El Salvador Travel Tips - Tourism

El Salvador Travel Tips

El Salvador boasts:

Ideal beaches for surfing in La Libertad
Volcanoes and mountains for ecotourism
El Imposible National Park
Colonial towns like Panchimalco and Suchitoto
Mayan sites like Joya de Cerén and Tazumal
The capital, San Salvador, boasts the largest shopping centers of the region.
For those looking nightlife entertainment, there are night clubs in La Zona Rosa, Multiplaza and La Gran Vía.
Beach resorts like Decameron Salinitas.

Climate

El Salvador is a tropical country with year-long warm climate. There are only two seasons, Dry Season (November to April) and Rainy Season (May to October).

Temperature are hot on the coastal areas, ranging from the low 70's to the low 90's (20-30ºC). The mountain areas have lower temperatures, ranging from the mid 50's to the mid 70s (13-23ºC) . The main cities like San Salvador, Santa Tecla and Santa Ana have temperature ranging from 15ºC on the coolest mornings to 32ºC on the warmest afternoons.

Recommended Reading

Currency and Money

El Salvador uses the U.S. Dollar as currency, $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills are the ones mostly used. Street vendors and small stores might not have enough change for $20 bills, always try using lower denomination bills. Avoid bringing $50 and $100 bills as they are not accepted on most stores, you can exchange them for lower denomination at any bank. Be aware that $2 bills, Half Dollar coins and One Dollar coins are rarely used and they might not be accepted.

Most banks will exchange Traveller Checks (not commonly used), Euros, Guatemalan Quetzales and Honduran Lempiras. Banks might ask for your ID Card or Passport if you are exchanging high amounts of money.

Bank queues are longer on 'payment days', usually during the end of the second week of the month and during the last days of each month.

All banks are closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays except the major branches Promérica Bank.

Credit Cards are accepted by most stores and restaurants in the main cities, especially those in shopping centers. Visa is the most widely accepted card. Master Card and American Express are also widely accepted. In most stores you will be asked to show an ID Card or Passport when paying with a credit card.

ATMs are located in shopping centres, major hotels, supermarkets and inside or outside banks.

There is a 13% Value Added Tax (IVA) included on all purchases. A 10% tip is usually included in the invoice of restaurants.

Mobile Phones

El Salvador major telephone companies use the GSM standard in the 850, 900, 1900 Mhz frequencies. The roaming service might be available by your local mobile phone provider, but charges can be very high.

In order to avoid high roaming charges and over priced hotel calls, you can buy a pre-paid SIM card from any of the major cell phone providers (Tigo, Movistar, Claro and Digicel) and use it with your phone. Prepaid cards are usually cheaper than US$5. If your phone does not work with the Salvadoran network, you can buy a mobile phone at a very low price, usually less than US$15. You will be asked to show and ID Card or Passport when buying a SIM card or phone number.

If you need to call to the United States and Canada, do not hesitate, those calls are only 10 cents per minute, even cheaper than local calls. Local calls can vary from 15 to 30 cents. Calls to Central American counties vary from 30 to 40 cents. Calls rates to South America, Europe and the Rest of the World are still high, you might consider calling at night time when calls have a lower rate.

Electricity

The electric system works in 120V/60Hz. Plugs are USA style. some plugs may work with the European two pin style.

Wireless Internet

Free wireless Internet is available in most hotels, major restaurant chains (like Pollo Campero, Pollo Real, Coffee Cup, Sushi Itto), some gas stations, and food courts on shopping centers.

Internet Cafés

Internet Cafés are relatively cheap in El Salvador. An hour usually costs US$1.00 or less. If possible, try using Internet Cafés located in shopping centres, as they usually have faster connections and faster computers.

Getting Around

Driving

Most of the main roads are in good condition. The Panamerican Road crosses El Salvador and connects Santa Ana, Santa Tecla, San Salvador, San Vicente, San Miguel, the Western border with Guatemala and the Eastern border with San Miguel. The Litoral road connects all the beaches.

Driving in El Salvador is on the right, remember that speed limits are shown on kilometers per hour, the speed limit is 90 kph on roads in good condition. In cities the speed limit is 40 kph.

When driving be careful with buses, their drivers are known for their erratic driving habits.

Car Rental

Car Rentals can be located in the capital and nearby the international airport. Be sure to check our list of car rentals in El Salvador. It is recommended to avoid driving at night, especially on unpaved roads.

Local Bus Service

Local bus service is cheap, but not all buses are in good condition. If you are going to use the local bus service, avoid peak times (early morning, and late afternoon) when the buses are most crowded, be sure to take care of your possessions, and it is very recommended to ask a local to explain bus routes before. The standard price for local buses is $0.25

National Bus Service

The national bus prices vary from $0.50 to $5.00 depending on the destination, there is no office that coordinates the bus schedule nationwide, in order to get information about bus destinations and departure times you may ask the bus driver or bus cobrador. If possible try travelling in a Bus Especial, the prices can be up to $1.00 higher, but the buses are in better condition, don't get as crowded as normal buses, do less stops in their way, and usually have air-conditioning. Special buses are available to most of the main cities, especially those on Eastern El Salvador.

International Bus Service

El Salvador is connected to all the main cities of Central America and the Mexican Border by bus service. For more information visit: Pullmantur (Guatemala and Tegucigalpa), Tica Bus (All Central America), and King Quality (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica). If you are looking for a less expensive bus to Guatemala, you may consider travelling by Melva Internacional.

Visa Requirements of El Salvador

People travelling to El Salvador with passports from the following countries do not need a visa:

Central American passports that do not need a visa

Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.

Southern American passports that do not need a Visa

Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

European passports that do not need a visa

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Other passports that do not need a visa

Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, Turkey.

Citizens with passports from Canada, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico,
Portugal, Singapore, and the United States of America, can enter the country without a visa but have to purchase a "Tourist Card" (US$10.00) when arriving to the airport of El Salvador.

For a more detailed and accurate list, please visit the website of the Embassy of El Salvador.

Hotels

For a comprehensive list of Hotels in El Salvador, you can check our Hotel Directory