San Jose: Transportation

International Flight information

U.S. carriers include American, United, Continental and Delta Airlines. LACSA is the official Costa Rican carrier. LTU, MartinAir, Mexicana, Taca, Iberia are among the international air carriers that have Costa Rica as a destination. Major U.S. cities with direct flights to Costa Rica include Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Orlando, New Orleans, Atlanta and others.

There are two main local air carriers in Costa Rica, both with several years of experience and a wide range of destinations and flights.

• SANSA
• Travelair

On the Ground

There is an astronomical tax in place for buying cars and most Costa Ricans can’t afford then anyway; thus, the public transportation system in Costa Rica is fairly advanced, much used and affordable. A general understanding of the machinations involved will serve you because the transportation system is so different from the one in North America or Europe.

Buses
If you are traveling from San José to another province, you’ll be surprised at the efficiency and the excellent condition of the buses. They leave often and, for example, it will cost about US$ 5 to go the border with Panama or with Nicaragua. Buses within the province tend to be a bit rickety and, at times, packed like a sardine can. Nevertheless, they get you there and most are under 20 US cents.

Some helpful hints:

• Exact change is not required.
• Pay when getting on the bus (except for when going out of the Central Valley where, in some cases, you buy your ticket at least a day ahead).
• If the buzzer does not work, whistle or yell “ La parada” at least 50meters before your stop.
• You can stow your luggage (including surfboards) in the bus storage compartments when going outside of the Central Valley.
• Buses start running very early, sometimes at 4:30 a.m., and stop between ten and eleven at night.

Taxis
Officially, there are two types of taxis in Costa Rica: orange and red colored. The orange type are airport taxis and can be solicited by phone or hailed at the airport. They have a set price of about US$ 13 to go to and from the airport. The usual taxi you would use is red colored, has a little sign on top and uses a meter, a.k.a. “maría”. If the taxi does not fit this description, it is not legal. Beware!. Ask the driver to put on the “maría” before entering the cab; if there is not one or he says it is broken, be sure to agree on a price before getting on. After 10:00 p.m. there is an extra 20% on the fare. It is usually not more than 250 colones to go across San José in a taxi.

Road Conditions
The maintenance of the roads is somewhat lacking compared to the smooth surfaces of countries such as Canada or Germany. Even though Costa Rica’s road conditions are some of the best in Latin America, be prepared for a bumpy or dusty ride sometimes.

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