Airplane: According to Allcitycodes, the national airline of El Salvador is called TACA. It connects El Salvador with neighboring countries in Central America and also flies to the USA. Flights to El Salvador are offered by United Airlines, Air Italia, American Airlines, COPA, Continental, Aerolineas Argentinas, Delta and Air France, among others.
Airports: Aeropuerto Internacional Comalapa (SAL) is about 50 km southeast of San Salvador. It is an important air hub for Central and South America. Airport buses also run taxis during the day.
Ship: the main ports in El Salvador are La Union, Acajutla and La Libertad on the Pacific coast.
It is possible to take a ship from La Union (El Salvador) to Coyolito, San Lorenzo or Amapala in Honduras or Potosi in Nicaragua. However, there are no regular passenger ships, you have to rent private boats or ships at very high prices.
Rail: Train connections between El Salvador and neighboring countries are currently not maintained.
Car: If you want to drive your own vehicle in El Salvador, you will need an international driver’s license and proof that the car is yours. Car insurance is offered at the border. While it is recommended that you take one, it is not mandatory – just ask at the border. Vehicles can stay in El Salvador for 30 days. If you want to stay longer in the country, you should briefly drive to a neighboring country and re-enter instead of dealing with the tedious bureaucratic requirements.
Bus: There are several international bus companies that connect El Salvador to Central American capitals. It is recommended to take first-class buses, the comfort and safety is considerably higher here than in the normal buses.
Guatemala
border crossings to Guatemala are in La Hachadura, Las Chinamas, San Cristóbal (all in the west) and Anguiatú (north of Metapán). Normal buses only go to the border, international buses directly to Guatemala City.
Pullmantur offers two buses a day to Guatemala City, Tica Bus one bus a day. King Quality / Comfort Lines also offers trips to Guatemala City.
Honduras
The border crossings to Honduras include El Poy Honduras, El Amatillo and Sabanetas / Perquin. Note that there is no El Salvador immigration office at the Sabanetas / Perquin crossing. It is recommended not to use this border crossing as there is a risk of fines for illegal entry.
Pullmantur and Tica Bus go to Tegucigalpa once a day. King Quality and San Pedro Sula go to Honduras twice a day.
Nicaragua
From the Honduran side of the El Amatillo border crossing, minibuses drive to the Nicaraguan border town of Guasaule. From here there are bus connections to Leon and Managua.
King Quality and Tica Bus go to Managua once a day.
Costa Rica and Panama
King Quality offers a daily bus service to San José, Costa Rica. Tica Bus also goes to San José, but then also to Panama City.
Mexico
The bus connection from Tica Bus to Guatemala City then goes to the Mexican border (Tapachula, Chiapas).
El Salvador: Entry and Visa Requirements
Passport:
is a general requirement for traveling to El Salvador. The passport (or the temporary passport) must be valid for at least 6 months if you arrive by air. A return or onward ticket is required for entry by plane.
If you enter El Salvador by land, it is sufficient if the passport is valid on the day of entry.
An identity card is not sufficient for entry.
Visa :
Citizens of EU countries, Switzerland and Turkey do not need a visa for tourist trips of up to 90 days. When entering the country, make sure that the residence permit for the entire stay (maximum 90 days) is entered in the passport. This means that you do not need an extension later from the El Salvador authorities. Please also note that tourists are allowed to stay in the so-called CA-4 area (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala) for a maximum of 90 days per year. With the exception of Guatemala, there are no entry or exit stamps when crossing borders in the CA-4 area.
Transit :
Visitors who require a visa who have the necessary onward travel documents, will continue their flight on the next connecting flight and do not leave the transit area, do not need a visa. However, this does not apply to all countries. in this case a transit visa is required. For more information, please contact the responsible diplomatic mission of El Salvador.
Entry with children :
For accompanying children, the same visa requirements apply as for their parents. The travel documents of the children must therefore also be valid for at least 6 months when entering by air. When entering by land, it is sufficient if the documents are valid on the day of entry.
Although El Salvador also accepts German children’s ID cards for travel to El Salvador, it is recommended that children issue their own passports. Since there are no direct flights between El Salvador and Germany, there are often intermediate landings in the USA. Children’s passports with a visa are required here.
Germany: the German child ID card is only accepted with a photo. Entry with children’s passports is also possible.
Austria: Children need their own passport.
Switzerland: Children need their own passport.
