Getting around Costa Rica is a big concern for travelers especially for visitors who are here for a short period of time and on a budget.
Without an efficient transportation system like the subway and with an ever developing infrastructure, traveling within the country can be a bit of a headache. It seems like it’s either super expensive or takes forever.
But don’t fret! Plenty of travelers have made it and found a way to get around whether it’s by foot, car, bus, etc. And luckily the system is improving and there are several handy tools you can use. (Plus we offer some sweet discounts you will find in the post!)
In this article I’m going to outline how you can get around Costa Rica and break it down by cost and efficiency. This will help you get a much better idea of which type of transportation in Costa Rica is right for you.
Click on the section to skip to the type of transportation in Costa Rica.
Flying
Flying is the quickest way to get around Costa Rica. What would take you 4 hours driving will take 30 minutes flying. The two international airports are LIR and SJO in Liberia and San Jose. Then to get around the country by flying, there are two domestic airlines, Nature Air and Sansa Air.
Nature Air flies to 15 destinations and that’s not limited to Costa Rica, they also fly into Managua, Nicaragua and Bocas del Toro, Panama. For Costa Rica, they have flights going to the major destinations which are Liberia, Arenal, Drake Bay, Golfito, Limon, Nosara, Puerto Jimenez, Punta Islita, Quepos/Manuel Antonio, San Jose, Tamarindo, Tambor, and Tortuguero. Nature Air is known for having wide windows on their 12-19 seater planes.
Sansa Air flies to 12 destinations in the country which are: San Jose, Liberia, La Fortuna/Arenal, Puerto Jiminez, Golfito, Palmar Sur, Drake Bay, Manuel Antonio/Quepos, Tambor, Tamarindo, Limon and Tortuguero. They are one of the five “zero emissions” airlines in the world.
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) so flights can range anywhere from $50 to $300 one way depending on your route.
It also depends on your destinations. San Jose to Drake Bay for October (the lowest tourism month of the year) and it is $204 round trip on Nature Air. On Sansa Air I checked San Jose to Tamarindo during Christmas time (peak season) and it is $300 round trip.
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 and looking up bus schedules.
Shared/Private Shuttles and Private Transportation in Costa Rica
Taking a shuttle in Costa Rica is a great option for those who are coming in large groups, with young ones or seniors with disability or don’t want to drive/take the bus. Many of the shuttles are the 10-18 passenger shuttle vans so they are very spacious and comfortable and the companies go all over the country.
Here are some things you should 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.
- You don’t have to use a shuttle company, many tour companies provide shuttle service and can work out arrangements with you for your entire trip, day trips, etc.
- Private shuttles are more expensive than shared but you have more flexibility with private. But if you have a big group of at least 4 people, the cost will equal out to the same as shared shuttles or even less.
- Shared shuttles cost about $50 per adult and private can be up to $75 per person depending on the route.
If you want to book a private shuttle, you can also hire a private driver for your Costa Rica trip. This is a good option if you’re going to various places around the country, in a group and don’t want to wait for other people/adhere to the shared shuttle company’s schedule. You can request quotes for private transportation in Costa Rica from a tour/transfer company.
We are happy to announce our partnership with Interbus, a shared shuttle company to give our readers 10% off. You can read more tips for taking shuttles in Costa Rica or contact us at hello @ mytanfeet . com for a quote or to book a shuttle. Please includes your name, date and time of shuttle, number of passengers and pick up and drop off hotels.
Taxis
Taxis are popular in Costa Rica for short trips like from the supermarket to the hotel. They come in handy if it’s raining and you don’t want to get wet. However, if you are thinking of using a taxi for long trips, it’s best to book a shuttle because taxis will be more expensive.
The good thing about taxis is that they are everywhere, you can find them in pretty much every touristic destination. If you take a taxi, the most important thing to know is to take an official taxi and not a pirate one. Official taxis are red, official airport taxis are orange and pirate taxis are… well you will recognize them immediately when you see one.
Read more tips for taking taxis in Costa Rica.
Uber
Uber arrived in Costa Rica in August 2015 and it has been a gift to travelers. It only exists in San Jose right now but it makes getting around the city so much easier. It’s cheaper than taxis and more efficient and faster than buses. Perfect for getting around San Jose or to and from the airport.
Read our tips to using Uber in Costa Rica and get $10 credit for your first ride!
Driving
Driving is in our opinion, the best way to get around Costa Rica. I know a lot of people argue for taking public transportation and I would too if the bus system was a bit more efficient for those who are here for just a few days.
However, if you have a good chunk of time in the country or are living here, then I definitely suggest taking public transportation at least a couple times since it does give you a good idea of the local life here.
Driving gives you the flexibility and freedom that you can’t get with any other method of transportation to get around Costa Rica. You don’t have to adhere to someone else’s schedules and leave whenever you want. Having a car is the best way to explore Costa Rica since many of the hidden gems don’t have any buses or require a 4×4.
Rates depend on the type of car, time of year and insurance you get but you can find some pretty good deals online. We partnered with Adobe Rent a Car, a Costa Rican car rental company to give our readers a steep discount with lots of extra benefits such as 2 free drivers, free surf racks and cooler.
Get your Costa Rica car rental discount here
Worried about driving in Costa Rica? Check out our basic driving tip article and an in-depth driving tip guide. If you’re not sure which type of car to get or what the roads are like for your itinerary, check out our Costa Rica road conditions guide.
Public Transportation
Taking the bus is the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica (except hitchhiking). Costa Rica public transportation is actually not that bad if you’re going to popular tourist destinations and major areas.
You can find routes to all of the major cities and beaches and it’s pretty easy if you are coming from San Jose since it’s the capital. You can find routes from San Jose to every big town or beach. Once you get to the bus station you’ll see all their routes, times and fares and all you have to do is buy your bus ticket and then you’re off.
In this tips for taking the bus in Costa Rica article, you will find all the information and tips for taking the public transportation in Costa Rica including an itinerary of buses. Costa Rica’s bus system is really great for budget travelers/backpackers because it is cheap.
We have taken the bus from San Jose to Playas del Coco (and vice versa) several times and it’s about $9 per person one way with spacious seats, AC and luggage storage. The downside is that it takes much longer as these buses usually make a lot of stops and are slow. Driving from San Jose to Coco takes us about 4 hours but on a bus, it’s about 6-7.
We don’t recommend taking the bus if your itinerary is very short or if you are going to very far destinations. It will be better to rent a car, fly or book shuttles for short itineraries.
Motorcycle/Scooter
Traveling the country on a motorcycle is getting a bit more popular and though you don’t see a ton of motorcycles on the road, you can find scooters for rent in most beach towns.
If you’re planning to do an around the country on motorcycle trip, I recommend buying a motorcycle instead of renting – there aren’t scooter rentals in every destination and you can sell the motorcycle when you’re done. You can buy a brand new motorcycle around $2000 and up depending on the brand and size. Also note that you do need to have a separate motorcycle license to legally drive one here and it goes by CC’s.
Also be aware that rainy season is much more dangerous for motorcycles since it rains really hard in some areas and unexpectedly too, so be well equipped if you come during that time (read our essentials for rainy season here). Roads in certain areas like Arenal are incredibly curvy and can get slippery when wet. We always hear on the news about motorcycle accidents because they were going too fast around a corner. Don’t be one of them and always wear a helmet!
Hitchhiking
We haven’t actually hitchhiked before but we see a lot of hitchhikers from time to time. It is pretty common in some areas like Dominical/Uvita and I actually don’t advise against it.
You hear a lot of horror stories about it in general but Costa Rica is a pretty safe country, in fact I’ve never heard anything bad about foreigners hitchhiking. I have however, heard stories about locals pretending to hitchhike and then robbing the driver.
I don’t know if I’d suggest using this as your only form of transportation since it is a gamble as to how long it’ll take to get a ride and it’s definitely more of a backpacker thing. Many other foreigners are fairly open to picking up hitchhikers though so you may get lucky and if you’re not in a rush, then time isn’t too much of an issue. Just be careful and use your common sense!
Ferry
If you’re planning on going from Puntarenas to Montezuma/Santa Teresa/Paquera area, the ferry is what you should take. It’s faster than driving all the way around obviously, it’s cheap and a fun way to see the Costa Rican waters. Taking the ferry? Check out our tips for taking the Paquera ferry.
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 and a ferry across the Golfo Dulce.
Other Options
There are also a couple of other fun options for getting around. Rios Tropicales offers a 1 day white water rafting trip on the Rio Pacuare where they can pick you up in San Jose, La Fortuna or Puerto Viejo and drop you off at either of those three destinations! So instead of sitting on a bus all day, get picked up at your hotel in San Jose, go on a crazy fun white water rafting adventure and then get a transfer to your hotel in Puerto Viejo!
We offer discounts for the Rio Pacuare white water rafting, just be aware that they need 2 passengers minimum for pick up and drop offs in Puerto Viejo and La Fortuna.
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So here is the answer to the question of “How to get around Costa Rica?” Sometimes when it comes down to it, it’s time versus money. Are you on a budget but here for awhile so you can afford to spend 7 hours on a bus? Or are you only here for a few days and want to maximize your time as much as possible? Figure out what your priorities are and what you’re willing to spend in terms of both aspects.
If you have any questions about transportation, renting a car or need recommendations for shuttles, please don’t hesitate to leave us a comment or email us. We’re here to help you make planning and your actual vacation as fun and smooth as possible!
Read all our travel tips for Costa Rica here.
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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
We have a 10% discount for all shuttle transfers for Mytanfeet readers with Interbus. Interbus will pick up passengers at the Denny’s across the street from SJO airport at their scheduled time (usually one around 8 AM and another around 3 PM). You can email us if you would like to book the shuttles at hello@Mytanfeet.com. A shared shuttle is $54 per adult and $48.60 with our discount 🙂
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.
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.
Thanks Rob
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
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.
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
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!
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
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!
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 and if you’d like a quote for a shuttle, we offer a 10% discount on Interbus, a shuttle company in Costa Rica. You can send us an email here: Contact Mytanfeet if you’d like a quote.
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?
What are the options from La Fortuna to Golfito? Direct shuttle would be awesome 🙂
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.
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?
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).
Hello Kelsey!
We have a deal with interbus the biggest shuttle company here where all our readers save 10% so if you would like us to help you booking your shuttles please email us at https://mytanfeet.com/contact-us/ with the dates and destination we will be more than happy to send you a quote.
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 🙂
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!
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
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 ~
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?
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
It’s 2 hours, you can read our full guide here: San Jose bus to Playa Jaco
How long a bus ride from San Jose to Jaco?
It is 4 hours, you can find the times and the bus station info here: La Fortuna
How long is the bus ride from San Jose to La fortuna?
This is super helpful! how would you suggest getting from Tamarindo to La Fortuna? Would local buses operate a trip of that length?
The easy way is to go back to San Jose and then take the bus from San Jose you can also get private shuttle but it is way more expensive