Getting around Costa Rica is a big concern for travelers especially for those who are here for a short period of time and on a budget. In this article I’m going to outline the different ways and their cost and efficiency. You can also find our Costa Rica transportation discounts too.
How to Get Around Costa Rica: Driving, the Most Flexible Way
Driving is the best way to get around Costa Rica to explore the country. It gives you the flexibility and freedom that you can’t get with any other method of transportation. Leave when you want, go where you want. Simply stated, having a car is the best way to explore Costa Rica.
There are tradeoffs to driving however. You have the extra responsibility of driving and car rentals are not very cheap in Costa Rica. If you want to rent a car in Costa Rica, check out our car rental discount. We partnered with Adobe Rent a Car, a Costa Rican car rental company to give our readers a discount and extra freebies.
For more details, check out our tips for renting a car in Costa Rica post and our tips for driving in Costa Rica post. You will learn all about the costs of rental cars, insurance, type of cars and much more.
The two most important things to keep in mind if you plan to drive for your trip is to check your destinations to see if you require a 4wd/high clearance car or if a 2wd car is fine. The second is to reserve your car rental well in advance due to extremely limited availability and high demand.
Shared and Private Transportation in Costa Rica: Shuttles
Taking a shuttle is an excellent Costa Rica transportation method for those who don’t want to drive. It’s faster than taking the bus, they offer door to door hotel service and you don’t have to stress out about driving in a foreign country.
Here are some things to know about booking a shuttle in Costa Rica.
- There are private and shared shuttles. Shared usually have up to 10-15 passengers depending on the company. Private shuttles are for your group exclusively.
- Private shuttles are more expensive but this is the best option for groups and families who don’t want to drive. For bigger groups, the cost actually turns out around the same when you split it per person.
- Private shuttles can pick you up directly at the airport, take you directly to your Airbnb and stop along the way when you want. Shared shuttles do not pick up directly at the airport, go to vacation rentals or stop whenever clients want.
- On the other hand, shared shuttles are excellent for solo travelers or those who don’t want to take the bus or pay for an entire private shuttle.
- If your hotel or Airbnb/vacation rental is outside of town or far away from the main tourism hub, then it is best to rent a car. Tour companies don’t pick up at Airbnbs and shared shuttles can’t drop off at vacation rentals. Usually these rentals are far from the supermarket and things like that so it will be much better to have a car.
Read our tips for taking shuttles in Costa Rica and contact us for a private shuttle quote.
Tour Interconnections
Want to know how to make a boring transfer more fun? Take a tour and book an interconnection! Here’s how it works.
You will book a tour like normal. Everything is exactly the same except your pick up and drop off locations. So you get to skip sitting on a bus or shuttle all day and instead, you get to go on a fun adventure.
For example, the Pacuare River 1 day rafting tour offers an interconnection. The tour operator will pick you up in San Jose, La Fortuna or Puerto Viejo and then drop you off after the tour to any of those three locations.
So if you aren’t renting a car, this is a great way to get around. If you are landing in San Jose and your next destination is Puerto Viejo, you can do the rafting as a way to get to Puerto Viejo. Or if you’re in Puerto Viejo and are going to La Fortuna next, you can do this rafting trip for your interconnection. Sooo much better than taking a 6 hour bus ride!
Want to do this 1 day tour and book the interconnection? Get $5 USD off with our Pacuare white water rafting discount.
Flying around Costa Rica with Local Airlines
Flying on a domestic flight is the quickest way to get around Costa Rica. What would take you 4-5 hours driving will take 30 minutes flying!
There are a couple local airlines in Costa Rica: Sansa, that fly throughout the country. The biggest one is Sansa Air with the most flights. They fly from San Jose International Airport and Liberia International Airport to local airports throughout the country like La Fortuna, Quepos, Puerto Jimenez, Drake Bay and Tamarindo.
It is important to note that it is much more expensive to fly around Costa Rica. High season (December through April) is more expensive than low season (May through November). The price also depends on your destinations so flights can range anywhere from $50 USD to $300 USD one way per person.
But it all comes down to time vs money. You spend more by flying but you save an incredible amount of time and erase the stresses of driving. What’s even better is that you get amazing views from the plane!
Planning tip: A lot of people will fly to their destinations and then rent a car for the days they are there. This is a great way to avoid the long travel days. However, you will need to pick destinations that have a local airstrip.
Costa Rica Public Transportation
Taking the bus is the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica. Costa Rica public transportation is actually very good if you’re going to popular tourist destinations and major areas. It’s a great way to save money on your trip to Costa Rica!
From San Jose, there are direct routes to nearly every main tourist destination and big town. It’s cheap and a fun way to immerse into local life. You can read our article on taking the bus in Costa Rica for more information.
The downside is that the bus takes much longer, especially if you don’t take the “direct” route. We once took the Tamarindo – San Jose bus via Liberia non-direct and it took us 8 hours without traffic! Another downside is you cannot stop when you need to so you have limited bathroom breaks and food stops (normally only one stop for cross country routes).
Additionally, it is difficult to get around for many routes. An example is Tamarindo to La Fortuna. This route requires 3 buses and takes around 7 hours (driving is around 4). La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio requires 4 buses, around 9 hours (driving is around 5).
Another downside is that buses aren’t always punctual and have limited routes, so you need to research and plan carefully your travel days. Never assume there are always buses for cross country routes. If you miss your cross country bus, there is a huge likelihood that the next one is not until the next day.
The bottom line is that we don’t recommend taking the bus if you’re with a family of young kids/babies and seniors or on a short trip to remote destinations. But if you have the time, are keen on a bit of adventure or are on a budget, the bus is an excellent option for major destinations. Just make sure to research bus schedules beforehand and plan your travel days accordingly. Always be alert, ask the locals if you’re not sure where to go and always keep your belongings with you at all times.
Taxis
Taxis are good for short trips like from the supermarket to the hotel, especially if it’s raining, it’s late out or you’re carrying a lot of stuff. However, it’s best to book a shuttle for long trips instead of taxis. Read more tips for taking taxis in Costa Rica.
The most important thing to know is to take an official taxi and not a pirate one. Why? Well pirate taxis don’t have insurance and their cars are usually old and not in good condition. That can cause a lot of problems if you get into an accident or if they get caught by the police.
Instead of taxis, we actually use Uber a lot.
Uber
Uber works in Costa Rica but not everywhere in the country. You can find Uber in the Central Valley cities like San Jose, Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago and there are some in Jaco, Quepos, La Fortuna, Tamarindo and Liberia.
Uber is generally cheaper than taxis and more efficient and faster than buses. Perfect for getting around San Jose or to and from the airport. We even know tourists who used Uber for long ride like San Jose to Jaco/La Fortuna (just remember the driver needs to accept this trip).
Didi, another ride share app is also in San Jose. Lyft is not.
Read our tips to using Uber in Costa Rica.
Ferry or Boat Rides
There are a few ferry routes you can take in Costa Rica.
If you’re planning on going to Montezuma or Santa Teresa from San Jose or Puntarenas, the ferry is a fun option. The ferry takes cars so you can drive from the airport, take the ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya and then drive to your final destination. Check out our tips for taking the Puntarenas Paquera ferry.
These other boats do not take cars, only foot passengers. There is also a taxi-boat-taxi from Arenal to Monteverde (and vice versa) that takes you across Lake Arenal, a boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay, Jaco to Montezuma boat, boat from La Pavona and Moin to Tortuguero and a boat across the Golfo Dulce.
Which Costa Rica Transportation Method is Right For You?
To help answer your question of “How to get around Costa Rica?” you will need to figure out what your priorities are and what you’re willing to spend in terms of both aspects.
Costa Rica transportation methods summary
- Most comfort and flexibility: renting a car.
- On a budget: the bus.
- In between car and bus: shared shuttles.
- For big groups: private shuttles or renting a car.
- With kids: private shuttles or renting a car.
- No tight budget & short trip to main tourist destinations: flying.
- Solo travelers: shared shuttles or bus. Rent a car if not on a budget.
Many people combine transportation methods, you do not have to pick just one. Many people will fly or book a private shuttle to avoid driving the long routes. Here are some examples.
San Jose – Puerto Viejo. This drive can take around 5-6 hours so instead of driving, people will take a private shuttle or the rafting tour from San Jose to Puerto Viejo. Then rent a car for their days in Puerto Viejo.
Drake Bay: A lot of people will rent a car for their whole itinerary but leave Drake Bay as their last destination. They return the car in Sierpe, take the boat to Drake Bay and then fly to San Jose for their departure flight home. Check out our Costa Rica 1 month itinerary that includes Drake Bay!
Quepos – San Jose: Many people fly or take a shuttle/bus to Quepos, rent a car while they’re in Quepos/Manuel Antonio and then fly to San Jose for their departure flight out.
Destinations
If you’re going to major touristic destinations in Costa Rica like La Fortuna, Tamarindo, Puerto Viejo, San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Puerto Jimenez, Samara, Tambor, Santa Teresa, Montezuma, Jaco, and Monteverde, you can get there via car, bus and shuttle. All of them also have their own local airport except Jaco, Samara, Montezuma, Santa Teresa and Monteverde.
For Drake Bay, the best way is to fly or take the boat from Sierpe. The road there is a 4×4 required vehicle only and not really recommended to drive, especially in rainy season.
For Tortuguero, it is boat or plane access only. You can fly directly there or take the boat from La Pavona or Moin dock to Tortuguero. You can read about how to get to Tortuguero here.
If you are going to non-touristy places like Atenas, Grecia, San Ramon, Boca de Tapada, San Isidro de Perez Zeledon, San Vito, San Gerardo de Dota, Santa Cruz, La Cruz and Nicoya or any remote beach, then a car would be the best way. You can also get there via bus but then it will very difficult to visit places and no tour companies include transportation from those places. Another option is to ask your hotel to arrange transportation for you.
How to Get Around Articles
We wrote articles on how to get to certain destinations which you can read below.
How to get to Playas del Coco/Gulf of Papagayo from Liberia Airport
How to get to Tamarindo from Liberia Airport
Jessica says
Hi, I am arriving to Costa Rica in December with my spouse and havent decided if to rent a car or do shared-shuttle to drive to La Fortuna and spend a couple of days there. Is the gas expensive there, how much do you think I would be spending money in gas for 5 days
Sammi says
Hi Jessica, you can read more about gas in Costa Rica but my advice is if you’re visiting in December to make a decision soon as availability is going super fast for December. If you are traveling solo, just note that shared shuttles always require a minimum number of people to run, over the peak season there will probably be all the routes available but you should book your spaces very soon.
Heather says
Hi Sammi & Yeison,
Thank you for such an amazing, comprehensive site! I have learned and discovered so much reading your blog.
I have a transportation challenge that I would love your input on. We will be in the country June 1-10, 2021. On June 6, we need to travel from Puerto Viejo to Jaco. What are the options here? What would be best, most economical, quickest, (not necessarily all of these at once), etc.? We’re open to all options at this point.
We are a party of 3; two adults and a very capable, adult sized 16 year old.
Thank you so much for any advice you can offer!
Cheers,
Heather
Sammi says
Hi Heather, best option if you’re taking public transportation is to take the bus from Puerto Viejo to San Jose and then San Jose to Jaco. Public bus is the most economical but the slowest.
Heather says
Hi Sammi,
Thank you for your reply! After spending more time on your blog, I think we’ve settled on renting a car. It may not be the cheapest option, but it is the most flexible and time-saving.
Thanks again for all the great info!
Cheers,
Heather
Haleigh Bevins says
Hello,
Are there specific shared shuttle companies you would recommend? I was researching and found many, but want to make sure they are safe, reasonably priced, and reliable.
Sammi says
Interbus, Ride CR, Caribe Shuttle and Easy Ride are very well known ones in Costa Rica
Pat says
I plan to be in CR for a month. San Jose, Arenal, Jaco. Car rentals seem cheap advertising $1-5 + about $15 for the insurance per day. Are these prices accurate? Seems like the way to go.
Sammi says
Hi Pat, we sent you an email with more information but basically these rentals don’t include everything…. it’s important you ask for the total cost and the deposit before you book so you know exactly what you’re paying for. You can also read more in this link: Costa Rica car rental insurance
David Conrad says
We are planning a 2 week trip flying into San Jose airport. We would then like to fly to Drake Bay and hopefully rent a car to drive up the coast & ferry over to Nicoya Penn/Santa Teresa (do we need 4WD?). Where is the best place to drop the car off (would prefer to avoid driving into San Jose) and does this sound like a do-able itinerary? Thanks!
Sammi says
It is highly recommended to get a 4wd for Santa Teresa as roads there are not paved and many hotels and lodgings are up in the mountains. Where you return your car will depend on what agency you rent with because not all car rental agencies have an office in Santa Teresa so they will have to charge an extra hefty fee to collect the car from there. I would see what agencies are available in Santa Teresa.
Dave says
My family and I start our Costa Rica vacation Monday 7/8 and can’t wait. We are renting an SUV, spending 3 nights in La Fortuna, and 3 nights in Quepos. For the long drive from La Fortuna to Quepos, any suggestions on where we should stop for a quick excursion or something we shouldn’t miss out on? Google Maps says it’s about a 5 hour trip. Is that fairly accurate? Your website has been incredibly helpful for us to get a feel for our first trip to Costa Rica!
Sammi says
5 hours is around the drive time (without stops). A popular stop is the Tarcoles crocodile bridge and you can drive through Jaco to check it out or have lunch there since there are some nice restaurants. Have a nice time!
michelle says
Hi there,
We are flying into San Jose and renting a car, driving to La Fortuna then to Tamarindo. What type of insurance is recommended for renting a car? What are some stops we MUST make along the drive? We would love to hike to waterfalls.
Sammi says
Hi, the type of insurance you get varies depending on the company but there is a mandatory insurance in Costa Rica. You can read more about Costa Rica car rental insurance in this post and Costa Rica car rental tips.
You can read about driving San Jose to Arenal and Driving Guanacaste to Arenal here.
Glenda Belnap says
I was so frightened to rent a car after reading all the comments in this blog and others. People described the roads (especially from La Fortuna to Monteverde) as being treacherous, risky, etc. We rented a car and hoped for the best. The roads aren’t paved like you are use to in the USA, but the driving is extremely doable. Follow your GPS. Know your routes before you leave. Drive during the daytime. We didn’t run into anything I would describe as difficult. It was bumpy, rocky and had lots of dust and pot holes. We didn’t feel unsafe. And…the suggested times were longer than we took to get to our locations by about 1 hr on every route. Don’t worry.
Sammi says
Hi Vanessa! Driving in Costa Rica can be stressful but it’s really only in the city. Many tourists in Costa Rica rent a car and drive for their trip and you just need to be a defensive driver, use common sense and use Waze the Gps app!
Vanessa Talley says
We rented a car for our upcoming trip, but someone just told us that driving in Costa Rica is very dangerous and we will likely get lost or coupd end up in a bad area.
Sammi says
Hi Jill, I wrote a post on taking shuttles in Costa Rica.
It will depend on which hotel you’re staying at in Puntarenas but most of them can provide a shuttle for you for an extra charge. For shared shuttles to other destinations, shared shuttle companies should have their schedule on their website.
Jill Smart says
My husband and I will be flying into San Jose Costa Rica and then making our way to our hotel near Punta Arenes. I am very interested in taking a shuttle from the airport to our hotel. I am also very interested in figuring out if we can get a shuttle from our hotel to various popular tourist destinations. I am, however, finding the shuttle websites difficult to understand. It is not clear to me if I can get shuttle service from my hotel or hotel area. How does one determine shuttle schedules? I don’t need to have a private shuttle but wonder if this is my only options. Any pointers are appreciated.
Sammi says
Hi Desaree, private shuttles can pick up and drop off at the airport, shared shuttles can’t pick up at the airport, they normally have to ask passengers to go to another location since they can’t wait at the airport in case of delay or for passengers to get out of immigration/customs since they have other passengers to pick up as well. You can read more tips for taking shuttles here: Costa Rica shuttles
Desaree says
Hi. Do most shuttle services offer pick ups and drop offs to and from the SJO airport? I’m traveling with 3 friends and we need a shuttle service that will get us from the SJO airport to our hotel in arenal and another shuttle from playa flamingo to the SJO airport.
Rob@Kenyamigration says
You have a great guide here for Costa Rica especially on how to get around the country. I must say I would really like a bus ride in that double Decker bus. it looks awesome.
Sammi says
Thanks Rob
Soňa says
Hello,
Firstly, I really appreciate your all helpful information indicated on your blog, thank you very much for that.
I am going to visit Costa Rica as a solo traveller in May and I will be accomodated in Playa del Coco (M&M Hotel) and due to saving my costs, I would like to visit close beaches (Tamarindo, Flamingo) by public buses from Playa del Coco. I can´t speak Spanish at all yet, but I hope I will learn some basis.
Having said that, could you please advise if it is easy to travel by bus to those beaches and can I find a bus stop at Playa del Coco easy? I have already receive a recommendation for the following bus schedules.
Thank you very much in advance and have a nice day. Soňa
Sammi says
There is a bus station in Coco which is for the longer routes, and there is a bus stop by Tico’s bakery which goes to Liberia. To get to Tamarindo, the easiest (but longer) way is to take the bus to Liberia than Liberia to Tamarindo. There is also another way which requires getting off at Sardinal, and then catching the next bus to Tamarindo from there but you will need to know where to get off at Sardinal so it may be a little bit more complicated for travelers.
Sammi says
The app uses information from the official Costa Rica bus schedule from the transportation ministry but always arrive at least 20 minutes early because buses are not known for being very punctual for the more non-common routes. You can download the schedule in this post: Public transportation in Costa Rica
Alyssa says
Awesome blog and posts! Im headed to Costa tonight, and flying into Liberia. I’m planning on taking the public bus to playa Samara via nicoya and have had a heck of a time locating consistent bus info. I did download the app you reccomended however the info on the app conflicts with other info. Anyfurther suggestions? Essentially trying to confirm it is a daily* and frequent* service. Thanks!
Sammi says
I’d recommend flying to Drake Bay, the bus is not easy to take since there is no straight bus to Drake, you need to get off at a point on the route to Puerto Jimenez and wait for a colectivo – which doesn’t always come at the right time and there is only 1 so if you miss it, your travel plans will get messed up, not to mention you’ll be stuck and need to find a way back to Puerto Jimenez. Flying is more secure and efficient, though expensive but it’ll be worth saving 10 hours on the bus. Then you can pick up your car in San Jose and drive to Fortuna.
Another option is to take the bus from San Jose to Palmar Norte, then to Sierpe and take the from Sierpe to Drake. We wrote a post about it here: Boat Sierpe to Drake Bay
kristen says
Hi!
Love your helpful posts! My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Costa Rica the middle of April and I’m curious if you have any advice on our below travel itinerary. We’re still trying to figure out transportation which is proving to be rather challenging.
April 13 — Land in San Jose at night, spend the night
April 14 — Travel to Drake Bay
April 15-18 — Explore Corcovado and surrounding areas
April 18 — Travel back to San Jose and then La Fortuna
April 19-21 — Explore La Fortuna and Arenal
April 21 — Travel to Santa Teresa and Mal Pais
April 21-April 28 — Spend time working from Santa Teresa/Mal Pais
April 28 — Travel back to San Jose
April 29 — Fly home
We planned on renting a car the entire time as I’ve driven in Costa Rica before and found it incredibly beautiful, however, we’re not sure whether it makes sense to drive to Drake Bay from San Jose and then all the way to La Fortuna. Would you recommend flying or taking the bus from San Jose to Drake Bay and back, then picking up our rental car to drive to La Fortuna? We’d like to be efficient with our travels but are also quite budget conscious.
Thank you in advance!
Sammi says
Hi Jolyn, you can do either. If you don’t want to drive or worry about getting lost, book a shuttle. If you don’t mind driving and would like to have the car to explore and have more flexibility, book a car. The driving times between those destinations are pretty long, San Jose to Fortuna is about 3.5 hours, Fortuna to Manuel Antonio is like 5-6 so it’s going to be long travel days. If you don’t want to drive that long of a distance, shuttles are the way to go. We do offer a car rental discount you can check out here: Costa Rica car rental discount.
Jolynn says
Your site is so helpful. Thank you. There will be 8 of us traveling ranging in age from 11 to 60. We will be there in late July and plan to fly into San Jose. Then spend 3 days in La Fortunate and 3 days near Manuel Antonio. Would we be better with a shuttle or car?
Khim says
What are the options from La Fortuna to Golfito? Direct shuttle would be awesome 🙂
yeison says
Hello Khim,
I don’t know if any company that goes from La Fortuna to Golfito that is a long drive. Maybe once you are in La Fortuna you can ask to some local companies butI really doubt it that there is a share shuttle from La Fortuna to Golfito. Maybe you can find something from La Fortuna to Quepos and then take the bus that goes down from Quepos (close to Manuel Antonio) to Golfito, I think that will work better.
Josh says
I’d like to get from Liberia to Drake Bay by public bus, I know there would be a bus change in Puntarenas but which bus would head south from there?
Sammi says
From Puntarenas, you can probably grab a bus to Quepos, Quepos to Dominical, then Dominical to Puerto Jimenez where you need to get off at the La Palma (Osa) stop to grab the collective bus to Drake at 4:45 PM. I recommend breaking up the bus ride because there’s no way you can get to La Palma by 4:45 PM (and I have heard that that collective bus isn’t very punctual and sometimes comes, sometimes doesn’t).
yeison says
Hello Kelsey!
Regarding the rent a car question, maybe 95% of the people that rent a car here don’t speak any Spanish so I think you will be fine. We also have a deal for all our readers that want to rent a car: Costa Rica car rental discount
Please let us know if you have any questions 🙂
Kelsey says
Hi – My friend and I are traveling to Costa Rica for about a week, flying into Liberia and out of San Jose. We are looking to do some exploring around La Fortuna/Arenal but also spending some time in San Jose and hopefully a day or two at the beach. Do you have any good shuttle services that you would recommend we look into?
If we were considering renting a car, do you think that it is reliable / safe for people who don’t speak Spanish?
thanks!
Sammi says
I would honestly rent one especially since you have a 6 year old with you. Taking the bus for all those routes and having to deal with all that luggage for 7 people will be really uncomfortable. If you rent a car, it will be wayyyyy more comfortable, you can stop to see the sights on the way and also in Dominical, the bus system is not efficient at all and they don’t stop at any of the points of interests, it just goes straight down the Costanera Sur highway. In fact, most people hitchhike in the Dominical area because of this. There also isn’t a bus all the way to Rincon de la Vieja, so you’ll have to get a large taxi to fit 7 people which will be really expensive or book a shuttle. If your vacation home in Dominical is not in Dominical town, it’ll be hard to get around if you want to visit Uvita, Nauyaca waterfalls and other points of interests, even restaurants. I highly recommend getting a car to make your time more enjoyable and not dependent on the bus system which is not very efficient in Dominical. You can read more about renting a car here and get our discount 🙂 Costa Rica car rental tips
Dawn says
Family of seven (including six year old). Liberia RT, arriving in late May, for ten days:
Liberia > Rincon de la Vieja (one full day), back to Liberia hotel for the night > Puntarenas ( 1 night) > Dominical vacation home (5 nights) > back to Liberia area (one night) > fly home.
We were planning on not renting a car, but would not completely rule out renting one. What would your recommendation(s) be? Thank you ~
jennie says
Have booked a car from San jose, planning to drive our self to Flamingo( first stop ) we are a family of 2 adult 2 kids, Do you Think we manage driving to Flamingo first day in CR? Never been there before or should we take a shuttle to Flamingo and than rent a car 🙂 is it 5 hour driving? Is it trafic-jam i San Jose?
yeison says
Hello Jennie, it all depends at what time you land if you land before 12 PM you will be ok it’s a long drive just you said (around 5 hours) and once you are in Guanacaste there are lots of signs on the side of the road that will take you to Flamingo. You will not need to go to San Jose downtown if you driving from the airport so no worries about San Jose downtown traffic. I hope you enjoy your vacations and please let me know if you any questions
Sammi says
It’s 2 hours, you can read our full guide here: San Jose bus to Playa Jaco
Dee says
How long a bus ride from San Jose to Jaco?
Sammi says
It is 4 hours, you can find the times and the bus station info here: La Fortuna
indira says
How long is the bus ride from San Jose to La fortuna?
Shelby says
This is super helpful! how would you suggest getting from Tamarindo to La Fortuna? Would local buses operate a trip of that length?
yeison says
You will have to take the bus from Tamarindo to Liberia, then to Canas, then Tilaran and then to La Fortuna. You need to be in Liberia by 9 AM to make sure you can get the last bus from Tilaran to La Fortuna in time.