Welcome to the Costa Rica Visitor Center - Transportation
Three international airports with direct flights from 10 major U.S. cities are available. Charter planes and domestic flights spread over 30 local airports. Busses are cheap and rental cars are a feasible option as well. The roads are a little dangerous so it is important to be extra careful when making your decision.
Transportation
Renting cars is a feasible option while in Costa Rica. The airport in the capital city of San Jose and tourist destinations around the country have many familiar agencies. With the potholes and large hills in the city and difficult terrain in the mountains, four-wheel drive is strongly advised. In the less developed Southern Zone and Caribbean coast it is a must! Heavy investment is being made to enhance transportation and improvements are being made every day. The driving age is eighteen, but if for tourists, you must be 21 years old and carry your passport at all times. Your home country drivers license is good for 90 days, at which point you must apply for a Costa Rica license. People who have never driven in Costa Rica before, must be ready to deal with speeding, reckless and rude drivers.
Transportation in Costa Rica! Transportation in Costa Rica!
Search for rental cars in Costa Rica
Taxis, like buses, give us an excellent transportation option for they are cheaper and more convenient than in other countries. All of the taxis have a meter. Make sure your driver turns it on! Taxis will charge more to leave the city, so negotiate a price before the ride. Buses are cheap and readily available. They can get crowded, especially on Mondays and Fridays due to the weekend tourist traffic and locals who commute for weekends, The ICT (Tourism Bureau) has bus schedules, fares and bus stops and major terminals information for your assistance. luggage space is limited in most buses, and unless they are a tourist bus, they don't have bathrooms so bear this in mind.
Trains are not a reasonable choice for effective travel solutions, but there are a few trains that run. They run mostly on the Atlantic side and many serve as a tourist attraction. Quiet and scenic, many serve dinner and wine and have tour guides who detail the trip for you.
Not as common, but also available is helicopter charter. It is an exciting way to get around, fly low and see the rainforest mountains, rivers, jungles and beaches of Costa Rica.
