lhgreenacres

We are planning a trip to Roatan in March, 2011 and would like to know which is easier the flight or the ferry. We would like to be able to leave as late as possible on our last day in Roatan but what to make sure that the flights are reliable. We could also leave early the next morning and take the ferry to La Ceiba. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

hopefulist

I think you'd be fine either way but we're choosing to fly again next summer. Part of what makes it easier to fly is you end up at the airport instead of the dock, waiting for your luggage before you can take a taxi to the airport. Hoever, reserve in advance, pay in advance, reconfirm several times, and arrive 2 hours ahead at the airport as regional airlines in Honduras have "lost" our reservations several times.

If you choose the ferry, they'll give you dramamine when you buy your ticket if you ask. The Roatán boat is pretty nice so mainly it's just a personal choice.

travelgirl00

I was just in Roatan earlier this year and my friend took the ferry over to the mainland for a few days after I left the island. He said it was very easy and reliable (as far as the schedule goes). Only advice (from friends that live on Roatan) is take the early boat out... the water is still calm and the ride should be smooth...

Mixter603

hopefulist, What is the name of the airline that flies between Roatan and LaCieba? Also, were they reliable in terms of schedule or did they have a habit of canceling flights, etc.?

Thanks for your help.

jojoblais

I was in Roatan over the summer & we took a snorkeling trip to one of the little islands that lies about halfway between Roatan & the mainland, which is the route you'd be sailing on the ferry. The ride back in the afternoon was EXTREMELY BUMPY. I was warned that it can be even worse than that, & that it's also worse at other times of the year, so if you're prone to seasickness I'd say to avoid it.

hopefulist

Morning trips tend to be much smoother, gratefully.

I'm not sure who is flying that route now, Mixter - sorry! There used to be 3: Isleña (division of Taca), Sosa, and Atlantic, but there might only be 1 left. In 2008 we flew Sosa and this year we're flying Guatemala City to Roatán via San Salvador on Taca. You could check out their website: www.taca.com

We've flown all 3 airlines in the past. In general they've been fine but we've had "lost" reservations, late flights, early flights (?!) and flights that landed extra, unscheduled places and were therefore extra late, a mix of the 3 airlines and none of them perfect. Leaving Utila in 2008 we got to the airport just minutes before our flight was scheduled to leave (a shuttle delay) and the plane was there but not the pilot! We waited with a small group for half an hour and he showed up with a gal with a clipboard who checked us in, we loaded our gear, and were off. We made it to SAP and our flight heading home was delayed 5 hours so it wasn't our best flight day.

Like I said, I double and triple check and (except on Utila) arrive well ahead of the flight plus we leave plenty of time on the other end if we're connecting to our international flight. Don't count on them flying on time and you won't be disappointed.