Belize To Mexico: A Quick Hop Or A Long Haul?

The time it takes to travel from Belize to Mexico depends on the mode of transport and the exact origin and destination.

By plane, the flight duration is between 1 hour and 30 minutes and 16 hours and 40 minutes. The fastest option is a direct flight from Cancun to Belize City, which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.

By bus, the journey takes between 5 hours and 30 minutes and 8 hours and 24 minutes. Buses from Cancun to Belize City take around 10 hours and 30 minutes, while buses from Belize City to Chetumal take around 5 hours and 30 minutes.

By boat, travellers can take a ferry from Chetumal to San Pedro, which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes and runs four times a week.

Travel by bus from Belize to Mexico

The ADO bus is the most popular way to travel between Belize and Mexico. The bus company has resumed its services as of 24 July 2023, and runs between Belize City and Cancun. The bus leaves Belize City at 7:00 PM and reaches Cancun Airport at 7:00 AM. The journey takes approximately 12 hours and 30 minutes. The bus makes stops at the border for passengers to complete immigration procedures.

Tickets can be purchased at the Belize City Bus Terminal. Tickets can also be purchased online from the ADO Bus Website. Passengers must present a valid passport before boarding the bus.

The cost of the journey is as follows:

• Chetumal to Belize City: BZ $69
• Playa del Carmen to Belize City: BZ $127
• Cancun Bus Terminal to Belize City: BZ $153
• Cancun Airport to Belize City: BZ $167

The bus is equipped with air conditioning and comfortable seats. It is recommended to carry multiple currencies, including Mexican pesos, Belizean dollars, and US dollars, as different currencies may be required at different points during the journey.

There are other bus options available, such as the chicken bus, which is a local bus that runs between Chetumal and Belize City. This option is cheaper but may be more confusing and less comfortable. Additionally, there are shuttle services and private transfers available that can help travellers cross the border.

The border crossing process may involve multiple stops and payments of various fees and taxes. It is important to carry the necessary documents and have them readily available.

Travellers should also be aware of potential scams or requests for bribes at the border. It is recommended to have proof of payment for any required fees, such as the Mexican tourism tax, to avoid paying multiple times.

Travel by ferry from Belize to Mexico

There are two ferry companies operating routes between Belize and Mexico: Water Jets International and San Pedro Belize Express. Both companies depart on alternate days, and the journey takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Water Jets International operates every day except Thursdays and Sundays. The ferry leaves Chetumal's Fiscal Dock at 10 am, arriving in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, in 90 minutes. A one-way ticket costs MXN $1,300 (around US$63) for adults and MXN$1,105 (US$53) for children aged 4-9.

San Pedro Belize Express offers a daily service from Caye Caulker in Belize to Chetumal in Mexico, departing Caye Caulker at 7 am. This route takes around 2 hours, excluding time spent going through customs in San Pedro, which can add an additional hour. The boat costs around USD 55 for adults and USD 15 for children.

Please note that there are high fees and taxes when crossing this border, so be sure to budget accordingly. For example, the Belize exit fee is BZD 40 / USD 20 per person, and the Mexican entry fee is MXN 687 / USD 37-38 per person, depending on the number of days spent in the country.

Additionally, due to time differences between the two countries, travellers essentially lose an hour when crossing from Belize to Mexico, so it is recommended to start the journey early in the day.

Travel by plane from Belize to Mexico

There are several ways to travel from Belize to Mexico, including by plane, bus, ferry, and car. In this response, we will focus on travelling by plane from Belize to Mexico.

Flight Options

Flights from Belize to Mexico vary in duration depending on the departure and arrival airports. Here are some common flight routes and their approximate durations:

• From Chetumal, Mexico (CTM) to Mexico City (MEX): 2 hours 54 minutes.
• From Chetumal, Mexico (CTM) to Mexico City Santa Lucia Airport (NLU): Unknown.
• From Cancun, Mexico to Belize City, Belize: 1 hour 30 minutes.
• From Mexico City, Mexico to Belize City, Belize: 1 hour 54 minutes.
• From Mexico City (MEX) to Belize City (BZE) with a stop in San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL): 4 hours 40 minutes.

Airlines

Several airlines operate flights between Belize and Mexico, including:

• Tropic Air.
• American Airlines.
• Delta.
• Copa.
• Volaris.
• Viva Aerobus.
• Aeroméxico.
• Avianca.

Airports

• Chetumal Airport (CTM), Chetumal, Mexico.
• Mexico City Santa Lucia Airport (NLU), Mexico City, Mexico.
• Cancun Airport, Cancun, Mexico.
• Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE), Belize City, Belize.
• Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX), Mexico City, Mexico.
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas, USA.
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas, USA.

Ticket Prices

Ticket prices for flights between Belize and Mexico vary depending on the route and the airline. Here are some examples of recent ticket prices for the route between Belize City and Mexico City:

• One-way: From $278.
• Round trip: From $523.

Border crossing fees

There are two fees to be wary of when entering and exiting Belize: the Mexico Tourism Tax (DNI) and the Belize exit fee.

The Mexico Tourism Tax (DNI) is an entry fee that must be paid to the Mexican Government by all foreign nationals, including Belizeans who enter Mexico by air, road or sea, in the following cases:

• Tourists staying in Mexico for more than seven consecutive days.
• Transit travellers with a destination to a third country, regardless of the time needed for their transit.
• Holders of the border card FMVL who remain in Mexico for more than three consecutive days.

The DNI fee is 30 USD (600+ MXN Pesos). Departure tax is included in your flight ticket if you flew into Mexico. It is recommended to have a screenshot of the ticket with an itemized receipt from the airline, clearly showing the tax to show immigration.

The Belize exit fee is 40 BZD / 20 USD per person. This must be paid in cash, but it can be either in BZD or USD.

There is also a fee to enter Mexico, however, this is a bit of a grey area and seems like a scam. Legally, you can enter Mexico for up to seven days without paying a tax. However, if you will be in Mexico for more than seven days, you will need to pay a tax. The trick is that all flights out of Mexico include this tax, by law. So, if you’ve already booked a flight departing Mexico then you’ve already paid this tax.

It is possible to prove that you have already paid this tax by printing your itemized receipt from your departure flight, which shows the tax is already paid. However, many travellers have still had to pay the tax even when showing this proof.

The cost of the Mexican entry fee is 687 MXN / 37.15 USD. This amount may change based on the number of days you have in Mexico.

Time zones and time differences

Belize and Mexico are in different time zones. Belize is in the Central Time Zone and does not observe daylight saving time. Mexico has multiple time zones. In 2015, the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, which shares a border with Belize, switched to the Eastern Standard Time Zone and does not observe daylight saving time.

This means that the area of Mexico you'll be entering is one hour ahead of Belize all year round. For example, if it's 2 pm in Belize, it will be 3 pm in Mexico. So, when you cross the Belize-Mexico border at Chetumal, you essentially lose an hour, and you should factor this into your travel plans.

Belize's time zone is two hours behind the United States when the US is on daylight saving time and one hour behind when the US is on standard time.

Belize's latitude is 17.25, and its longitude is -88.75. Mexico City, Mexico's latitude is 19.4333, and its longitude is -99.1333. The distance between the two countries is 1,121 km.

To give you an idea of the travel time between the two countries, it would take approximately 14.01 hours to drive non-stop from Belmopan, Belize, to Mexico City, Mexico, at a constant speed of 80 km per hour. By plane, it would take approximately 1.87 hours on a direct flight.

Frequently asked questions