Bus crossing bridge on Hummingbird Highway

Apart from being the most inexpensive way to travel around Belize, the colorful collage of faces and characters you will encounter on your bus ride provides a cultural immersion never to be forgotten. Especially common in the Regular and Express runs are the animated conversations, loud reggae and ‘punta' music crackling through the radio, discarded peanut shells swirling through the bus's windy interior, adorable wide-eyed stares of tiny children and curious luggage items ranging from bails of toilet paper to live chickens standing in open plastic bags, croaking at their owner's feet.

The Novelos Bus Service is the largest and most widely used bus company in the country, providing regular runs on the four major highways. The company offers three travel options that include the Regular, Express and Executive Class. The Regular runs have the cheapest rates because they take the longest to reach their intended destination.   This is simply because they are required to pick up hitchhikers along the route. The Express runs cost a bit more and do not stop for hitchhikers.   The Executive runs are the most expensive because they boast a newer and more comfortable fleet of buses. Passengers enjoy a cool, air-conditioned interior with nicely padded, reclining seats. These buses usually travel express to their destinations.  

The company has three branches spread across the country. Northern Transport Limited serves the districts of Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize City.   Western Transport Limited serves the towns and villages of the Cayo District, including the capital city of Belmopan.   Southern Transport Limited serves the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts.   There is a terminal in every major town with the two largest being in Belize City and Belmopan.