San Pedro Sula --> Tegucigalpa
Jul 15, 2015, 8:49 pm
#1
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
San Pedro Sula --> Tegucigalpa
Hi FT,
On my journey towards San Diego (or Tijuana) in late August, I'm thinking of going to Honduras.
I see that Spirit (never flown them before...they're probably another story) can get me to SAP (San Pedro Sula), though it lands a bit after midnight. None of this sounds pleasant, but I'm still willing to go.
On August 31, I'm planning to fly from TGU (Tegucigalpa) to either SAN or TIJ with DL miles, though I understand that no matter which destination I choose, I'll have to fly through ATL.
In any event, what are your thoughts (any positive ones?) on visiting San Pedro Sula these days, and what would be a must-see over a 5-6 day period in Honduras, given that beaches are out of the question, and that TGU is the desired end point?
Also, is this a decent time to travel vis-a-vis a rainy/the Caribbean hurricane season?
Thanks,
BmB
On my journey towards San Diego (or Tijuana) in late August, I'm thinking of going to Honduras.
I see that Spirit (never flown them before...they're probably another story) can get me to SAP (San Pedro Sula), though it lands a bit after midnight. None of this sounds pleasant, but I'm still willing to go.
On August 31, I'm planning to fly from TGU (Tegucigalpa) to either SAN or TIJ with DL miles, though I understand that no matter which destination I choose, I'll have to fly through ATL.
In any event, what are your thoughts (any positive ones?) on visiting San Pedro Sula these days, and what would be a must-see over a 5-6 day period in Honduras, given that beaches are out of the question, and that TGU is the desired end point?
Also, is this a decent time to travel vis-a-vis a rainy/the Caribbean hurricane season?
Thanks,
BmB
Jul 16, 2015, 5:51 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: SJO
Programs: TA Platinum (Now LifeMiles Diamond), CO/CM Platinum. (Now UA Premier 1K) AMEX Platinum
Posts: 379
Arriving late at night in SAP, make sure you have transportation arrangements to get to your hotel. The airport pretty much closes at sun down, as most of the employees want to get home before the bad guys come out. Car rental may wait for you, but I would advise against driving from SAP to San Pedro Sula after about 9 pm. There will be taxi drivers there, but it will be slim pickens.
You would want to visit Copan Ruins before the trip to TGU, and if you would have 5-6 days you could catch a flight (or ferry) to Roatan. Not much else.
You would want to visit Copan Ruins before the trip to TGU, and if you would have 5-6 days you could catch a flight (or ferry) to Roatan. Not much else.
Jul 17, 2015, 8:59 am
#3
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
Arriving late at night in SAP, make sure you have transportation arrangements to get to your hotel. The airport pretty much closes at sun down, as most of the employees want to get home before the bad guys come out. Car rental may wait for you, but I would advise against driving from SAP to San Pedro Sula after about 9 pm. There will be taxi drivers there, but it will be slim pickens.
You would want to visit Copan Ruins before the trip to TGU, and if you would have 5-6 days you could catch a flight (or ferry) to Roatan. Not much else.
You would want to visit Copan Ruins before the trip to TGU, and if you would have 5-6 days you could catch a flight (or ferry) to Roatan. Not much else.
As expected about SAP...what's your take on Tegucigalpa? Also, any particular dishes you'd recommend?
Jul 17, 2015, 9:51 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum
Posts: 1,894
It's not clear from your post: Have you booked these flights? Why are you making this trip? Where are you now that Honduras is on your way to San Diego?
Tegucigalpa is neither very interesting nor very safe. Plus, you're looking at a pretty small selection of flights. For a capital city of 1 million people, it has a tiny airport. And it's kind of off on its own, not really near anything of interest. Personally, I'd skip the capital entirely and fly in and out of SAP. Head to Copan. It's just three hours away, and there's a lot to see and do there. The bus company Hedman Alas has comfortable coach service between major destinations in Honduras.
www.hedmanalas.com
Tegucigalpa is neither very interesting nor very safe. Plus, you're looking at a pretty small selection of flights. For a capital city of 1 million people, it has a tiny airport. And it's kind of off on its own, not really near anything of interest. Personally, I'd skip the capital entirely and fly in and out of SAP. Head to Copan. It's just three hours away, and there's a lot to see and do there. The bus company Hedman Alas has comfortable coach service between major destinations in Honduras.
www.hedmanalas.com
Jul 17, 2015, 12:48 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: SJO
Programs: TA Platinum (Now LifeMiles Diamond), CO/CM Platinum. (Now UA Premier 1K) AMEX Platinum
Posts: 379
I am not very big on Tegu either. If it is to experience the airport, landing is much more interesting than taking off.
Honduras is not a culinary destination either. If I were to recommend one typical dish that can be very good it would be Sopa de Caracol or conch soup. I've had good carne asada there and the locals like Baleadas a great deal and they can be good also.
Honduras is not a culinary destination either. If I were to recommend one typical dish that can be very good it would be Sopa de Caracol or conch soup. I've had good carne asada there and the locals like Baleadas a great deal and they can be good also.
Jul 17, 2015, 8:19 pm
#6
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
It's not clear from your post: Have you booked these flights? Why are you making this trip? Where are you now that Honduras is on your way to San Diego?
Tegucigalpa is neither very interesting nor very safe. Plus, you're looking at a pretty small selection of flights. For a capital city of 1 million people, it has a tiny airport. And it's kind of off on its own, not really near anything of interest. Personally, I'd skip the capital entirely and fly in and out of SAP. Head to Copan. It's just three hours away, and there's a lot to see and do there. The bus company Hedman Alas has comfortable coach service between major destinations in Honduras.
www.hedmanalas.com
Tegucigalpa is neither very interesting nor very safe. Plus, you're looking at a pretty small selection of flights. For a capital city of 1 million people, it has a tiny airport. And it's kind of off on its own, not really near anything of interest. Personally, I'd skip the capital entirely and fly in and out of SAP. Head to Copan. It's just three hours away, and there's a lot to see and do there. The bus company Hedman Alas has comfortable coach service between major destinations in Honduras.
www.hedmanalas.com
I am not very big on Tegu either. If it is to experience the airport, landing is much more interesting than taking off.
Honduras is not a culinary destination either. If I were to recommend one typical dish that can be very good it would be Sopa de Caracol or conch soup. I've had good carne asada there and the locals like Baleadas a great deal and they can be good also.
Honduras is not a culinary destination either. If I were to recommend one typical dish that can be very good it would be Sopa de Caracol or conch soup. I've had good carne asada there and the locals like Baleadas a great deal and they can be good also.
Firstly, even if Honduras isn't too well known for its food scene, all of that sounds quite good.
As for the trip background, I was really hoping to take advantage of Spirit's low(er) fare to SAP (they only fly to SAP in Honduras), and then leave from TGU, all around the end of August. They'd be the flight in, and DL out.
Though, I see that one may have to pay an int'l airport departure tax of ~US$40, so now I'm thinking why not just leave from SAL and enjoy a day full of pupusas? (in terms of opportunity costs, if those 40 bucks have to be spent somewhere, it might as well be going to a city I kinda liked.)
Jul 18, 2015, 9:38 am
#8
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
OK, now I'm thinking to fly into Guatemala City, hoof it down to Copán, then check out Tegucigalpa, and perhaps leave from San Salvador.
Do you have accommodation recommendations for Copán/Tegu?
Jul 18, 2015, 3:15 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: SJO
Programs: TA Platinum (Now LifeMiles Diamond), CO/CM Platinum. (Now UA Premier 1K) AMEX Platinum
Posts: 379
The exit tax in Honduras now is included in the ticket price, so don't let that be a deal breaker. Honduras, Guatemala or Salvador? I would pick Nicaragua. Safer, cheaper and more to see. I like them all. Have a fun trip.
Jul 29, 2015, 9:02 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI or MEX
Programs: Somewhere in my wallet
Posts: 76
Did I miss a reason why beaches are out of the question? There are lovely beaches around Tela and La Ceiba and Trujillo, on the north coast.
San Pedro Sula is pretty unpleasant. I had to spent a couple of nights there in late 2013 to meet clients. Crossing the street from my hotel after dark to grab a drink in a bar, the punters there looked at me like I was crazy. Arriving after midnight, you should make sure you have transportation and accommodation arranged beforehand. I'd recommend staying as close to the airport as possible, and hightailing it out the next morning. There is a bus station at the airport, and domestic flights are mostly affordable inside Honduras.
Don't bother with Tegus. It's very marginally less unpleasant than San Pedro, but without a compelling reason to go, don't. The best sights in Honduras are all closer to San Pedro anyway. Copan is a Maya site worth visiting. It lacks the grandeur of Tikal, but the craftsmanship of the stelae is much higher quality than anything else I've seen in Mayab. Hedman-Alas runs executive buses to the adjacent town of Copan Ruinas, which is one of the most pleasant towns I've visited in the area. The coast is nice too - I liked Tela quite a bit, as well as Trujillo. The Bay Islands of Utila and Roatan both have the cheapest scuba diving in the Western Hemisphere, on the world's second-biggest barrier reef. Both have flights from SAP or La Ceiba. La Ceiba also has ferries to the Bay Islands, as well as an international airport. I'd serious consider this as an exit airport, rather than Tegus.
San Pedro Sula is pretty unpleasant. I had to spent a couple of nights there in late 2013 to meet clients. Crossing the street from my hotel after dark to grab a drink in a bar, the punters there looked at me like I was crazy. Arriving after midnight, you should make sure you have transportation and accommodation arranged beforehand. I'd recommend staying as close to the airport as possible, and hightailing it out the next morning. There is a bus station at the airport, and domestic flights are mostly affordable inside Honduras.
Don't bother with Tegus. It's very marginally less unpleasant than San Pedro, but without a compelling reason to go, don't. The best sights in Honduras are all closer to San Pedro anyway. Copan is a Maya site worth visiting. It lacks the grandeur of Tikal, but the craftsmanship of the stelae is much higher quality than anything else I've seen in Mayab. Hedman-Alas runs executive buses to the adjacent town of Copan Ruinas, which is one of the most pleasant towns I've visited in the area. The coast is nice too - I liked Tela quite a bit, as well as Trujillo. The Bay Islands of Utila and Roatan both have the cheapest scuba diving in the Western Hemisphere, on the world's second-biggest barrier reef. Both have flights from SAP or La Ceiba. La Ceiba also has ferries to the Bay Islands, as well as an international airport. I'd serious consider this as an exit airport, rather than Tegus.
Jul 29, 2015, 12:26 pm
#12
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
Did I miss a reason why beaches are out of the question? There are lovely beaches around Tela and La Ceiba and Trujillo, on the north coast.
San Pedro Sula is pretty unpleasant. I had to spent a couple of nights there in late 2013 to meet clients. Crossing the street from my hotel after dark to grab a drink in a bar, the punters there looked at me like I was crazy. Arriving after midnight, you should make sure you have transportation and accommodation arranged beforehand. I'd recommend staying as close to the airport as possible, and hightailing it out the next morning. There is a bus station at the airport, and domestic flights are mostly affordable inside Honduras.
San Pedro Sula is pretty unpleasant. I had to spent a couple of nights there in late 2013 to meet clients. Crossing the street from my hotel after dark to grab a drink in a bar, the punters there looked at me like I was crazy. Arriving after midnight, you should make sure you have transportation and accommodation arranged beforehand. I'd recommend staying as close to the airport as possible, and hightailing it out the next morning. There is a bus station at the airport, and domestic flights are mostly affordable inside Honduras.
Since it's a solo trip, beaches are out of the question, but I appreciate your detailed response nonetheless.
(Also, having never flown NK before, after tacking on all of the extras, I'm trying to come up with another route to Honduras.)
Jul 29, 2015, 2:02 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI or MEX
Programs: Somewhere in my wallet
Posts: 76
Thanks for your reply, GatoAndaluz.
Since it's a solo trip, beaches are out of the question, but I appreciate your detailed response nonetheless.
(Also, having never flown NK before, after tacking on all of the extras, I'm trying to come up with another route to Honduras.)
Since it's a solo trip, beaches are out of the question, but I appreciate your detailed response nonetheless.
(Also, having never flown NK before, after tacking on all of the extras, I'm trying to come up with another route to Honduras.)