Belize: Various travel information
How to get to Belize
By Air
The country’s only international airport, Philip SW Goldson International Airport (BZE), is located in Ladyville, a neighboring town to Belize City. Scheduled flights between Europe and Belize do not exist, so you have to fly via the USA or Mexico. However, it is advisable to fly to Cancun, Mexico, and travel on from there by bus.
International connections to and from Belize are:
- American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas, USA), Miami (Florida, USA)
- Delta Air Lines Atlanta (Georgia, USA)
- Maya Island Air Cancún (Mexico), Guatemala City (Guatemala), San Pedro Sula (Honduras)
- TACA Airlines San Salvador (El Salvador)
- Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos Flores (Guatemala)
- Tropic Air Flores (Guatemala), San Pedro Sula (Honduras)
- United Airlines Houston-Intercontinental (Texas, USA)
- US Airways Charlotte (North Carolina, USA)
By car
You can get to Belize City from Mexico (via Chetumal) and – a bit more bumpy – Guatemala (via Tikal) by car on some of the main roads that take some getting used to. There are sufficient petrol stations.
By boat
The many cruise ships that call at Belize City usually don’t last too long, so you won’t see much of the city or even the country. From Honduras ‘ Puerto Cortés, a small speedboat runs once a week to the Placencia peninsula in Belize. There are also speedboats between Puerto Barrios (Guatemala) and Punta Gorda (Belize) and boats between Livingston (Guatemala) and Punta Gorda.
By bus
Many travelers fly to Cancun (Mexico) and travel from there on an express bus to the border town of Chetumal in around 6 hours. A faster option is to drive from Cancun via Playa del Carmen and then on to Chetumal. Buses also run from Guatemala City to the capital, Belmopan.
Travel in the country
By car
In general, the country’s road network is not very good compared to other Central American countries. Of the almost 2,900 kilometers of road, only around 500 kilometers are paved. However, efforts are being made in Belize to permanently expand the road network, especially in the north. The few cities in the country are connected by main roads. During the rainy season, traffic often comes to a standstill due to the rapid and heavy downpours. Night drives overland should be avoided in the dark, which is also recommended because there is no breakdown assistance in the country.
Traffic is on the right in Belize. In order to avoid trouble with the police or even the courts, one should strictly adhere to the traffic rules applicable in the country. The maximum speeds shown can of course be reduced or increased by traffic signs. Regardless of the information given here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC, the AvD or the traffic clubs in the country concerned. As a matter of principle, in addition to the general speed limits shown, the speed limits indicated by signs must be strictly observed.
By Air
Belize has 43 airports and offers a large number of daily scheduled flights within the state. These are almost exclusively small aircraft that operate between the larger towns. By the way, flying is the most expensive form of travel in Belize. Because of the relatively small size of the country, it is also easy to bypass it.
By boat
Almost only small ships operate on the approximately 825 kilometers of navigable waterways. There is a widespread motorboat service on the coast, but this is not regulated by precise timetables. The smaller motor boats run between Belize City and the Cayes.
By bus
The cheapest way to travel in Belize is still by bus. Buses are quite clean and run on regular routes. If you are traveling overland, just put your arm out and the bus driver will stop and pick you up. However, you should be prepared for the fact that the buses are not very spacious. But you can hardly travel cheaper in the country and hardly come into better contact with the local population. Mostly air-conditioned express and first-class buses run between the larger cities. But you are not simply stopped on the street.
International license plate
Belize’s license plate is:
| BZ |
Belize: Embassies and Consulates
Representations of Belize in Germany
Embassy
The embassy in Brussels is responsible .
Honorary Consulate General in Stuttgart
Breitscheidstraße 10
70174 Stuttgart
Tel: 0049 – (0) 711 – 90 71 09 20
Email: wolfkahles@t-online.de
Honorary Consulate in Frankfurt/Main
Kranichsteiner Straße 21
60598 Frankfurt/Main
Tel: 0049 – (0) 69 – 60 62 78 57
German representations in Belize
Embassy
The embassy in Guatemala is responsible.
Honorary Consulate in Belize City
57 Southern Foreshore
PO Box 1021
Belize City, Belize
Tel: 00501 – (0) 8 – 22 23 50
00501 – (0) 2 – 22 43 69/-71
Fax: 00501 – (0) 2 – 22 43 75
Email: maritza@cisco.com.bz
Austrian representations in Belize
Embassy
The embassy in Mexico is responsible.
Representations of Belize in Austria
Embassy of Belize
Franz Josefs Kai 13/5/16
1011 ViennaP.O.Box
982
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 533 76 63
Email: belizeembassy@utanet.at
Swiss representation in Belize
Embassy
The embassy in Mexico City/Mexico is responsible.
Consulate in Belize City
83 North Front Street
Belize City, CA
Belize
Tel: 00501 – (0) 2 – 23 55 05
Fax: 00501 – (0) 2 – 23 70 07
Email: belize@honorarvertretung.ch
Representations of Belize in Switzerland
The consulate of Belize in Switzerland is currently closed.
Therefore, contact the embassy in Brussels.
Belize representations in Europe
Embassy in Brussels (Belgium)
Boulevard Brand Whitlock 136
1200 Brussels
Tel: 0032 – (0) 2 – 732 62 04
Email: bzhc-lon@btcconnect.com
Belize: Entry and Exit Regulations
Formalities, visas
Anyone wishing to enter Belize, however, needs a visa. However, this does not have to be organized in advance. It is easy to get when entering the country. It allows you to stay in the country for up to 30 days and can be extended almost indefinitely – for a fee. Citizens of the EU need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the stay. A return ticket is also required.
Import and export of goods The import and export of plants and animals protected according to the Washington Species Protection Act is strictly prohibited. The import of weapons, explosives and fireworks as well as drugs of all kinds is still prohibited and threatened with severe penalties.
Belize: Travel Medicine, Warnings
Infectious Diseases
The following diseases are to be expected in Belize, which are not common in Germany or Northern Europe:
- There is an increased risk of AIDS infection (use condoms during sexual intercourse. Blood transfusions should be avoided. Use sterile syringes)
- Chagas, the sporadic occurrence of Chagas is to be expected.
- Cholera, occurs occasionally
- Dengue fever
- Intestinal infections with worm infestation, Shigella, lamblia, amoeba and Solomonella
- Leishmaniasis, low risk, and most importantly, skin involvement
- rabies
- Typhoid, isolated
Vaccination recommendations
- diphtheria
- Hepatitis A and B
- tetanus
- rabies
- typhus
Compulsory vaccination
There is a compulsory vaccination for travelers who come from the yellow fever infection areas designated by the WHO.
Current warnings
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizens’ Service
Phone: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Belize: currency
The local currency of Belize is the Belize Dollar = 100 cents.
Note
It should be noted, however, that the calculated rate is not the one that you actually get. It differs, for example, depending on whether you are exchanging in your home country or in the country you are traveling, whether you are exchanging cash or withdrawing money from the machine. In addition, the rate differs when exchanging for the foreign currency and exchanging back.
