Eat at the street vendors, watch for the cleaner looking ones that the locals frequent, and just in case bring lots of anti-diahhrea medicine because you just might need it. Another option would be to find the city markets wherever you’re going and buy your food there, either one will drop your costs significantly. Don’t skimp too much on hotels unless you like bed bugs and possible midnight kidnappings, and don’t go out alone at night. That’s about it, really.

When I went, it was back in the early mid-80’s, so things have definitely changed. Plus, I went with a friend who’s family was from there, so it was like having a personal tour. The things I can tell you are that safety is paramount! Be prepared that if you travel off any beaten path, that you might be stopped and asked to pay to continue on. Illegal, yes. Common, it was. If you’ve never been there, I would highly recommend traveling with someone who knows the area/language well, or stay with a tour group. There is a lot of poverty there, which can mean other problems. I can’t really tell you how to do it cheaply, being that it’s been over 20 years since I’ve been. I can tell you that part are breathtakingly beautiful, and parts are very sad to see, b/c of the poverty. Kids will beg for money, and once you give them even a few pennies, they will flock all over you. I got Shigella Sonnei (a horrible dysentary) and was very sick upon returning, so I’d advise to never drink tap water, or eat at places that do not have very clean facilities. Street vendors cannot maintain higher levels of sanitation, so I’d avoid them, if possible. Good luck on your trip!

I was just in Guatemala this past June and was there for three weeks. First, I’ll say that EVERYTHING is cheaper than it is in the United States. If you are looking for “cheap” in Guatemala terms, you may find yourself getting sick. Many of the street vendors have their food sitting out in a basket under the sun for hours, perfect conditions for bacterial growth. This is fine for locals who are used to eating it. Truth be told, I stayed with my family there, had homecooked meals, and still managed to get an upset stomach. I think it was the seviche that we ordered out! You will have been very lucky to not get diarrea while you are there. They have supermarkets, same as here (called Pais) but of course you’ll pay a little more money than on the street but at least the food will be cleaner. Also, ALWAYS drink purified water (SalvaVidas is the big brand there), or gatorade, etc. Don’t even think about drinking tap water. I think that most places you go, there will be lots of tourist and you can always get tips from them, particularly on what places to stay at. For more info, you can check out InGuat (www.visitguatemala.com) which is the national tourism beaureau and I think the Lonely Planet books are also a great resource. Have fun!!! I am so excited for you, you are going to have a wonderful trip! Feel free to email me if you have any more questions, I got to see a lot of places this past June and I may be able to answer more specific questions.

I can only speak to Lago de Atitlan but I would agree some others and say that verything is cheap by even Mexican village standard but if you try and make it super cheap you could wind up really sick. But please don’t let that stop you from eating from street vendors who have the best food.

“Chicken buses” or segunda class might seem like a cheap deal but they are so slow you might consider shilling out a few extra dollars for a direct or primera class (although you should take one at least once on a short trip for the experience). For example, when I wanted to get to the Mexico border from Panahchel, I could either spend $15 and 26 hours or $32 for only 5 hours. Makes a huge difference. What you spend on local travel you will make up in beer and food.

In other words, eat local but don’t travel that way.

Have a blast, I am jealous.

Johnny

I was in Guatemala for three months of 2004/2005.
I travelled alone, mostly. I stayed in lago de atitlan. heaven on earth.
for cheap? depends on what your style is. you like to hitchhike you save on gas. you like to eat cheap veggies and rice or street vender food you save. you stay in one place for a while and rent a small apt for a week or two…save money. i recommend doing this around the lake. get a job in a shop somewhere with tourists…its fun…folks like english speakers to work for them. you won’t get paid just enough to maybe break even…but you don’t need much.
stay away from costa rica, if you want to go cheap. it’s very spring break/family vacation oriented. sadly. i ended up camping on a beach where a US ex-pat crack addict watch my stuff for me while i wandered around…and other such situations. :)

Im living in Quetzaltenango (Xela) right now and like others have said, its quite easy to go the cheap route. Take chicken busses to get around – a 4 hour trip costs about $2 and it quite the experience. Food is cheap even if you dont eat street food (although its very possible to eat there without getting sick as long as you are careful with what you choose. If you are coming to Xela let me know and I can give you all the info you need as to where to stay and eat etc. Xela is the best place in which to start hikes and it has a great night life.

If you are going to Central America & want to go there cheap; here is the easiest way. Find a special airfare rate to Cancun, Mexico. From there take buses to Belize, one day ride. Then cross Belize to the Guatemala border, its called The Frontier. Once you enter Guatemala you are close to Tikal, & I recommend to spend several days in Flores, on the island, on the lake. Now you are in Centraa America. Then you can take a bus to Guatemala City, follow the tourist, there will be 100s of them from Europe, the U.S. & Canada. You may have to take 2 buses, spent the night near Puerto Barro. Avoid bus travel at night. Then go to Guatemala City. The people may call it Cuidad Guatemala. From the city you are about 1-2 hours from Antiqua, the old capital. This is the neatest town in the country. If you run out of time buy a plane ticket back to Cancun. I took a 7 week trip to Central America; buses all the way from Lafayette, Louisiana to Jaco, Costa Rico & back. Total cost was about $900 including bus fares, hotels, food & money to spare. Guatemala was very cheap; & Honduras, Nicaraugua. Costa Rico was a little pricey but not bad. Mexico was O.K. on their prices, but be careful with the taxi drivers, if you use a taxi in Mexico buy a ticket in the bus station. The ticket you give to the taxi driver, done deal. My main problem was diarria, crossing the border in & out of Nicaragua(takes hours, long lines). Enjoy your trip; its O.K. to ride the “Chicken Buses”, Cool.