The most common way to travel in Costa Rica is by bus. An excellent bus service connects all parts of San José and all places in the country. You can get to almost all locations for a maximum of US$ 5 by bus. Busses and bus stops are marked by the name of the destination.
Since most locals do not have cars, busses can be full during certain hours of the day as well as on the weekends. San José has no central bus station and most lines have their own place of departure. Most travel guides include lists of locations and prices to different places of interest. Busses for short ways often are old school busses, but busses to far destinations are comfortable and nice. Some even have air condition, color TV and bath.
To get around in the city, we recommend the use of taxis. There seem to be millions of them and they have very low prices. The law requires tachographs.

Our advice: Always check, if tachograph is running or ask for the price before you get in.
If you take a taxi at the airport to go to Alajuela for example, make sure not to take on from the Airport taxis, since they have a higher basic rate.

The taxi system is well organized. If you feel cheated, note the number of the taxi permission or the license plate and complain at the "Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes". Taxis are red with yellow signs on top. From San José to Escazu it costs about US$ 2. Taxis are allowed to charge 20% more from 10pm to 5 am.
Many tourists are crazy for a trip with the train. A railway web did never exist in Costa Rica. There was a jungle train between the two coasts, but after an earthquake has destroyed the railway in 1991, the traffic stopped completely. People who could experience this trip in the past can be happy, since it was a remaining adventure. They say that there is a group of people being interested in a re-construction, but this will need many years more.
Costa Rica offer reasonable priced flights through the country by SANSA. They fly to destinations like Samara, Golfito and Quepos. All flights start near the international airport Santa Maria. If you need to fly, ask for a ticket in advance. It is better to go directly to the office of SANSA instead of relying on a travel agency. Flights can be booked out often, make reservation at least 2 weeks before or contact us by mail and we take care of the problem.
 

Driving a car in Costa Rica

If you do not like public transports and prefer to go your own ways, than rent a car.
It is a good possibility to explore the country, especially if you want to immigrate.
However, driving a car in Costa Rica can be a pain. On the main streets in and around San José is much traffic and street conditions make you want to have a Jeep. Get a map with the gasoline stations. Gasoline is sold in liters. Normal "Regular" and "Super", both lead free are available.
You should not have problems to find your way in the cities. They are built with the typical web structure. There are "Calles" and ,,Avenidas" crosswise. Number 0 is the ,,Avenida Central" (central street), to which the other avenidas run parallel. On one side you find the even numbers, on the other you find the uneven. If you walk from Calle 2 to Calle 4, it is one block and Calle 3 is exactly 3 blocks in the oposite direction. Addresses are simply designed by the for example: Avenida 1, Calles 3-5, which would be on Avenida 1 between Calle 3 and 5. A little confusing, but you will get used to it.
On the main streets, leaving San José, a small fee is collected. One can compare them with motorways, even if the maximum speed is only 50 mph, sometimes a little more. Police is making controls often with laser guns. Seat belts are also a must and you have to pay if you do not use them. The police writes "tickets" and you have to pay in the bank.

Our advice: Never give money to a police men in order to pay for a ticket. Cheating police men are seldom, but nevertheless it can happen that one of them tells you that it would be easier to pay to him. Stay friendly and explain that you prefer paying in the bank.

If your ticket is not paid, when you leave the country, it can be that you have to pay at the airport. If you are involved in a serious traffic accident, the police will not let you leave until everything is cleared.
If you drive much in Costa Rica, you should bring an international driver license. This is just a translation of your license. It can be useful in case of an accident, because it can be easy checked if it is valid.
If you stay longer than 3 months, you need to get a costarican license. Fortunately, it is easy to get. Just go to "Direccion de Transporte Automoto". You have to show your american license, bring some passport pictures, pay a small fee and make an eye exam. After that, you have the document in about one hour. If you do not have a license, you have to make a written exam in Spanish and a driving test.
 

Car Rentals

Many car rentals have offices in San José. Most of them at the airport or at Paseo Colon, the main street of the city. Prices are above european and american rates. A small Jeep costs about US$ 400 a week including free milage and insurance. Small cars are available for about US$ 200 a week. You must be 21 years old and have a valid license, passport and credit card.

Our advise: Since some time it is not possible anymore to deposit cash. The law requires a credit card. The deposit is about US$ 1000.

Check your rental car exactly, before you take it and report all kind of damage. Make sure, everything gets written down to prevent fights when you return the car. Check tires twice, since companies often try charging tires to the tourists.