How is the bus system in Costa Rica? I have concerns...?

Question

I am planning a trip to Costa Rica for a week in March. I will be staying at Manual Antonio, La Fortuna, and Monteverde. Would a bus be a good idea to get from one place to another? Are they safe? Do I have to be concerned about someone stealing my luggage?

Are there any other cost effective alternatives? Thanks a lot!!!

Answer 1

The bus system in the greater San Jose area is pretty good.  The seats are hard and the ride bumpy but they are predictable.  Sometimes it is standing room only.  But they are cheap.  Depending on the area it could be a little dangerous especially at night.  Unless I'm pretty confident of the area I take a taxi at night.  Maybe there are air conditioned buses in Costa Rica but I've never seen one, but it generally not all that hot.

Most of the bus stations that take you from the San Jose area to other cities are in the Coca Cola district.  It is said

to be dangerous so it is best to take a taxi to the station.  

The ride from San Jose to Manuel Antonio is 4 hours.  Actually the bus takes you to Quepos, which is close to Manuel Antonio.  They talk about infrastructure in the United States but you haven't seen anything yet.  One wonders how some of the bridges are still standing.

Most of the hotels are strung out between Quepos and Manuel Antonio.  The city bus system between Quepos and Manuel Antonio is also good and cheap.  Not much of a need to use taxis here.  Just take the bus from the hotel to Manuel Antonio or to Quepos.  Restaurants are cheaper in Quepos.

It will be fun and the sunset at the beaches in Manuel Antonio is beautiful.

Answer 2

There are 3 ways you can move around, bus, airplane and car rental. In order to choose the right one you have to take some things into consideration

How long are you staying here, you’re destination and how much money you want to spend.

If you are having a short trip and you have some cash to spare, or if you have long trip but you want to check as many places as possible you might as well move fast so you can check all the places you want, in that case, try the airplanes. There are two major companies Sansa and Nature Air. You will find maps on their websites which you can use. Also many hotels will pick you up at those places with no charge.

If you have enough time and have an adventure spirit, try renting a car, that way you’ll have the chance to check the scenery. Just remember to get a car with GPS, there are very few road signals and it’s easy to get lost along the way. The roads are pretty bad, a 4X4 is recommended, drive carefully, slowly and be ready for the unexpected. Don’t get directions from anybody, try restaurants, there are many who speak English that can help you. Also never travel at night unless its needed and don’t take passengers from the road.  My favorite is Toyota Rent a Car, they have cool cars, new ones, and GPS which has the latest map info.

Now if you don’t want to drive but still, you want to check the scenery, try the bus. It’s the cheapest, takes longer, but you’ll get to you destination. Try Grey Line, they are pretty good, local buses tend to get pretty crowded, and depending on the place you are going its not that safe.

Finally, never hitch hike. It’s not safe, no one will stop to help you and definitely no one will give you a ride. It’s just wasting time and energy to save a few bucks, which in the end will cost you more if you get mugged and loose everything you brought.

Answer 3

The bus is an excellent way to get around Costa Rica.  It's very cheap and it goes almost everywhere, even to little villages.  

Since most Costa Ricans use it, its a fairly respectable crowd you'll see on the buses- its not the transit of last resort like in the US.  

Intercity buses in the US are much safer than driving, and safer than planes.  I imagine they are probably a bit less safe in Costa Rica, with its winding narrow roads, but probably even more safer than driving would be.

I rode the buses in Costa Rica dozens of times and never had anything stolen. I don't think the risk is especially high. I'd still keep an eye on your valuables, though.  If you want to be paranoid you can always get a seat on the right side and watch when the bus stops and unloads checked luggage.  I'd mainly be concerned about pickpockets and whatnot near bus stations.

Most Costa Rican buses on longer major routes are reasonably comfortable, similar to a US Greyhound except often without AC.  This isn't always the case, especially on shorter routes or to little villages and stuff you can get stuck in an old bomb with uncomfortable seats. For Manuel Antonio if I recall  the express (directo) buses are very nice roomy and comfortable while the non-express buses can be a bit on the old junker side. (I'd buy the tickets in advance in CR if you can).  The Monteverde bus was not so great- it was *always* 2 hours late, the seats were kind of cramped and didn't recline, and the road was bumpy and dusty (but scenic).  This was a few years ago, but I recall hearing they were kind of keeping Monteverde deliberately inconvenient to get to keep it from getting over-developed.

Sometimes if you get on in mid-route or are late to board you might have to stand, but this didn't happen to me too often.

As for alternatives, you could rent a car.  But: Costa Rica has a high auto fatality rate; with the windey roads and aggressive drivers it would be kinda scary if you weren't used to it; and I'd worry about losing the deposit if it gets damaged; and it would be much more expensive than the bus.  Some of these places you can fly to.  And there are probably tourist shuttles, I don't really know anything about it.  All these are probably A LOT more expensive than the bus.

Anyway, its not 100% up to middle-class US standards of comfort and convenience, but its not bad at all.  Its a great way to meet the locals while you gaze at the beautiful scenery.

I might add that Costa Rica is so small most bus rides are not going to be that long.  From San Jose to either coast is about 2-2.5 hours, to Nicaragua 6 hours and to Panama 8 or 9 hours.

Answer 4

Buses are good and very cheap, although I prefer driving.

It is a very inexpensive way to get around in Costa Rica.

You will probably wait longer to catch a bus than to ride it in some places.

Answer 5

I agree with the others that busses are safe and cheap.  Luggage theft does occur--especially in the bus stations in San Jose, but if you watch your bags you will be fine.  Another alternative to public busses are the hotel to hotel shuttles run by Interbus and Fantasy tours/Gray Lines.  Both will take you from city to city for about $35.    There are no direct public busses from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, from Monteverde to La Fortuna, and from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio.  

From La Fortuna to Monteverde you must change busses in Tileran and from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio you need to change in Puntarenas.  There is a taxi boat taxi option between La Fortuna and Monteverde that is cheap ($20-30) and at least 5 hours quicker than the public bus.    From La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, the best route is probably back through San Jose.

Answer 6

I am going to Manual Antonio Dec 7th. It is about a 3 hour drive from San Jose . Renting a car is pretty cheap. The roads are paved. I have found the people there are not out to steal from you. Just like any big city in the USA you can find trouble look hard enough. I paid about 57$ for the car for 4 days. The private bus service is safe they want your return biz