Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [71]
Puerto Limón (Autotransportes Caribeños) ₡2500; three hours; departs roughly every 30 minutes from 5am to 7pm.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Autotransportes Mepe) ₡4300; 4½ hours; departs 6am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm.
Siquirres (Líneas del Atlántico) ₡1400; 1½ hours; departs 6:30am, 8am, 11am, noon, 1pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm.
Sixaola, Panama border crossing (Autotransportes Mepe) ₡5300; six hours; departs 6am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm.
To the Northern Lowlands
Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos) See departures to Northwestern Costa Rica, opposite.
Los Chiles, Nicaragua border crossing (Map; Terminal San Carlos) ₡2100, five hours, departs 5:30am and 3:30pm.
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí Autotransportes Sarapiquí (Map; Gran Terminal del Caribe) ₡1400, two hours, departs 6:30am, 7:30am, 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm and 6pm.
TOURIST BUSES
Grayline’s Fantasy Bus (2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) and Interbus (2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) shuttle passengers in air-con minivans from San José to a long list of popular destinations around Costa Rica. They are more expensive than the standard bus service, but they offer door-to-door service and can get you there faster. Turn to Click here for more information.
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GETTING AROUND
Central San José frequently resembles a parking lot – narrow streets, heavy traffic and a complicated one-way system mean that it is often quicker to walk than to take the bus. The same applies to driving: if you rent a car, try to avoid downtown. If you’re in a real hurry to get somewhere that is more than 1km away, take a taxi.
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To/From the Airports
TO AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL JUAN SANTAMARÍA
You can reserve a pickup with Taxi Aeropuerto (2221-6865; www.taxiaeropuerto.com), which charges a flat rate of between US$21 and US$30 for trips to and from most parts of San José. (These are a bright orange color.) You can also take a street taxi, but the rates may vary wildly. Plan on spending at least ₡11,000 to ₡14,000 (roughly US$20 to US$25); more in heavy traffic. Interbus (2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) runs an airport shuttle service that will pick you up at your hotel (US$10 per person), good value if you’re traveling alone. The cheapest option is the red Tuasa bus (Map; cnr Calle 10 & Av 2; ₡400) bound for Alajuela. Be sure to tell the driver that you are getting off at the airport (just say: Voy al aeropuerto, por favor.).
From downtown, the drive to the airport can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour (more if you take the bus) – and vice versa. Plan accordingly.
TO AEROPUERTO TOBÍAS BOLAÑOS
Buses to Tobías Bolaños depart every 30 minutes from Av 1, 250m west of the Terminal Coca-Cola. A taxi to the airport from downtown starts at about ₡6600 (or about US$12). Interbus (2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) also has an airport shuttle service for US$10.
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Bus
Local buses are useful to get you into the suburbs and surrounding villages, or to the airport. Most buses run between 5am and 10pm and cost in the vicinity of ₡200 to ₡300.
Buses from Parque La Sabana head into town on Paseo Colón, then go over to Av 2 at the San Juan de Dios hospital. They then go three different ways through town before eventually heading back to La Sabana. Buses are marked Sabana–Estadio, Sabana–Cementerio or Cementerio–Estadio. These buses are a good bet for a cheap city tour. Buses going east to Los Yoses and San Pedro go back and forth along Av 2 and then switch over to Av Central at Calle 29. (These are easily identifiable by the big sign that says ‘Mall San Pedro’ on the front window.) The route starts at the corner of Av 2 and Calle 7, near Restaurante El Pollo Campesino.
Buses to the following outlying suburbs and towns begin from bus stops at the indicated blocks. Some places have more than one stop – only the main ones are listed here.
Escazú Avenida 6 (Map; Av 6 btwn Calles 14 & 16); Calle 16 (Map; Calle 16 btwn Avs 1 & 3)
Guadalupe (Map; Av 3 btwn Calles Central &