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Travel to and on Roatan
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Airlines - Airlines providing international air travel to Roatan include Continental, Delta, Taca, and United. Taca has nice jets and the greatest number of international flights to and from Roatan. Complaints about Taca include leaving luggage behind for up to 6 days, especially during holiday travel times. This is a time that is profitable to carry air freight, even if it means leaving passenger luggage behind. Taca requires you to "confirm" your flight before leaving Roatan. If you do not call in or come in to confirm your flight, you may not have a seat even though you have a ticket. Taca has reduced the total weight allowance on baggage per person. Their new luggage requirements reduce the allowed weight from 140 pounds to 100 pounds per person. The heaviest piece may not exceed 70 lbs. Taca is strict and ready to enforce overweight fees. They may insist on weighing each carry on piece individually. Be ready to pay fines on the spot for anything over their specified limits, which are not necessarily as generous as other airline allowances. Taca's customer service needs improvement. If you change your round trip ticket and pay the change fee of $112, they may try to charge you a second change fee on the return leg of your trip. They may claim your reservation has been cancelled and you cannot fly on an oversold flight, offering no compensation. Islena and TACA tend to argue over fees and the delivery of delayed luggage rather than quickly agreeing with the inconvienced traveller. Phone Number TACA - Roatan International Airport 445-1088 or 445-1559 (The numbers are often busy or unanswered.) Spirit Airlines now has flights from Fort Lauderdale to San Pedro Sula on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. For more information see http://www.spiritair.com Travel Sites for Travel Reservations to Roatan HondurasExpedia.comCheapAir.com Travel-Roatan does NOT recommend Travelocity, another travel reservation website. Regional Airline Phone Numbers Providing Flights to and From RoatanRegional airlines serving Roatan apparently practice price-fixing, because the prices are identical airline to airline. Even the airline employees will tell you the prices are the same. Sosa Airlines 445-1154 Charter Flights Serving Roatan IslandRoatan Air provides both regional and international charter flights. Seaplane Tours of RoatanBay Island Airways offers unmatched tours of the island from the air. Contact numbers are 9858-8819 and 9858-8824. |
Roatan Ferry Schedule - Galaxy Wave YachtThe Safeway Maritime Transportion Company operates the ferry Galaxy Wave, which provides service between Roatan and La Ceiba if you prefer to travel by boat rather than by plane. Ferry travel schedule between Roatan and the Honduras mainland: Monday-Saturday |
Cruise Ships - Thousands of tourists
arrive weekly on Caribbean cruises. Some days two or three cruise
ships may dock at Coxen Hole. If you are interested in visiting tourist shops, you may go on foot through Coxen Hole. If you want to see other parts of the island, a taxi or minibus is recommended. |
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Other Ground Transportation - Bus fares are very cheap, but buses can be slow, hot, and crowded. Buses generally run about every 30 minutes along the major road that runs most of the length of the island. Taxi prices vary substantially. If you get a taxi at the airport, you can expect to pay high prices. If you go outside the gate, you can usually get lower prices. Taxi fares are often subject to negotiation. The island is overcrowded with taxis, so you won't have to wait long to see several coming. Typical taxi fare- Coxen Hole to French Harbor L25 per person. See the About Roatan page for the conversion from Lempiras to dollars. If you are a tourist, you may be charged $20 to go from the cruise dock to West End. If you are a native, the same trip may cost you less than $2.75, so be prepared to negogiate your taxi fare. The taxi drivers are organized, and have official paperwork showing the higher pricing, but you can negogiate nonetheless. Yachts - International visitors arriving on private yachts must first dock at Coxen Hole to check in with Honduras immigration officials. |
Nude Cruise to RoatanRoatan was invaded by people arriving as a part of a "nudist cruise". Some of these people exposed themselves on public beaches, but police moved in and took care of the problem. This type of public indecency can result in fines of 500 Lempiras. If you come to Roatan, keep your clothes on. Animals are free to come without clothes, but people are to wear clothes. |
Rental Cars - Rental car prices can range from 30 to 65 US dollars per day or more. Scooters are very popular on Roatan with tourists. Things to watch for with renting vehicles in Honduras includs bait and switch tactics. A rental company may agree to a given price and then surprise you with a higher price when you turn in the vehicle. Be sure they give you a final price in writing prior to signing anything.