Driving Central America & South America.
From Ireland to Panama
February 4, 2008 - 2:02pm
Travelling from the US to Panama is a trip that I've dreamt of for years. I've got 3 months off and am going to head off at the start of April with my girlfriend. Below are my questions that I'd really appreciate if could get help with.
Being from and living in Ireland makes the planning slightly more difficult for me. I first have to get to the US and buy a vehicle. What would you suggest...would I get a reasonable 4WD for €5,000 (or less). I see that insurance is not needed for most of the countries. I would however need to get insurace for the 2 weeks I plan to be in the US to get everything ready for the trip having bought the car.
Scuba Diving and saltwater flyfishing are what I would really like to do...where would you spend most of your time?
I would really appreciate anyone's help with this.
Cheers
February 20, 2008 - 8:21am
#2
Fly fishing is great everywhere - it depends on what species you want. My favorite was sailfish on a fly in Guatemala. I found a full day charter for $600 in Iztapa that was great - [url]www.prosportfishing.com[/url] -and I caught a bunch of big sails. You can catch roosters and other smaller mystery fish in the surf just about anywhere, and if you have your own tackle you can hire a panga in any seaside town for pretty cheap to go after inshore fish.
Bring plenty of flies or better yet a tying rig since you will find no fly fishing gear down here aside from expensive fly fishing guided charters. Clousers, deceivers, crazy charlies, surf candy, and some crab patterns will handle most situations.
February 20, 2008 - 5:37pm
#3
I also don't think that you will need 4x4, but you might want something a little larger and with a bit of space for packing luggage, supplies, etc. Plus with the way our latin american friends usually drive it wouldn't hurt to have a bigger vehicle.
February 28, 2008 - 6:51pm
#4
Do get a 4x4. You might not need it on the main highways if you only stick to the Panamerican #1, but if you want to feel comfortable ever leaving it you'll want four wheel drive. It's no fun finding yourself stuck somewhere in central america and it starts getting dark. Just don't drive it like it's a four wheel drive, drive it like it's a two wheel drive and be really happy you've got it if you ever need it.
If you fly to Canada and buy your vehicle there, I would recommend you do what I did and buy an old diesel toyota landcruiser. For €5,000 you should easily be able to find one suitable. In the USA you won't be able to find a diesel, and it's a major advantage to have as you will have twice the range and pay half the amount in fuel. It's worked out great for me. You will probably be able to find a cheaper, newer, higher quality petrol landcruiser in the USA if you don't want to bother with diesel... for your length of trip it might not be as important.
If you opt out of bothering with a four wheel drive, I would look into a diesel camperized van if you can find one. If it's camperized it will provide the best comfort for living out of for 3 months. GMC is the best make for durability and parts availability IMO.
March 1, 2008 - 1:55am
#5
family is taking a trip to Ireland
All right, I am with my whole family is taking a trip to Ireland for 4 or 5 nights. We are not interested in typical tourist sites like Blarney Castle. Killarney and the Ring of Kerry might even be a bit too touristy for us, but we are open on this. We are interested in seeing Dingle, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, or similar sites. Can you recommend a tour company? Any help will be thankful.
Yes you'll need US insurance ... I'd just ask the dealer and they'll point you at an insurance place. Or you can go to esurance.com, they allegedly have easy to get insurance.
For flyfishing -- honduras and belize. Look hard at belize, but just be aware it's expensive. Gas was 5 USD a gallon when we were there, i suspect it's still pretty high.
Look for a diesel car -- it's the best bet. 4x4 isn't really needed, you'll be fine. But do get something with good tires -- and have one with a full-sized spare tire. And a patch kit, just in case. :)