speed up the process. Insurance is a law. Buy it on the internet. It’s cheap

There are lots of toll roads in Mexico, a
Plan on $80.00 so get a bunch of small bills in a jacket pocket

Have a fake wallet, old credit cards, expired passport and like $20.00 in case you get jacked, give them that.

Have original documents in a large zip lock, drivers license, passport, CURRENT registration and pink slip ALL IN YOUR NAME. if it’s got a loan, permission from the lien holder is needed.

In another ziplock plan on 5 copies of each document per country. In Honduras you’ll still need a passport copy with current entry stamp

Also in Honduras motorcycles don’t pay at toll booths. There is always a bypass for bikes.

Insurance is a must in Costa Rica but they sell it at entry. $25.00 for 3 months.

Best crossings. El Ceibo, Mexico to Guatemala. Guatemala to Honduras is Corinta. Honduras to Nicaragua is Los Manos. And I guarantee you Los Chilis Nicaragua to Costa Rica.

I’m listed here as a motorcycle safe house, so feel free to hit me up. My home, more like a resort at the edge of the jungle has a couple extra rooms or you can camp out on the HUGE lawn. If you white water raft I can get you on the river pretty cheap

Also for Nicaragua you need to give notice your entering in advance. Like 7 days. I have duel citizenship here and the states so they don’t screw with me but failure to give notice means at least a 3 hour wait. Also Nicaragua sells insurance upon entry, $12.00?

Feel free to contact me about any other questions and I guarantee you that you’ll love the ride

Marty

For Panama
 

Oh yeah, drawback to El Ceibo crossing is the bank where you get your $400.00 deposit back I close Sunday and Monday

Easiest way for me is to pay in US dollars at entry and get it back the same at exit or use a credit card, but that doesn’t show for a few days.

If you don’t speak fluid Spanish, don’t venture far off main highways in Mexico if traveling alone.

And CR to Panama, both crossing are easy, but the east side is more scenic

ADD a third crossing into Panama
 

Geoffh Just , for completeness' sake it is worth noting that there is a THIRD good border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama not only the two crossings of Sixaola at north coast and Paso Canoas at south coast . These two are quite busy ,particularly so at Paso Canoas on the PanAm highway .

The third option is the small crossing at RIO SERENO ,Panama which is in the foothills on Pan 43 west of VOLCAN . It gets very little commercial traffic and no busloads of travellers to clog the border processing .It is open for service during daylight from 8 in the morning to 17 in the afternoon PANAMA TIME ( Eastern) and on the Costa Rica side you will ride into the town of SABALITO and then SAN VITO and the CR highway 237 west to San Isidro de el General, etc etc etc . This border crossing is easy and in wonderfully scenic countryside in BOTH countries . In Panama make it a point to tour around the Volcano landscape at Volcan - you will be hard pressed to believe you are in tropical country like Panama.
No sweating masses lined up to worry about at Rio Sereno .
There is a small hotel right in Rio Sereno and the Costa Rican border towns also have hotels so show up in the afternoon, have an easy crossing and/or find the hotel and do it in the morning . No reason to rush or ride at night .

Also note that liability insurance is advisable for all CA countries ,even if most of the locals drive un-insured . For Guatemala this is tricky because they make no effort to sell it to tourists at the border and small town insurance dealers wont want to bother .
If you use this email address ealvarado@todoriesgo.net you can connect with a Guatemalan insurance agent in the Peten who sort of makes a specialty of helping foreign motorcycle riders get the liability insurance , The company he works for is based in GT City . The rates are very reasonable ,and better than trying to argue at roadside if somebody tries to blame you for a ding in their fender which you did not cause . That does happen- be verrrry cautious when moving around in city traffic .

Justmarty , I really like your confirmation that the Las Chiles border crossing is a more relaxing option than the PanAm crossing >I did a little snooping and discovered from the internet that it is called Las Tablillas in Nicaragua and is open between 7h and 17 hour.

Attachment 25778


You also mention the need to notify Nica immigration about your intended visit a week before actually showing up at the border . I found this super long web address that seems to be the place for getting the application form. Is that correct ? I am still digesting the form ,but I guess that means it can all be sent back to that same address ?
https://www.migob.gob.ni/migracion/t...s-al-turismo/?

https://www.migob.gob.ni/migracion/t...-0-gaNycGzNCKU