Best way to travel around Costa Rica? ?

Question

We are going to Costa Rica in early November. We like to figure out where to go and what to do on the fly so we usually rent a car. I've heard that driving is very stressful. What is the best way to get around CR without having a set itinerary.

For example: From airport we want to go to Arenal then from Arenal we decide want to go to the beaches on the Pacific coast.

Answer 1

Last November my husband (who is from Costa Rica) and I rented a car. I arranged everything from here and the car rental people (Dollar Rental) picked us up at the airport (Alajuela/ San Jose) and took us to pick up our rental car. It cost about $2,000 for 3 weeks. Kind of pricey but worth it if you want the freedom of going where you want when you want. Public transportation in CR is cheap but crowded, hot and slow. I do not recommend it. Taxi service is expensive but it is easy to come by even in the smallest towns. As far as the roads they are not great but they aren't that bad either and don't forget that Costa Ricans are very friendly people who will go out of their way to help you. Everyone knows what way to go to Arenal...also at the Rent a car place you could pay extra for GPS but I'm not sure how great it is. If you rent a car just be sure and lock it and watch out for one way bridges. They freak me out.  

Answer 2

Because you don't have "a set itinerary," I would definitely go for the rented car idea.  If driving is stressful, you can reduce it by giving yourselves plenty of EXTRA time when planning your trips.

Too bad you don't state how long you plan on being there or if you know Spanish.  Depending on these two items, I would also recommend public transportation.  YOU CAN'T BEAT THE PRICES!  Bus transportation is super cheap in C.R.

(Don't plan too much or too little!)  HAVE FUN.

Answer 3

I know plenty of people that rented a car in CR - although I wouldn't drive there.  They rant really high in auto accidents, stop lights and signs are more like suggestions, and the roads outside the main city aren't all the maintained.  I personally find it much less stressful to hand the driving responsibility over to someone who is experienced with those driving conditions.

You could do the public bus system - you don't need advanced reservation for that.  I did that once, and its really cheap, but very time consuming and not really comfortable.  I've also made arrangements for transit.  For instance: from the airport to Arenal type of thing.  You can also do cabs.  The price of a cab is sometimes less than the private shuttle.  

If you have a general itinerary - you could pre-arrange your transportation that you know you will need, then use cab service to handle anything in-between that you might need.  

Answer 4

I'll say taxi is the best way. You should try to find 1 taxi driver that would be willing to take you everywhere for a "salary", not charging you what the taxi meter says. I know a couple of people who have done that

Answer 5

To get to most regions, you have to start from San José, which is the hub of public transport. It is often easier to go to one region and then return to San José to find transportation to another area. However depending on what part of the country you are in there are some local hubs you can travel to get to another city in that same region.

The majority of Costa Ricans do not own cars. Therefore, public transportation is quite good and you can get buses to almost any part of the country. Remote or small towns may be served by only one bus a day, but you can get there. Keep in mind that even though these buses may seem to run on a relaxed schedule they do leave on time to the minute and they will leave you behind even if you bought a ticket in advance.

Car rental is popular because a car can get you places you can’t get to by public transportation. It also gives you the freedom to travel when you want and to stop wherever you like. Because buses to remote areas are not very frequent, you can cover more ground in a shorter time with a car. However driving at night especially on mountain roads is quite hazardous, due to large trucks on small roads with a lot of blind corners, and I do not suggest doing this unless absolutely necessary.

The other alternative is flying. This is a great time saver if you have the extra money and don’t necessarily need a car at your final destination. Some of the internal carriers, either Sansa or Nature Air, do offer packages where you can have unlimited flights for one or two weeks for one flat price. There are about 15 or so airstrips that these airlines fly to and traveling to a remote part of the country it is much better to fly than to drive or endure the 8 – 12 hour bus ride. Depending on where you are staying you can arrange for a private chartered flight to other more remote airstrips, check with the lodge you are going to stay at for more info.

In order to narrow down your search, please choose the type of transportation you are interested in, to choose all of the types of transportation in a particular region or city click on the appropriate name on the right.  

Answer 6

The best thing to do really is to rent a car or jeep. Here are some rent a cars of CR.

Answer 7

Many travelers are not confident in driving in foreign countries because of lack of good roads, of proper road signaling, and of overall stress related to driving, that is why you can depend on our drivers' knowledge of every corner of the country.

We can offer to pick you up at your hotel or even at the main exit gate of the International Airport and take you directly to your destination, saving on staying the first night in San Jose or simply by sitting back and relaxing thus having more time to enjoy the scenery of our beautiful country in detail. We understand your vacation time is very important and precious, that is why we offer the vast expertise of our drivers so you do not have to spend your vacation time waiting to board a scheduled local flight, or ending driving in a car rental more than necessary or getting directions if you get lost

here is a link with all the information about transportation in Costa Rica

Answer 8

While driving outside of San Jose is definitely not restful.  When are you arriving at the airport?  If you want to travel there at night, I would  definitely NOT rent a car and the taxi or shuttle service suggested below.  If you overnight in San Jose there are two hotel to hotel shuttle services that provide transfers between cities for $25-$40 depending on the trip.   These are interbus and Fantasy Tours/Gray Lines.   You could not use them for a night-time or afternoon departure however because they usually leave in the morning or in early afternoon.