Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Guatemala - cash only, or do cards work too?
I was impressed with the Transmetro. I stayed near El Centro, bought a Q20 prepaid card at a kiosk, and each ride cost just QFast, clean, and much safer than chicken buses. In Antigua though, I had to use cash for all transport. The contrast is funny: in the capital, you need the special card; everywhere else, it’s just coins and notes.
Guatemala City transport is confusing for tourists. I tried boarding a Transmetro with cash and was turned away - you must buy a card. The kiosks don’t always sell them, and attendants didn’t speak English. In Antigua, I had the opposite problem: only cash, no cards at all. Staying in Zona 9, it was stressful juggling both systems. My advice: buy the Transmetro card early and keep cash for every other bus.
In Guatemala City, I stayed in Zona 10 and used Transmetro daily. You can’t pay cash - you need a prepaid “tarjeta.” I bought one at Plaza Barrios station for Q20, then loaded rides. Very efficient once you have it. Outside the city, buses are cash only. I rode a chicken bus to Antigua for Q10, handed directly to the driver. No card options outside the Transmetro.
Guatemala City has a Transmetro bus system with dedicated lanes. Tickets are Q1.00 (about 15 cents) and you must pay with a prepaid card, not cash. I stayed near Zona 1 and bought a reloadable card at a station. Cards are local only - foreign credit cards don’t work at the gates. For other buses (chicken buses, shuttles), it’s all cash. Intercity buses like Litegua or ADN also sell tickets for cash at counters.