In Central America, only Mexico has so far gained wide popularity among Russian and European tourists. But there are other interesting countries in this part of the world that deserve attention.
Central American countries include: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean islands. All major mainland countries are easily accessible by road. The route is most conveniently made from the United States of America, since low-cost airlines fly from Miami and Houston, prices for a one-way ticket to almost any of the Central American countries are in the range of 4,000 - 7,000 rubles if bought in advance. Alternatively, you can fly from the United States to one country and return from another. There are often promotions from Russia for tickets to US cities. So, in general, all flights can cost 35-40 thousand rubles, if you have an American visa. If not, then add another $ 160 to the budget to receive it.
Examples of routes: Miami - Cancun - Panama - Miami, Houston - San Jose - Cancun - Houston.
There is something to see in Central America: ruins of ancient civilizations (Mexico, Guatemala), national holidays (Mexico, Honduras), volcanoes (Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala), centotas (Mexico), national parks (Costa Rica, Mexico), unique lakes (Nicaragua, Guatemala), natural beauty, islands in the Caribbean (almost all countries), huge beaches (Mexico), the Pacific coast for surfing (Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica). Perhaps the country of least interest for travel is El Salvador, although there is a lot to see there.
Pay attention to safety, as we are talking about Latin America. Relatively safe are: Mexico south of Mexico City, Costa Rica, Panama, all the island states.
In other countries, you need to be especially careful to study in advance where you should not go. For example, in Guatemala, it is not recommended to travel by public intercity buses, only by special tourist "minibuses".
To navigate the budget, determine the approximate time of stay in each country, where you will stay for a day or two, and where you will stay longer. The most expensive countries are Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, all the island states. If the budget is limited, then you can adjust the route, for example, the Mayan ruins and volcanoes are better seen not in Mexico, but in much cheaper Guatemala. When choosing islands for diving near Honduras, stop at the less popular Utila island rather than Roatan.
Find out in advance the cost of buses between countries and ferries, it is easy to do on the websites of transport companies on the Internet. If you are traveling with a group, it may be more convenient in some cases to take a taxi. It is very convenient to rent a car in Costa Rica to travel the whole country.
Calculate the approximate cost of living, compare prices for hotels and private apartments. But booking everything in advance is not worth it in order to make the route "flexible", and to have the opportunity to stay longer where you really like, and this can only be found out upon arriving at the place. You will always have time to book accommodation or find a hotel on the spot, in these countries there is practically no tourist excitement (except, perhaps, Mexico during the holiday season).
If you live in private apartments or apart-hotels with a kitchen, you can save a lot of money on restaurants, because you can buy groceries in supermarkets and cook at home, especially in expensive countries.
Of course, do not wear gold jewelry, be careful with cameras and other equipment. Do not forget to take out insurance, make copies of passports. Once again, clarify about the visa regime immediately before the trip, carefully read the baggage allowance on the air tickets.
Such a trip is almost impossible to fully plan, a lot will be decided "on the spot", but this is the whole interest to enjoy every moment and discoveries of new countries.
