COSTA RICA TRAVEL BY BUS AND TAXIYou have many Costa Rica travel options for your vacation.Buses, taxis, air charters by plane and helicopter, ferries, train, and car rentals. Something for everybody—and every budget.
On this page I’ll give you good information and advice about Costa Rica travel by buses and taxis. Bon Voyage! Costa Rica Travel by Bus
In the mountains overlooking San Jose is a little restaurant at the end of--how do I describe this accurately--a path. A little single-lane dirt road just barely big enough for a small car. Really out-of the way, no road-signs, no street lights, but a spectacular view of San Jose at night. It’s a rustic open-air restaurant in a building that looks like it was once a barn except that there’s a small stream diverted through a corner of it and filled with trout. Diners are provided small cane poles to catch their dinner. Talk about fresh seafood. One minute swimming in a stream, a couple of minutes later cooking in a frying pan. As we were leaving this rough-looking little restaurant miles away from anywhere along came a bus. Not a little bus. Think Grayhound-size bus. On the same teeny path just big enough for one little car. How it got there is beyond me. Welcome to Costa Rica travel. There are buses everywhere in Costa Rica. Big buses, little buses, public buses, tour buses, charter buses. And small tour buses. They're all over the place.
But here’s the deal. Costa Rica travel by bus is convenient and very, very cheap. Costa Rica vacations by bus offer a very inexpensive way to see this country. Costa Rica subsidizes a modern country-wide bus system that will take you virtually everywhere (even to Nicaragua and Panama) for ridiculously low prices. You’ll find two kinds of public buses: local buses that stop frequently and can be very crowded but really, really cheap (under a dollar) and express buses that run between San Jose and most beach towns and larger cities for just a few dollars. They’re incredible bargains, they typically run on time, and you’ll get to your destination just as quickly as if you had driven yourself. Local buses will have the destination and price (example: 140 colones) on the front windshield. Have change (in colones, not dollars) ready. There are also several private bus companies that cost a bit more than public buses but are well worth the money. San Jose has no central bus terminal. Many—-perhaps most—-Costa Rica travel destinations start out from a terminal called Coca Cola in (a rough part of) downtown San Jose. The name comes from a long defunct Coca Cola bottling plant, now a bus station bearing the same name. If you can’t find it, just say Coca Cola to your taxi driver. Buses for the Caribbean depart from the Gran Terminal Caribe between Calle Central (Central Street) and Avenidas 15/17 (Avenues 15-17), also downtown. And, as I told you, there are other terminals servicing specific destinations. Private bus companies (you’ll need reservations) often depart from different street locations in downtown San Jose so be sure you know when and where you need to be to catch these buses. Costa Rica Bus SchedulesYou may find bus schedules on the internet or in your guidebook but they’re probably out-of-date, incomplete, and unreliable.The most reliable information for bus schedules (departure times, departure terminals, and telephone numbers) is provided by the government Office of Tourism. You may need Adobe Reader (it’s free and quickly installed).
Costa Rica bus schedules, click
If you don’t mind paying a bit more, you can reserve them.
Costa Rica Bus Reservations OnlineYou can also reserve Costa Rica travel tickets online or phone. Aside from the convenience (which is substantial), bus terminals (particularly Coca Cola) are frequented by pick-pockets, thieves, and sometimes physically dangerous people.However, expect to pay a substantial premium for this service.
Costa Rica bus reservations here, just click
Don’t wear expensive jewelry and always, always be vigilant.
Costa Rica Travel by Taxi
Taxis are EVERYWHERE and, compared to rates in Europe and the U.S., really cheap. In your Costa Rica travel, you’re going to see both legal taxis with meters and pirate (piratas) taxis without meters. A legal taxi will be red or dark orange, have a yellow triangle with the taxi’s number) on both front doors, a lighted sign on top, and a meter. Unless you are familiar with a pirate taxi driver, it’s probably best to use legal taxis when you travel Costa Rica cities. Pirate taxis won't have meters and, indeed, maybe not even basic liability insurance. If you use an official Costa Rica taxi, be sure that the meter is turned on. If it isn’t, tell the driver (or point at the meter) to turn it on. Otherwise, you’re very likely to get ripped off.
You don’t need to be impolite. Smile and draw the driver’s attention to the meter. If he can’t take the hint (this will be very, very rare) tell him to stop, get out, and hail another taxi. Very few taxi drivers (they're called taxistas) speak English so you're not likely to get a lot of conversation. Generally speaking, a taxi from San Jose International Airport to San Jose will be about $30.00-$36.00 or so, depending upon your destination (expect to pay more at night). Ticos never tip. Gringos (that's you) don’t have to but a small tip is always appreciated. And please don't try to pay a $30 tab with a $100 bill.
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