El Salvador Transportation
Airplane: There is no regular domesticAir traffic in El Salvador.
Ship: on Lake Suchitlantravela passenger ship and a car ferry connecting Suchitoto with Chalatenango.
Bus: According to Youremailverifier, El Salvador has an extensive bus system. The vehicles used are mainly old school buses from the USA. Seldom hang in the chaotic bus terminals information routes and timetables, but there is always someone to direct you to the right bus. As everywhere in Central America, it is difficult for visitors to determine which bus is the first to leave on a given route. Only questions and luck help here. Most intercity bus services run between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
On longer routes, buses are usually offered in two classes : normal buses are called ordinario, first-class service super or especial. First-class buses are modern, air-conditioned coaches with a toilet. The price is only slightly higher than for normal buses, but first-class buses are faster, more comfortable and safer.
There are no ticket offices at the bus stations, the ticketsare bought on the bus. The prices are very cheap, even on long journeys they don’t exceed $ 4. A higher weekend price is charged on some routes.
Car: having your own vehicle naturally offers many more options than public transport. However, you also have to consider that there are often no signs and roads can be bad. There are a total of around 12,000 km of roads in the country, only a third of which is paved or sufficiently paved for the rainy season. For safety reasons, only drive during the day and with the doors closed. Petrol and diesel can be found everywhere in El Salvador.
Foreign drivers must have a valid international driver’s license, foreign vehicles are allowed to stay in the country for 30 days. Then you can either briefly leave the country for a short while and come back to El Salvador for another 30 days, or you can discuss the extension of the permit with the customs authorities (sometimes very lengthy).
Travelers can rent vehicles at the International Airport, in San Salvador and in San Miguel.
You should always take out car insurance for rental cars. It is often the case that insurance is included when paying with American Express, Visa and Mastercard. However, find out whether there are any restrictions on insurance cover in this case.
Taxisare found in most cities in El Salvador, but taximeters are practically non-existent. So agree on the price with the driver before you set off. Taxis are identified by an “A” on their license plate.
Bicycle: It is possible to explore El Salvador by bicycle. A mountain bike or all-terrain bike is recommended as roads are not in the best condition. Also note that in the country the hard shoulder (if any) is narrow and truck drivers are inconsiderate.
El Salvador – money
Local currency: 1 El Salvadorian Colón is equal to 100 Centavos. The US dollar is also the official currency in El Salvador, 1 US dollar equals 100 cents.
Since 1.1.2001, the El-Salvador-Colón has been replaced by the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate of 8.75: 1. The currency exchange has no time limit but has already been de facto completed, since the central bank of El Salvador has not issued any new colones since 2001 and keeps all colones deposited with it.
Currency abbreviation: C, SVC as well as US $, USD
Colon banknotes are in circulation in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 C, coins in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 25 centavos and 1 C.
US dollar banknotes come in denominations of 1, 2 (rare), 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 US dollars, coins are worth 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents and 1 US dollar in Circulation. In El Salvador, however, only smaller US dollar bills are often accepted, mostly up to a value of 20 US dollars.
Currency Exchange: before leaving the country (also to Guatemala and Honduras), all other colons should be exchanged, as the colon is not changed outside the country.
Credit Cards: American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard and sometimes Diners Club are accepted. In El Salvador, it is possible to pay with international credit cards in numerous shops and restaurants (Visa and Mastercard are particularly common, American Express and Diners Club less so). You can get cash in banks with the Visa card.
There are ATMs across the country. ATMs accept most credit cards in the Cirrus and Plus systems. At some ATMs you can withdraw amounts of up to 400 US dollars with an EC card and PIN, the fee is around 3.50 euros. It is best to use the machines with lockable booths and, for security reasons, do not withdraw any money outside of business hours.
Travelers Checks: The most common travelers checks are American Express and should be made out in US dollars. They can be exchanged in banks (especially in branches of Banco Cuscatlán, Banco Atlántida and Scotiabank).
Foreign exchange regulations: National and foreign currency can be imported and exported without limitation, from an equivalent value of 10,000 US dollars there is a declaration requirement.
Bank opening times: normally Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. On 29./30. June and 30./31. December the banks will remain closed due to the half-yearly settlement.
