Relatively painless. Not as adventurous as braving the pandemonium that is the do-it-yourself procedure which involves chicken buses and tuktuks and uncertainty (and sometimes a dash of horror). But hey, if you got a few more bucks to throw in, why not take the uncomplicated path such as the Tica Bus way?

Tica Bus terminal in Tegucigalpa.
Our long day started at an ungodly 5:40 AM. In the fear of missing the one and only “direct” (quotes to be explained later) bus from Comayagua, Honduras to Managua, Nicaragua, we made sure our alarm was set to go off early. The hotel’s kitchen which normally opens at seven in the morn, prepared a light brekkie especially for us before the service time. We chowed it down faster than you could say “panqueques”.

Five minutes before seven, we arrived at the bus stop across Texaco on the main highway, thanks to the hotel owner who gave us a lift. According to one of the cab drivers queued at the stop, the bus comes by usually at eight.

Bus from Comayagua to Managua:

The Tica Bus that picks up passengers in Comayagua comes from San Pedro Sula (which leaves there at 5:30 AM). Not exactly a direct trip, for it makes a stop in Tegucigalpa to pick up the rest of the passengers.

Where to buy a Tica Bus ticket in Comayagua?
Tienda Baby House
Calle Del Commercio
Frente a Elektra
Telephone no. (504)2772-0148
Ticket price: 672 lempiras ($32)

It’s about a couple of blocks southwest Parque Central. Bring passports when purchasing tickets. Provide mobile number or phone number of hotel you’re staying at, so bus conductor can call you if need be.

Our bus came at 7:30 AM. There were only a few passengers. Although the “luxury bus” has seen its heydey, it still provides a comfortable ride. Well, at least for everyone who doesn’t have a toddler on his or her lap. There’s a toilet at the back of the bus, a facility I sometimes hate because depending on its upkeep, it could be a convenience or annoyance (imagine the smell). Ours was the latter.

The Comayagua-Tegucigalpa zigzagging journey gave us scenic views. Coupled with Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s Escape Plan playing on board (dubbed in Spanish though), the ride entertained us for a while. We arrived at Tica Bus’ Tegucigalpa terminal just before nine and were allowed fifteen minutes to go to the baño or buy snacks while passengers from the capital hopped on.

Schedule of Tegucigalpa-Managua bus is 9:30 AM.

Things you need to know about the border crossing:

Our departure was on time. And around 11:00 AM, bus conductor walked along the aisle to collect passengers’ passports and $15 each (which we thought we had) to enter Nicaragua .

We did not pay anything to exit Honduras.

Before leaving Honduran territory, we were given ten minutes to exchange leftover lempiras and buy snacks (better get some food because there will be no other stops after this) while our passport numbers were documented at the immigration office. Or maybe they didn’t *shrug*.

Entering Nicaraguan territory, bus stops for a quick fumigation then parks alongside huge trucks.

At this point, all passengers must hop off the bus. We took all our luggage with us, they were to be checked by customs. An army of young boys surrounded us offering to carry our bags for tips. They could be very aggressive, so be firm in saying ‘no’ if you don’t need any help. If you do, they’ll accept 20 cordobas or $1 without complaint.

The conductor accompanied my husband to the ATM machine next door (only accepts visa) to withdraw for the entry fee. Machine dispenses US dollars and cordobas, with a $200 cap. Conductor was really helpful. But he forgot to give us the customs declaration form which we had to fill out and hand over to the officer. So while the officer was manually going through our six bags (there’s no X-ray machine), hubby had to run back to the bus to ask for the form. And when we had accomplished the form, we found out that the conductor gave us the wrong one. Thankfully, the officer just let us off.

So remember to ask for the customs declaration form. Which I assume was distributed at the San Pedro Sula and Tegucigapa terminals that’s why we didn’t get ours.

Before we hopped on the bus again, our passports were handed back to us by the conductor. No stamps like in Honduras.

Arrival at Managua terminal:

Got to Managua 5-ish. So our trip from Comayagua took almost ten hours. At Tica Bus’ terminal, luggage is claimed at a counter. There’s enough cabs for everyone. And like in any Central American country, you and the driver need to agree on a price before your ride.

We were famished, and our bums were numb. Our daughter Luna threw up once in the cab. We were glad it was over. Our last Central America border crossing, before finally flying out of the region after two months of backpacking.