Is it safe to hang out at a bus station for 1-2 hours in Guatemala City?
My wife and I are going to be vacationing in Guatemala. She has been already down there for a month as part of a study abroad program and I am meeting her. She'll be coming in on the ADN bus from Xela and I'll be flying in to the airport. Then we'll both be taking ADN north to flores. I get in a little earlier than she does, so I was just planning to hang out at the bus station for 1-2 hours until she arrives. Is this a safe plan, or are bus terminals not a great place just to be waiting around.
If you aren't familiar with ADN, they're located in Zona 1.
Best Answer
Since the reshuffles of 2012, many of the terminals have changed around and companies have moved. So be sure that you're going to the right place.
However, it sounds like you know the details, so assume it IS in Zona 1, which Wikitravel seems to agree with, you may consider this advice from Frommers:
Guatemala City is not very conducive to exploring by foot. The city is spread out, and many of the major attractions are far from one another. Plus street crime is a problem. It's relatively safe to walk around zonas 1, 4, 9, 10, and 13 by day. However, with few exceptions, you should never walk around Guatemala City at night.
Wikitravel seemed to agree with this, saying that many bus crimes happen on night-time bus rides, and that you should avoid travelling by bus at night.
Now if you've done bus travel before, you'll know this is all statistical and nothing is guaranteed - you may well be completely fine, and probably will be. It's a bus station, with staff around, other people watching, isn't in the middle of the night, and so on. However, opportunistic crime can happen at any time, so your best bet is to stay in a public, well-lit area, ideally near any security staff, to maximise your safety, if at all possible.
Pictures about "Is it safe to hang out at a bus station for 1-2 hours in Guatemala City?"
What should I avoid in Guatemala?
11 Things You Should Never Do in Guatemala, Ever- Don't take photos of locals without asking.
- Don't get scammed at the border.
- Don't skip Guatemala City.
- Don't assume ATMs will be around.
- Don't wear sandals to Tikal.
- Don't be scared of the police.
- Don't expect good coffee to be ever-present.
- Don't assume everyone speaks Spanish.
Is it safe to walk around Guatemala City?
In fact, Guatemala City has many areas where it's friendly and safe to walk around in during the day. There's no other urban area in Guatemala like Guatemala City. You won't find modern malls, gleaming high-rise offices and condos, theaters, and other \u201cfirst-world\u201d amenities anywhere else.Is Guatemala City Zone 1 safe?
In Guatemala City, Zone 1 is notorious for being a very dangerous neighborhood with many robberies happening near the bus terminal and Central Market. ATM crime and bankcard scamming are also common in Guatemala, so it's best to avoid using ATMs in main tourist centers whenever you're traveling in Guatemala.Is it safe in Guatemala City?
Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. Although the majority of serious crime involves local gangs, incidents are usually indiscriminate and can occur in tourist areas. Despite the high levels of crime, most visits to Guatemala are trouble-free.Trip from Guatemala City airport to Antigua, my first time traveling to Guatemala. Life changing.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Will Mu, sergio souza, David Dibert, Andrea Piacquadio