Don't Just Study Spanish Live it! Proyecto Lingüístico Santa Maria Founded 1982

HOW TO GET XELA

Getting to Xela :

 If you arrive in Guatemala city early and wish to come directly to Xela, you can take a taxi or bus directly to the bus station (see below). There are several first class companies, though most our students use Galgos , Alamo or Linea Dorada (Spanish for Greyhound).
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The easiest and most comfortable way to travel between the Capitol City of Guatemala and Quetzaltenango is by Pullman bus.  Linea Dorada offers luxury service with working bathrooms, air conditioning, movies and for security reasons they have decide to run a direct bus service. Meaning Station to Station NO stops. You can buy tickets at the station in Xela. One way cost: Q70/person = $9.00 USD. Galgos, Alamo & Lineas Americas run Greyhound style buses on the daily schedules below, however, their buses do not have bathrooms and they stop along the way to pickup and let people off. One way cost: Q55.00/person = $7.00

Arriving at Guatemala City's airport: 

Visas: Generally 90 day visas are available, though occasionally they have been shortened for political reasons. Sometimes a clerk will assume that you want only a 30 day visa. Just ask politely for 90 days if you need it.

Changing money: 

Once through immigration, you can change money at the glass booth directly in front of the stalls. The exchange rate has been described as one of the best in Guatemala, so change the amount you want. It might be good to check the exchange rate from home, before you arrive. You can do this on the Internet or at various banks. For those of you arriving in the wee hours of the morning (i.e. 5 am) you'll find that you might have trouble finding ANYWHERE to change money. If this is the case, you might want to bring some Guatemala money from home (if you can find a bank that has access to it). If you're in a real bind, one of our past students, Natasha, a student from Canada, found that a McDonald's in the city (which open pretty early) took US money and gave her Guatemalan change in return.

Bus Terminal 

The bus terminal is open until about 9 or 10 pm, but you should go early in the day. You should try not to travel in Guatemala at night for your personal safety. If your plane gets in after 12 noon, it's probably best to stay the night in Guatemala city (unless you have experience traveling and getting around in the country).

To get to Galgos, Alamo or Linea Dorada: 

 Take a city bus: There is a bus stop in front of the airport. You might want to verify with the driver that you are going to Zona 1. (if you don't speak Spanish yet, writing it down might help). The cost is about a quetzal or perhaps a bit more.

 Taxi: 

It's about a 10 minute ride to Zona 1. Negotiate the price BEFORE you get in. It costs about Q70 or a bit more (as of 2003).

 Get off at the Rotunda: 

The cheapest way to SANTA MARIA is to get off the bus at the Rotunda (it's a make-shift terminal). You will have to tell the bus driver ahead of time you don't know the town and to please let you out there. "Me gustaria bajar a la Rotunda, por favor?" will do for those who don't yet know the language. Then they will unload your stuff there and you can get a cab.

 Negotiating cab fare: Negotiate a price BEFORE you get in. Usually you can get the cab driver to drop his price 1/2 to 1/3. It may cost around 20-25 Quetzals (1997).

 Give the address: PROYECTO LINGUISTICO SANTA MARIA : 3a calle . 10-56 Zona 1(Behind PENSION BONIFAZ). .

 Getting off at the terminal: Should the 1st class bus not want to fool around unloading your stuff at la Rotunda, don't worry, get out at the terminal and take a cab. It will just be a little longer. 20 Quetzales should be enough (2003).

The Cuatro Caminos intersection outside the city