| Costa Rica's public bus system is excellent, cheap and quite
frequent, even in remote areas. Getting anywhere by bus with a lot of
baggage can be a problem, however - many people travel light, leaving
the bulk of their baggage somewhere secure (a San José hotel, for
example) while on the road. Taxis regularly do long- as well as short-distance
trips and are a fairly inexpensive alternative to the bus, at least if
you're travelling in a group. Car rental is more common here than in the
rest of Central America, but is very expensive.
Buses
Buses are by far the cheapest way to get around. The most expensive
journey in the country (from Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula, to San
José) costs US$7, while fares in the mid- to long-distance range vary
from US$2.50 to US$5. ...
Buses are by far the cheapest way to get around. The most expensive
journey in the country (from Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula, to San
José) costs US$7, while fares in the mid- to long-distance range vary
from US$2.50 to US$5. Tickets on most mid- to long-distance and popular
routes are issued with a date and a seat number; you are expected to sit
in the seat indicated. Make sure the date is correct; even if the
mistake is not yours, you cannot normally change your ticket or get a
refund. Neither can you buy return bus tickets on Costa Rican buses,
which can be quite inconvenient if heading to very popular destinations
like Monteverde, Jacó and Manuel Antonio at busy times - you'll need to
jump off the bus as soon as you arrive and buy your return ticket
immediately to assure yourself a seat.
San José is the hub for virutally all bus services in the country;
indeed, it's often impossible to travel from one place to another
without backtracking to the capital. Different companies have semi-monopolies
on various regions.
On the most popular buses, like the service to Golfito, it's advisable
to book in advance , though you may be lucky and get on without a
reservation. Services to popular tourist areas in high season -
especially Monteverde - get booked up very fast, so again you should buy
your ticket several days ahead of travel. For information on bus
timetables check www.yellowweb.co.cr/crbuses.html .
Though most Costa Rican buses are pretty good, the best of the bunch -
arguably the best in Central America - is Ticabus , which runs the
border routes from San José to Panamá or to Managua. Old converted US
Greyhound buses, they have comfortable seats, adequate baggage space,
air conditioning and very courteous drivers.
Driving
You have to exercise caution when renting a car in Costa Rica -
companies have been known to claim for "damage" they insist you
inflicted on their vehicle. By far the best policy is to rent a car
through a Costa Rican travel agent or...
rYou have to exercise caution when renting a car in Costa Rica -
companies have been known to claim for "damage" they insist you
inflicted on their vehicle. By far the best policy is to rent a car
through a Costa Rican travel agent or tour operator, which will cost you
considerably less than doing it yourself. If you are travelling on a
package, your agent will sort this out. Otherwise, go into an ICT-accredited
travel agent in San José.
Car rental in Costa Rica is also expensive . Expect to pay about US$400
per week for a regular (non-4WD) vehicle, including insurance, and up to
US$500 for 4WD. You will need a credit card, either Mastercard or Visa,
which has sufficient credit for the entire cost of the rental, both at
the beginning and end of the rental period. The majority of companies
are based in San José, and you'll have to return the car there. The
exception is Elegante, which has offices throughout the country.
If you intend to drive in the rainy season (May-Nov), especially on the
Nicoya Peninsula, or want to get to off-the beaten-track places, or to
Santa Elena and Monteverde, you'll need to rent a 4WD . (Indeed, due to
the condition of the roads some car-rental companies refuse to allow
their regular cars to be driven to Monteverde between May and November.)
In recent years a system of fines ( multas ) for infractions like
speeding has been introduced in Costa Rica. The speed limit on the
highways is either 75km/hr or 90km/hr; it's marked on the sidewalk or on
signs. If you're caught speeding you could find yourself paying up to
US$65. Fuel is positively cheap by European standards: about US$15 a
tank on a medium-sized vehicle or about US$30 for a big 4WD.
Cycling
Costa Rica's terrain makes cycling a pleasure - indeed, it's easier to
dodge the potholes and wandering cattle on a bike than in a car - and
the range of places to stay and eat means you don't need to carry a tent.
There is very little traffic...
Costa Rica's terrain makes cycling a pleasure - indeed, it's easier to
dodge the potholes and wandering cattle on a bike than in a car - and
the range of places to stay and eat means you don't need to carry a tent.
There is very little traffic outside the Valle Central, and Costa Rican
drivers tend to be courteous to cyclists. Be warned, however, that if
you cycle up to Monteverde, one of the most popular routes in the
country, you're in for a slow trip: besides being steep, there's not
much traction on the loose gravel roads.
San José's best cycle shop is Bicimania, at the corner of Paseo Colón
and C 26. They have all the parts you might need, can fix your bike, and
may even be able to give you a bicycle carton for the plane.
Planes
Costa Rica's two domestic air carriers offer a quite economical
scheduled service between San José and many beach destinations and
provincial towns. Sansa is the state-owned domestic airline; Travelair
is its commercial competitor. Both fly...
Costa Rica's two domestic air carriers offer a quite economical
scheduled service between San José and many beach destinations and
provincial towns. Sansa is the state-owned domestic airline; Travelair
is its commercial competitor. Both fly small twin-propeller aircraft,
servicing the same destinations. Of the two, Travelair (which flies from
Tobias Bolaños airport in Pavas, 7km west of San José) is more reliable,
and more frequent on some runs. Sansa (which flies from Juan Santamaría
airport, 17km northwest of San José) is cheaper but less reliable - make
your reservations as far as possible in advance and even then be advised
that a booking means almost nothing until the seat is actually paid for.
Reconfirm your flight in advance of the day of departure and once more
on the day of departure, if possible, as schedules are likely to change
at short notice. Sansa also offers good-value packages, usually two or
three nights in more popular areas like Manuel Antonio.
Getting around Costa Rican towns
All Costa Rican towns of any size are intersected by an Avenida Central
, which runs east-west, and a Calle Central , which runs north-south.
From Avenida Central, parallel avenidas run odd numbers to the north and
even...
All Costa Rican towns of any size are intersected by an Avenida Central
, which runs east-west, and a Calle Central , which runs north-south.
From Avenida Central, parallel avenidas run odd numbers to the north and
even numbers to the south. From Calle Central, even-numbered calles run
to the west and odd numbers to the east. Avenidas 8 and 9, therefore,
are actually quite far apart from one another, while Calles 23 and 24
would be at opposite ends of the city. " 0 " in addresses is shorthand
for "Central": thus Av 0, C 11 is the same as Av Central, C 11.
If you use street numbers as addresses, locals - and especially taxi
drivers - won't have a clue where you are talking about. When possible
use directions given in relation to local landmarks , buildings,
businesses, parks or institutions, or according to the nearest
intersection. People use metres to signify distance: in local parlance
100 metres equals one city block.
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