Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Always be aware of your surroundings and try not to visit the ATM at night or unaccom-
panied.
You can search for Visa ATM locations in Guatemala online at ht-
tp://visa.via.infonownet/locator/global/jsp/SearchPage.jsp and MasterCard ATMs at
www.mastercard.com/atm
.
A useful listing of Banco Industrial Visa ATMs throughout
Guatemala can be found at
www.bi.com.gt/Cajeros-BI_body.htm
. This will give you an
idea of the availability of ATMs along your planned travel route.
Postal Services
Guatemala's postal service, known as El Correo, was privatized a few years back and
placed in the very capable hands of a Canadian company, making it much more reliable
than it once was. It's also fairly inexpensive, though a letter to the United States might
take three weeks to arrive at its destination. International couriers such as Federal Express,
UPS, and DHL also have a sizable presence here, along with several local companies used
largely by Guatemalan expats living in the United States. The latter are substantially more
affordable.
Telephone Service
Guatemala's country code is 502. There are no separate area or city codes. All phone num-
bers, save a few emergency numbers, are eight digits long. There are also a few toll-free
numbers belonging to airlines and services that begin with 1-801. The national telephone
servicewasprivatizedin1999andisnowknownasTelgua.Anumberofotherphonecom-
panies, including Spanish Telefónica also operate here, providing some welcome competi-
tion. Each of the local phone companies have its own dialing codes for calling the United
States from a land line, which will save you money. Most travelers, however, end up using
any of the numerous phone centers in major tourist cities, from where you can call fairly
cheaply to anywhere in the world. (These are covered in the appropriate geographical sec-
tions and are almost always housed in the same places offering Internet services.) Telgua
also has call centers in major cities.
The most convenient and cheapest way to call home (and be able to call hotels and
make reservations while on the road) is to have a cell phone. The most popular phone net-
work is Tigo (
www.tigo.com.gt
)
, which likewise has the widest coverage and charges by
the second, saving you money in the long run. Rates for domestic calls are about $0.16
a minute and you can call the United States for about $0.12 a minute. You can buy a
phone locally, with the cheapest somewhere around $45, or bring one with you and use it
