Driving in Nicaragua
Driving in Nicaragua is not difficult or dangerous unless you drive foolishly, disregard their rules and take chances. Some general recommendations and advice:
1. Traveling to the beach in Gigante from Managua requires that you drive on dirt roads as you get close to the beach. During the dry season (November thru May) these dirt roads will be easily traversed in a two wheel drive vehicle. Once the rains start, it’s best to rent a four wheel drive vehicle. My practice is to only drive four wheelers since even in the dry season there are places that I want to go (beaches, hills and surf spots) with no “real” roads. See section on rental vehicles below.
2. The most likely place to get a traffic ticket is in Managua. The general practice of the police is to pull you over and ask for your driver’s license for driving infractions. They will tell you that you must go to the police station and pay the fine to get your license back. This is a real problem since the license may not arrive at the designated police station for several days. I have talked to some people who have offered to have the police officer pay the fine for them so that they don’t have to go through the hassle of taking several days away from their holiday. I have been told that if the police officer agrees to pay the fine for the tourist, then the police officer may return the license on the spot, once he has the money to pay the fine. I would not recommend that you ask the officer to pay your fine unless you speak fluent Spanish. Some of the most common mistakes:
a. Crossing a solid line, either in the city or on the Pan American Highway. Even if you’re stopped at a light and there are no other cars, the police will ticket you if you cross a solid line.
b. Changing lanes while crossing an intersection.
c. When making turns, always stay in the same lane until you are about 50 meters from the intersection. Never turn right and try to move into the left lane before you are about 50 meters from the intersection.
d. Driving in the rotundas of Managua can be pretty sketchy. Take your time and be sure to stay in your lanes.
3. Watch out for the speed bumps. Sometimes they are painted and marked with signs, but not always. Once you get off the Pan Am, they place speed bumps in front of schools and other places where you might expect foot traffic. These speed bumps are dangerous and they can severely damage your vehicle.
4. You will come upon many slow vehicles in Nicaragua. Often, overloaded trucks and clunkers are traveling at less than half the speed limit. You will also see a lot of horse and ox carts on the roads…..yes, even on the Pan Am. Be very careful when passing! Don’t pass if there is a solid line (you don’t want to get a ticket!) and be sure you have no busses or trucks coming at you. The taxis, busses and trucks seem to have immunity from the traffic laws. As in the developed world like the US, passing other vehicles can be dangerous.
5. There are times when you will see a disabled vehicle in the road. Not on the side of the road, but IN the road. Be careful when going around the disabled vehicle and watch for pedestrians.
6. The busses will stop anywhere, including on the Pan Am, with no signals other than a brake light, if the lights are working! They will pull right out in front of you without looking. Again, bus drivers seem to have been granted immunity from traffic laws s so they act as if they own the road. Let them have the road and be very careful.
7. Always drive during the day. You can see the road, landmarks and speed bumps better, especially the speed bumps. There are cases where tourists have been robbed by people stopping them for help. Drive on! And don’t pick up hitchhikers because there have been cases of lawsuits where Nicaraguans have jumped in the back of a pick-up truck and then sued the rich Gringo when they injure themselves falling out. Yes, they do have lawsuits and you’re a rich Gringo even if you don’t think you are! Remember, you will be considered rich only because you have a car or truck.
Renting Vehicles in Nicaragua
There are two auto rental businesses that I have used:
Budget – They have a wide variety of vehicles and they will bring your rental to some hotels. I have rented Toyota HiLux 4X4 trucks from them and I have had good luck with their vehicles. Phone number is 011-505-263-1222. They will provide the vehicle to you at the airport or at some hotels.
Targa – I have only rented Nissan 4X4 trucks from them and I have had good success with them. Again, they will bring the vehicle to the airport for you. Phone number is 011-505- 222-4884. They will provide the vehicle to you at the airport or at some hotels.
