Skip to Content
Join our next upcoming tour - November 1st - Lake Atitlán Oeste Mountain Bike Day Tour Book Now

Flying to Guatemala With Your Mountain Bike: The 2026 Guide

Bringing your own bike to Guatemala is easier than ever. Nonstop flights from the US take 3 to 5 hours, there is a daily nonstop from Madrid, and many airlines no longer charge a separate bike fee. The catch: a packed mountain bike almost never weighs under 50 lb (23 kg), and the overweight fee is where the real cost is. Here is what we have learned from years of meeting riders and their bikes at the airport.

A mountain bike in a box or a bike bag usually weighs 55 to 70 lb (25 to 32 kg). When an airline says a bike flies "free like a checked bag", expect to pay the bag fee of your fare plus an overweight fee. That is why the tables below show what you pay above the included weight and size.










Flying from the USA

Nonstop flights from 12 US cities. Times are nonstop flight times; schedules change with the seasons.

Houston

3 hrs
  • 3 a day
  • seasonal, from Dec

Los Angeles

5 hrs
  • 1 a day
  • 1 a day
  • Dec 17 – Jan 4

Miami

3 hrs
  • from Dec 22

Dallas/Fort Worth

3 hrs
  • 1 a day

Atlanta

3 hrs
  • 1 a day, 2 from Dec 22
  • from Dec 22

Newark

5 hrs

New York JFK

4.5 hrs
  • from Jan 30, 2027

Fort Lauderdale

3 hrs

Chicago

5 hrs
  • from Dec 19
  • seasonal, 2–3 a week

Washington Dulles

4 hrs
  • seasonal, from Oct 31

San Francisco

5.5 hrs
  • 4 a week, Dec 2 – Jan 31

Orlando

3 hrs
  • seasonal

Bike fees from the USA in 2026

Units
AirlineMax sizeBike within limitsOverweight
United292 cm115 inL+W+H~$40up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$140over 23 kgover 50 lb
American320 cm126 inL+W+H~$40up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$140over 23 kgover 50 lb
Delta292 cm115 inL+W+H~$45up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$145over 23 kgover 50 lb
Alaska292 cm115 inL+W+H~$45up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$145over 23 kgover 50 lb
Avianca230 cm90 inL+W+H$150–$176up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$310–$336over 23 kgover 50 lb
Frontier277 cm109 inL+W+H$100up to 45 kgup to 99 lb$100same feesame fee
Volaris280 cm110 inL+W+H~$40up to 25 kgup to 55 lb~$90–$140over 25 kgover 55 lb
Copa (via Panama City)292 cm115 inL+W+H$150up to 45 kgup to 100 lb$150same feesame fee
Aeroméxico (via Mexico City)204 cm80 inlongest side~$190up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$290over 23 kgover 50 lb

Flying from Canada

Air Canada flies nonstop from Montréal, and from Toronto starting December 1, 2026. From other Canadian cities, connect through a US hub, Mexico City or Panama City.

Montréal

5.5 hrs
  • 4 a week Nov–Apr, 3 a week May–Oct

Toronto

5 hrs
  • 1 a week, from Dec 1, 2026

Bike fees from Canada in 2026

Units
AirlineMax sizeBike within limitsOverweight
Air Canada (Montréal, Toronto)292 cm115 inL+W+HCA$50–$60up to 32 kgup to 70 lbCA$50–$60same feesame fee
United, American, Delta (via the US)292 cm115 inL+W+H~$40up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$140over 23 kgover 50 lb
Aeroméxico (via Mexico City)204 cm80 inlongest side~$190up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$290over 23 kgover 50 lb
Copa (via Panama City)292 cm115 inL+W+H$150up to 45 kgup to 100 lb$150same feesame fee

Flying from Europe

Madrid is the only nonstop from Europe. From the rest of Europe you connect: through Madrid on Iberia, through Bogotá or San Salvador on Avianca, or through a US hub or Mexico City.

Connecting in the US? You need an ESTA or a US visa even if you only change planes, and you collect your bike, clear US customs and check it in again.

Madrid

11 hrs
  • daily (return via San Salvador)

Bike fees from Europe in 2026

Units
AirlineMax sizeBike within limitsOverweight
Iberia (Madrid nonstop)No set limit$0–$70up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$110–$180over 23 kgover 50 lb
Avianca (via Bogotá or San Salvador)230 cm90 inL+W+H$150–$160up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$310over 23 kgover 50 lb
Air France / KLM300 cm118 inL+W+H€40–€125up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~€140–€225over 23 kgover 50 lb
Lufthansa group315 cm124 inL+W+H€70–€250up to 32 kgup to 70 lb€70–€250same feesame fee
United, American, Delta (via the US)292 cm115 inL+W+H$0–$75up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$100–$175over 23 kgover 50 lb

Flying from Latin America

Nonstop flights from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia.

Mexico City

2 hrs
  • 2 a day, more Oct–Mar

Cancún

2 hrs

Guadalajara

3 hrs
  • 2 a week, from Dec 4

Panama City

2.5 hrs
  • several a day

San Salvador

1 hr
  • several a day
  • 4 a week

San José

1.5 hrs

Managua

1 hr

Bogotá

3 hrs

Medellín

3 hrs
  • 3 a week

Santo Domingo

3.5 hrs
  • 4 a week

Punta Cana

4 hrs
  • 1 a week, from Nov

Belize City

1 hr

Bike fees from Latin America in 2026

Units
AirlineMax sizeBike within limitsOverweight
Aeroméxico204 cm80 inlongest side~$190up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$290over 23 kgover 50 lb
Volaris280 cm110 inL+W+H~$40up to 25 kgup to 55 lb~$90–$140over 25 kgover 55 lb
Copa292 cm115 inL+W+H$150up to 45 kgup to 100 lb$150same feesame fee
Avianca230 cm90 inL+W+H$130–$155up to 23 kgup to 50 lb~$290–$315over 23 kgover 50 lb
Arajet366 cm144 inL+W+H$50up to 32 kgup to 70 lb$50same feesame fee

Prices are each way. "Within the limits" is the bag or bike fee you pay. Where the bike counts as a checked bag, the price is for a fare without a bag included; if your fare includes one, take off $40. On Iberia, a soft bike bag can add an irregular-bag fee of up to €125. Most airlines refuse a bike over 32 kg (70 lb) on Europe routes and over 45 kg (100 lb) from the US.

Fees depend on your fare, route and travel dates. On a ticket with several airlines, the bike rules of the airline that flies the longest leg usually apply. Last checked October 2026.

Don’t want to fly with your bike?

Rent one of ours. Our Commencal and Giant trail, enduro and electric bikes are sized and set up for you, with a helmet included. Pick yours up in Tecpán, or we deliver to Antigua and Guatemala City.

See all bike rentals

Cards

How to save on the bike fee

  • Weigh the packed box at home. On most airlines, every kilo over 23 kg (50 lb) costs money.
  • Take pedals, tools, pump and spares out of the bike box and put them in a normal bag.
  • A soft bike bag can be 5 to 7 kg (10 to 15 lb) lighter than a hard case, but check the airline’s rules for soft bags.
  • If your box will weigh over 32 kg (70 lb), a flat bike fee (Frontier, Copa) often costs less than an overweight fee.
  • Add the bike when you book, or pay online before the flight. Fees at the airport are higher.

Connections: the part that hurts

When you connect in the US or Mexico on the way here, your bike may not be checked through to Guatemala. You often have to collect it, go through immigration and customs, and check it in again. In Mexico City that can mean dragging the box between terminals, and on a long layover many airlines won’t take a bag more than a few hours before the flight. Fly nonstop if you can, or keep the whole trip on one ticket.

Packing your bike so it arrives in one piece

  • Take the fork out completely and wrap it separately. Keep the headset bearings and top cap on the steerer.
  • Take off the rear derailleur (leave the cable on) and wrap it in foam or bubble wrap. Remove the derailleur hanger, or bring a spare.
  • Take the cranks off. Chainrings cut through boxes.
  • Pad the brake levers and shifters with cardboard or foam.
  • Drop your dropper post to its lowest position.
  • You don’t need to let all the air out of your tires. Around 10 psi is fine, and it keeps tubeless sealant where it belongs.
  • Pack soft gear around the bike: clothes, shoes, pads. It protects the frame, but watch the weight.

Arriving: cash and the road to Antigua

The easiest way to get quetzales is the ATM in the baggage claim area. In 2026 the rate is 7.6 quetzales to the US dollar. Most riders go straight to Antigua, 1 to 2 hours from the airport depending on traffic.

Want us to meet you and your bike at the airport?

Ask us about an airport pickup

Once you are here

We are happy to help you put your bike back together, fix small problems and store your bike box while you ride. Some parts are hard or impossible to find in Guatemala, so bring spares.

Basic parts kit

  • Spare derailleur hanger: the part that ends more trips than any other
  • 2 pairs of brake pads
  • Chain lube
  • Tubeless sealant (8 oz)
  • Mini pump and patch kit
  • Chain quick links
  • 2 spare tubes

Bomber parts kit (the basic kit, plus)

  • A spare tire
  • Spare chainrings in the sizes you ride
  • A spare rear derailleur
  • A complete spare rear brake

See you on the trail!