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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

You came to the right blog for Belize Resources and Information.

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Belize on a Budget

by tacogirl 12/04/2011
written by tacogirl 12/04/2011
San Pedro Belize beach pictures

Planning a  Budget Vacation? Looking  to score some Mexico – Belize Travel deals? Today’s post is for you. Talented  Jewelery Designer Sofa City Sweethearts is sharing her trials – tribulations and great research information as she walks us through making her 2 person  San Pedro Belize trip happen within a low travel budget. Be sure and check out her cool new site featuring  Belize picture  jewelery cool custom pet bling and more.

Belize on a Budget by Sofa City Sweethearts

Vacations, for me, are a luxury that come along very rarely.  And when they do, strict budgeting is always required.

I have been planning my visit to San Pedro since LAST January. I certainly didn’t wish for it to take this long, by any means. But operating with little, or no, disposable income turns vacation planning simply into wishful thinking. And that’s exactly what it was.

My boyfriend and I had recently started looking to make extra cash outside of our real jobs. He began playing music at local bars on the weekends. And I was working on building a business on Etsy (www.sofacitysweethearts.com), selling my handmade jewelry and pet products. It wasn’t long before we both started dreaming of quitting our casino jobs. Then I began thinking of us picking up and moving, leaving behind the old jobs and post-Katrina stresses that we deal with day-to-day. Belize was at the top of my mind. Many months passed, but our goal remained very clear. And with lots of hard work, we were both able to begin the new year self-employed.  I still have to pinch myself on that one.

My next goal was to get us to Belize, ASAP.  However, my much more level-headed other half refused to entertain my idea of moving to a place we’ve never been. So back to vacation planning. It was worth a shot, though. I was shocked to learn how expensive flights were. I couldn’t find a flight from New Orleans to Belize City for under $750. The flight alone was more than our entire trip budget. Hope was dwindling.

I started looking for alternatives- maybe driving, or taking a bus. But neither of us could afford to take off the amount of time it would take to do either of those. And driving through Mexico seemed frightening. After many school years of taking Spanish classes, all I can remember is how to ask if I can go to the bathroom. This surely would not be a good idea.

So back to square one.  I Googled every single combination of words I could think of to find a cheaper alternative. And then I came across a blog post that mentioned how cheap flights are to Cancun. Off to search again. I was able to find tickets from Atlanta to Cancun for $298/person. The savings are definitely worth the 6 hour drive to ATL. So I quickly booked it. That was a great moment, knowing that this trip was finally going to happen. We leave on May 9, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Tips I’ve learned so far:
-Do not get a cab from the airport to the Cancun bus station. It will be expensive and unnecessary. There are buses leaving the airport hourly to Playa Del Carmen ($10 US).  This will take you 45 minutes.
-From there, you can choose to switch buses and head toward Chetumal (about $17 USD and 4.5 hours) or to spend the night in Playa and start again the next morning. If you choose to stay in Playa, there is a nice hotel within walking distance to the bus station. It will cost you only $44-52 USD (taxes included). *This is where we will be staying.
-From Chetumal, you can cross into Belize and head to Corozal to take a Tropic Air flight to San Pedro. Or you could take the water taxi directly from Chetumal. This leaves daily at 3pm.

Here’s my expected cost breakdown for my trip (excluding food, taxes, taxi (if needed to/from Chetumal bus station), and entertainment) per person:
*hotel costs are split between 2 people
Day 1:
Round-trip flight $298 USD
Bus from airport $10 (45 mins)
Hotel Alux (Playa Del Carmen)- $22 (taxes included)
Days 2-4:
Bus to Chetumal $17
Water taxi to San Pedro -$40.50 (1/2 of cost if booked round-trip and including the tacogirl specials 10% discount)
3 nights at Pedro’s Inn (San Pedro)- $67.50 (with 10% tacogirl specials discount)
Day 5:
Return water taxi trip to Chetumal- $40.50
Bus to Playa Del Carmen- $17 (4.5-5 hours)
Hotel Alux -$22 (taxes included)
Day 6:
Bus to Cancun Airport $9 (1 hour)
____________________________
$543.50

Helpful Links:
Kayak travel site.
Cancun International Airport – Cancun Airport bus station information
Hotel Alux Playa Del Carmen
Mexico Bus travel
San Pedro Water Taxi
Pedro’s Hotel – cheap rooms priceless San Pedro Belize adventure

Related

tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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5 comments

JimOnTheBeach 23/04/2011 - 7:57 am

Have a great trip and keep us posted on how things are going. I am planing a trip from south Florida in the future.

Reply
Carrie 19/04/2011 - 12:42 am

Hi Emily. I am interested to see how easy the trip is through the Yucatan by bus. I’ve never done anything like this before.
I’ll be sure to post here again after the trip to let you know how it went.

Cindy–I’ll be in contact soon. Laurie is getting the info to me regarding the current promotion that you are running….We can’t wait to get there and hop in the pool. 🙂

Hi Forrest. I’d love to see where you re-post it. I’m like a sponge for info on Belize. I’m always looking for new sources of information.

Reply
Emily 16/04/2011 - 3:41 pm

Thank you so much for the info! I am planning to come to Belize to do volunteer work in August with Mary Open Doors, and will be flying AirTran into Cancun. I have been looking all over for info. on bus ticket prices to Belize, so this is great!

Reply
cindy 12/04/2011 - 11:43 am

Hi there, thank you so much for the mention – keep enjoying those Tacogirl specials! If you need any more help planning your trip, just email me! Cindy at Pedros

Reply
Forrest Jones 12/04/2011 - 9:23 am

Laurie, thank SofaCity Sweetheart for me. Her account is very succinct and useful. I’ll save it and add it to a post Cindy Vigna made on the same subject last year.

Reply

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

If you have any questions or want Belize discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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