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Without a doubt the most difficult and annoying part of you trip will
be the delays and inconveniences at the Central American border crossings.
Be prepared for a lot of headaches. Depending on which route you travel,
you will have to cross at least seven borders if you travel throughMexico
all the way to Panama. Be prepared to spend at least several frustrating
hours at some of the crossings. Then you just clear one border and drive a
short distance to the next country, only to have to have to go through the
whole dilatory process again. On top of that some of officials seem to
always be in a bad mood and there are a lot of other people hitting you up
for money. All of this while your papers are being shuttled from office to
office as you wonder if everything is all right. Speaking some Spanish will
somewhat ease your anxiety.

There is a whole mini-industry to guide travellers through the
bureaucratic maze of paperwork at each border. Young men and teenage
boys will eagerly help you process your papers. You don't have to look
for them. They will bombard you as soon as you reach the border. You will
have to give them a tip of a couple of dollars. This really makes this process
a lot easier and saves you a lot of footwork. They will guide you through
the whole process. These people are especially helpful if you don't speak
Spanish. Carry some U.S. dollars in small denominations to tip these young
helpers and pay your fees. You can usually get away with paying no more
than $25 - $30 at each border including tips. When you pull up to a border
don't make the mistake of getting in the same lane as large trucks. Go to
the car lane. If you go to the end of the truck line, it will take much longer
to get through customs.

One long-time resident of Costa Rica told us that after making the trip
eight time, he finally discovered the secret to getting through the borders
quickly. On his last trip he brought a fierce looking German shephard with
him in his car. Nobody got near his car to inspect it and he was ushered
through most border crossing quickly. If you plan to use this strategy,
check each country's health requiements for your pet.

Here is a list of all the border and more less what to expect:
MEXICO
: Probably the easiest of the borders to cross since there is so
much traffic between the U.S. and Mexico. Most major crossings ar opened
24-hours. Customs officials are use to dealing with travellers and have
streamlined the whole process. No bribes, no extra fees and no waiting. Your
papers will be processed quickly provided all of your papers are in order
(check all of the requirements in Chapter 3). You will need a passport, birth
certificate, tourist card, vehicle registration (if you don't own the car a
notarized letter form the owner), and a valid driver's license. If you are
traveling longer than 72 hours in Mexico you will need to get two important
documents from Mexican customs: Solicitud de Importación Temporal or
temporary vehicle importation permit, and a Promesa de Retornar El
Vehículo or promisary note to return your car when leaving the countryfrom
Mexican customs. Once again, Sanborn's Insurance will take care of all of
this for you, if you stop by one of their many locations.

When all of your paper work is approved you then have to go to a
Banjército (military Bank) office next to the custom's building. You credit
card will be charged $12 for a permit fee(There is a copy of Banjército forms
and booklet in Chapter 3). You have to pay by credit card. If you don't have
a credit card you will have to pay a bond which can be expensive for newer
model cars. Once this is done you are issued a sticker that is attached to
your front windshield. When you exit Mexico you will have to turn in
your vehicle permit. Always have your car permit with you since there are
secondary checkpoints along the route. A word of warning: If you keep
your car in Mexico for longer than the law permits, you may be fined. You
won't have to worry about this if you are just travelling through the county.
BELIZE
: You enter via Chemul, Mexico. You have to provide proof of
liability insurance in order to get your car into the country. You exit the
country at the town of Benque Viejo del Carmen. This border crossing is
supposedly open 24 hours a day but usualy closes between midnight and
6a.m.
GUATEMALA
: The best place to cross the border is at the town of Tecún
Umanán across the border form Tapachula, Mexico. Spend the night in
Tapachula so you can get an eary start in the morning. This way you
should be able to cross the country in one day. However, just south of
Tapachula the highway divides between the mountain and coastal routes
before entering Guatemala. It is faster to take the coastal route and bypass
Guatemala City if you are in a hurry. Much as we descibed at the beginning
of this section there will be a long line of cars trucks and buses waiting to
enter the country. You will be beseiged with people trying to help move
your paperwork through the laberynth of customs. You will also have to
have your car fumigated.
EL SALVADOR
: You have two choices when leaving Gualtemala, to
go through Honduras or via El Salavador and a little piece of western
Honduras which is the shortest and quickest way. You need to show all of
your papers including your driver's license and proof of ownership. The
procedure and ordeal is much like the rest of the border crossings we have
desceibed.
HONDURAS
: The main border crossing to Honduras is at El Amatillo.
If you start early from almost any place in El Salvador you can cross the
short stretch of Honduras in a couple of hours and make it to one of
Nicaragua's main cities the same day. The Honduran border is renowned
for being the worst in Central America. It will usually cost you the most
money. You will have to pay off a lot of officials to process your vehicle.
Use a runner as at the other borders. In theory the borders are opened daily
from around 7am to 5 pm. Be aware that you may be stopped several
times and asked for your papers while driving through the coutry. You may
have to pay a couple of small bribes to avoid hastles at checkpoints.
NICARAGUA
: Nicaragua has three overland border crossings from
Honduras. The most inland one is at is at at Las Manos near Ocotal which
you will probably take if you are com ing from Tegucigalpa; the second is
at El Espino near Somoto on Central American Highway 1 or CA-1. The
fastest route form Cholteca, Honduras to Nicaragua is at Guasaule between
El Triunfo (Honduras) and Somotillo (Nicaragua). From there you head
toward León, Nicaragua and if all goes well you will be in Costa Rica in a
matter of hours.
COSTA RICA
: After Mexico, Costa Rica has by far the smoothest
border operation. The border is a breeze compared to the other Central
American countries. The border crossing is located at the town of Peñas
Blancas. Customs are opened on the Costa Rican side from 8 am to 5 pm
daily and until 4 pm on the Nicraguan side. It is about one mile between
the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan immigration offices. If you plan to go on
to Panama, you will exit Costa Rica at Paso Canoas on the Pan-American
Highway or CA-1.
PANAMA
: This is a busy border because of the large amount of
commerical traffic between Costa Rica and Panama. The border crossing
at Paso Canoas is open from 7 am to 10 pm on the Costa Rica side and 24
hours on the Panamanian side. Panamanian customs also run smoothly.
There is a time change in Panama, so don't forget to change your watch.