International Flight information
A
variety of international carries from around the world fly
into Costa Rica on a regular basis. Some of the major carriers
include Iberia, American, Delta, Continental, KLM, and Mexicana
to name a few. LACSA used to be the national carrier but
a few years ago merged with other regional airlines to form
TACA. TACA also serves a variety of international routes.
Check with your travel agent for the best fares.
Within Costa Rica there are two major local carriers. Check
the links below to find out about their routes and costs.
On the Ground
Buses
Traveling in San Jose is fairly simple
using the bus system. Once you have learned the names of
the various suburbs, you will find that using the bus system
is easy and cheap. The typical bus fare ranges from 85-150
Colones (less than $ 0.35). You don’t need exact change
on buses, but bills of 5000 won’t be accepted and
if you pay with a 1000 colon bill, you may experience bus
driver's revenge - a pound of small coins. Throughout the
city there are quite a few bus stops and the buses stop
frequently, so you won’t have to wait too long to
catch a bus. Most buses start running at approximately 5
a.m. and stop at 10 - 11 p.m.
Taxis
Costa Rica has an abundance
of taxis and the cost is very inexpensive. During the dry
season, you will have less trouble getting a cab. Most Costa
Ricans prefer to use the bus system during these months.
In the rainy season it becomes much more difficult to get
a cab. This means that instead of being able to get a cab
right away, you may have to wait several minutes. If you
want to have a taxi pick you up at your house it is possible
(be prepared to call the taxi company several times). While
this option will work, it is much quicker and easier to
go out to the nearest busy street and flag a taxi down.
Officially, taxi drivers
are required to use their meters. If your driver doesn’t
turn the meter on, tell him “la maria por favor”.
As long as you use bills of 1000 or less, the taxi drivers
should have no problem making change.
Note: after 10pm taxis will add an additional 20% to your
fare. This is standard practice.
Road Conditions
Road conditions can be a shock for someone
from North America or Europe. Some roads are great, and
many are horrible. Holes in the road are common, and during
the rainy season can really jolt the car. It is best not
to drive over a hole in the rainy season because you never
know how deep it is! After a few weeks you will get used
to the roads, but the first few days are a real eye opener!
Much
of the information on our site as it relates to Costa Rica
is:
 Courtesy
of Christopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.
A2Z Languages highly
recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon
Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image
to visit his website where you can purchase this book or
find out more about the author.
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