Travel Guides

Guatemala

Car rentals in Guatemala

Guatemala offers one of the most diverse ranges of attractions in Central America, complete with immense Mayan ruins, Pacific beaches, lush rainforests and charismatic locals. Moreover, all of this comes at a very low cost and is just a short flight from a number of major US airports.

What to see and do

Guatemala is packed with sites and places to visit. One of the “must dos: while on vacation here is to visit the marketplaces of the country’s main cities. Antigua Market and Chichi Market are prime examples and both allow visitors to find some amazing bargains while experiencing the local culture and lifestyle.

There are also numerous national parks and nature reserves that feature unspoiled wilderness, unusual species and astounding Mayan architecture. Two of such places that must be visited are Kaminaljuyu Archeological Park and Biotope Monterrico-Hawaii. Using car hire is a great way to reach either of them.

When to go

The weather in Guatemala is described as tropical. There are three main seasons, which are known as summer, the wet season and a winter. The winter is the nicest time to go if you prefer cooler temperatures, while he hot season is March and April and this is a good time to go if you can handle the extremely hot weather but avoid torrential rainfall.

Driving

Many American travelers like to use car rental when in Guatemala because it’s the most reliable form of transportation, although rural roads are usually unpaved and hard to drive on during the rainy season. Also at night these roads are dangerous to drive on because they are poorly lit and sometimes bandits operate on them. Compare car hire and hotel rates and book in advance over Christmas, New Year’s and Easter to avoid headaches.