Excursion through Mexico and Central America. Where to end?
 

Next winter in the month of January i am studying abroad for a short term program that ends around January 21-25th. I want to be on my way towards Argentina where i need to be March 1, 2010.
I want to travel overland hopefully wih a friend but possibly by myselft through Central and southern mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

I hopefully am going on a separate trip to panama this summer so i want to fly out of San jose, costa rica into quito, ecuador. I would like to go to Colombia but i have somewhat conflicting reports about being able to fly into Colombia without a plane ticket out becuase of strict restritctions. Also i am somewhat concerned about safety in Colombia although i understand it has improved. I will then travel through south America to Argentina.

Anyway does anyone have advice is on about a 10-15day trek overland from Mexico City to San Jose, Costa Rica? Is this even possible? where should I stop? Are buses the way to go? How do i maximize my time?

Thanks!

Even with 15 days that really doesn't sound like fun to me - all your photos would be blurry shots taken through grimy bus windows or of the sketchy surrounds of the bus stations where you waited for your next ride. At the very least that's 5 countries and only 2 or 3 days per country; it will take that long just to make the bus connections through in some cases. Imo Guatemala is the gem of Central America and both Belize and Honduras offer great snorkeling and diving; maybe you could travel down into Guatemala for a week, either spending a week of blue water time in Belize enroute or hitting Honduras after, then flying from there to Quito. Just my 2 cents' worth...

Photos and travelogues here if you're interested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

I think that's a huge amount of ground to try and cover in 34 days. Even the 10-15 days overland from Mexico City to San Jose will be rushed. If it were me, I'd cut back.

For the Central America portion, look at the schedule for Tica Bus, which connects Tapachula, in extreme southern Mexico, with all the countries.

www.ticabus.com

Examples: You're looking at an entire day of travel to get from Honduras or El Salvador to Nicaragua. The bus spends the night in Managua, then continues on to San Jose, another day-long journey. That eats into precious time.

Then you'd have another couple of weeks to get overland from Quito to Buenos Aires. Those distances are even more vast.

If you want more time to sightsee, I think you'll need to build more flights into that time. Otherwise, I fear you'll have mostly memories of a lot of long bus rides.

Colombia is on my favorite countries list. I'm in my mid seventies and road my Honda 125 south through Colombia, Cartagena, Bogota, Popayan and on to Ecuador on my way south to Tierra del Fuego. Heading back north I entered Colombia from Venezuela (see BLOG if you wish). I felt totally safe all the time, kind people, helpful officials, stupendous countryside, fabulous early Hispanic Colonial buildings.
All joy to you...

Ok I hear what you are saying. How do you think I should use the 35 days? Keeping in mind that I will be starting in Mexico City and ending in Buenos Aires on March 1, 2010


http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...a-where-to.cfm

For starters, I think you realize now that you'll need to take more flights than simply Costa Rica-Ecuador.

There is so much fascinating territory between Mexico City and Buenos Aires that it will be difficult to narrow down. Look at a Central America-wide and a South America-wide guidebook to give yourself some ideas of what's there and of what might interest you.

My recommendation: Don't miss Peru.