Getting in and visas for Nicaragua

There are no passenger rail lines between Nicaragua and its neighbors.

By plane

You will fly into the international airport in Managua, most likely from Houston, Miami or Atlanta, if you come from the US. Spirit Airlines opened in August 2008, bringing more affordable air travel to Managua; they regularly offer RT tickets for around US$300. Managua is also serviced by American Airlines and Delta. It costs US$5 to enter the country (prices have not changed in 3 years but try to have exact change). Tourist visas not issued, instead tourist cards or provided and are valid for three months for US citizens as well as for people from the EU and Canada. There will be taxis right outside, these are relatively expensive (US$15 for the 20 Km trip to Managua centre) , walk out to the road and try to flag down a regular cab. All the hostels are located in the Barrio Martha Quezada. The taxi drivers try to rip you off, usually they start with US$10, but a price around US$3-6 or 50-100 Cordobas is appropriate. You can also fly into the tiny Granada airstrip from San Jose (Costa Rica).

By car

There are two border crossings to Costa Rica, Penas Blancas west of Lake Nicaragua and Los Chiles east of it. You have to take an US$10 boat to cross at Los Chiles. It s actually not possible to cross into Nicaragua via Los Chiles by car. There are three major border crossings to Honduras. Las Manos is on the shortest route to Tegucigalpa, the others ones are on the Panamerican Highway north of Leon. Foreigners have to pay US$7 to enter the border.

By bus

International buses are available between Managua and San Jose, Costa Rica and San Salvador, El Salvador. Some buses will continue to Panama City or Guatemala City. The buses are relatively modern with air conditioning, and make stops for fuel and food along the way. However, if you plan on taking this form of transportation, you should plan ahead. Buses between the major cities can fill up days ahead of departure dates. Another option is to be picked up in the smaller cities along the route, ask for the local ticket office. There are also cheap (but terribly uncomfortable) "Chicken buses" a few times a week between managua and guatemala city (US$20), that stop in major cities like leon. An alternative way to travel across the border is take a bus to/from a major city that drops you off at the border. You can then cross the border and board another bus. This is a common strategy for travelers, especially on the Costa Rican/Nicaraguan border. This method takes longer, but is much cheaper and can be done on a moment's notice.

By boat