Drivers Guide to Beautiful Belize

Practical Tips and other Advice

ABOVE: Picnic at the Caves Branch river along the Humingbird Highway.

PRACTICAL TIPS and Other Advice

Maps. The best general road map to Belize is from ITMB. A new 5th edition was released in 2001. The color, 1:350,000-scale map retails for US$8.95. Even more useful for most travelers is the mile-by-mile Driver’s Guide to Beautiful Belize, published annually by the famous Emory King. Although the maps are rough, this 8 1/2 x 11" guide is reliable and easy-to-use.

Gas Stations. Belize has Texaco, Shell and Esso service stations, with a total of around 50 stations in the country. Shell stations recently were sold but will continue the Shell brand. Unleaded gas is widely available in Belize, at about US$4.15 a gallon. Leaded is a few cents less, and diesel about a third less (though in some areas such as PG it is more expensive.) Skilled mechanics are few and far between, although you can get a tire changed almost anywhere. Someone will come out and pump gas for you, and there’s no need to tip. Belize gas stations accept Belize or U.S. dollars, and sometimes credit cards.

Miles or Kilometers? Like the U.S., Belize has been slow to accept the metric system. Distances are given in miles, and gas is sold by the U.S. gallon. However, some Japanese-made rental cars have speed and distance shown in kilometers only, a source of confusion on Belize’s mile-denominated roads.

Speed Limits. You occasionally see a speed limit sign in Belize, but there is little if any traffic law enforcement. Belize drivers, to be charitable, are not always the best in the world.

Sleeping Policemen. Speed-breaker bumps are used to slow traffic coming into residential areas. In many cases, you’ll get no advance warning about the bumps, but expect them as you enter any town or village.

Check Points. Unlike in some other countries in the region where shaking down gringos in rental cars is a small industry, in Belize you will not be pulled over for phony traffic offenses, and if you are stopped at a checkpoint, which often happens, no one will promote a bribe. Just answer the questions, if any, show your license or passport and visitor entry card, and you’ll be on your way, with a friendly smile and wave from the police.

Safety. Traffic accidents are now the number one cause of death in Belize. Belize drivers are often not well-trained, and driving after drinking is unfortunately common. Watch carefully when passing stopped buses — kids may suddenly dart around the bus to cross the road. Outside of settled areas, you may drive for an hour or more and never see another car. Be prepared: Bring water, a flash-light and other basic supplies, and maybe a cell phone, just in case. In a poor country like Belize, anyone driving a car is, ipso facto, wealthy. Don’t leave valuables in your car, locked or unlocked. In Belize City, it’s best to park in a secured lot, or at least in a well-lit area. Do not pick up hitchhikers.

Driving at Night. Driving at night in developing countries is seldom a good idea, but in Belize night driving is easier than elsewhere because there are so few people on the roads after dark. Jaguars and snakes, yes; people, no. Still, after dark it’s hard to see potholes and topes.

Unusual Driving Practices. Belizeans basically drive like Americans or Europeans, only worse. There are a few practices that may be unfamiliar to foreign drivers. One is the left turn. Belizeans usually (not always) signal right and pull to the right when turning left across traffic, waiting for vehicles behind them to pass.

Best Vehicles for Belize. Do you really need four-wheel drive in Belize? On the main thoroughfares such as the Western and Northern Highways, no. In the dry season, even back roads generally are passable without four-wheel drive if you have sufficient road clearance. But four-wheel drive is good insurance, just in case you hit a stretch of soft muck or sand. On long trips in Belize, usually there are a couple of occasions when four-wheel power comes in handy. After a period of heavy rains, some back roads become quagmires.

The vehicle of choice in Belize is a larger four-wheel drive, such as an Isuzu Trooper, Jeep Cherokee or Ford Explorer. These offer a smoother ride on washboard roads, and the large petrol tank cuts down on the need to stop for gas so frequently. However, rental rates on these large vehicles are high — US$80 to $110 day or more in most cases — and they drink gas. The Suzuki Jimny, Vitari or Sidekick are common rental vehicles, and they do a good day’s work at a decent price.

Tips on Rental Cars in Belize. Having a rental car is a real plus in Belize. You can go places not easily visited by bus, and while rental prices are not cheap, you may more than pay for the cost of the rental by avoiding high-priced tours. Here are questions to ask and things to check BEFORE driving off in your rental. Keep in mind that a break-down on a deserted road in Belize is not like a break-down in Suburbia, USA.

• Check the mileage on the vehicle you’ve been assigned. Even “name brand” renters often have high-mileage cars in their fleet, and local companies almost invariably will give you a car with 75,000 to 150,000 miles on it (but usually in good mechanical condition.) If the mileage seems high, ask for another vehicle.

• Check the tires. Six-ply truck tires or high-quality radials are best for Belize roads. But since these tires are more expensive, many rentals run inexpensive passenger car tires, which may not stand up to heavy off-road use. At the very least, tires should have plenty of tread. Also, check the spare, and be sure you know how to locate and use the jack.

• Ask what will happen if you have a break-down somewhere in the boondocks. Major companies, such as Budget, will send a mechanic out to repair the problem. Others may not.

• Don’t be shy about asking for discounts off published rates. During busy times, discounts may not be available, but in the off-season or during slow periods you may be able to negotiate a little on rates.

• Determine in advance whether you need to accept Collision Damage Waiver coverage. CDW runs US$10 to $15 per day in Belize, and typically it does not cover the first $500 to $1,000 in damage — so you have to cough up for a windshield broken by a flying rock, for example. American Express and some other credit cards DO provide primary CDW coverage in Belize.

Lan Sluder is editor and publisher of BELIZE FIRST. Sluder also co-authored updated the Belize section of the new edition of Fodor's Belize & Guatemala 2005 guidebook. He is the author of five other books on Belize as well as Frommer's, Fodor's and other guidebooks to other parts of the world. His articles on Belize have appeared in many publications, including Caribbean Travel & Life, St. Petersburg Times and Canada's Globe & Mail.

Related Article: Driving in Belize