Bus from SJO to San Jose , Costa Rica

Time of day? Where do you want to go?

The bus has a few fixed stops along the highway between the airport and the city as well as along Paseo Colon, the east-west avenue that connects the highway with downtown San Jose. The bus terminal on Ave 2 is in kind of a sketchy neighborhood. I'd be relunctant to take the bus there at night.

I honestly don't know if the driver will take U.S. dollars. Maybe. If you try, don't pay with anything larger than $1 bills. The fare isn't that expensive, so don't try to pay with a large bill.

My husband and I will arrive mid afternoon. Our hotel is on the NW side of San Jose, which is not very close to the bus station. We travel light (small backpacks)so I was planning to walk a bit, maybe hop in a cab from the bus station. I don't have a feel for how big/walkable/safe San Jose is...

Can you be more specific about "NW side of San Jose"?

Oops, actually, I should have said NE- Calle 19, Ave 11/13.

That's going to be about 25 blocks from bus terminal to hotel. No, you shouldn't attempt to walk that. The bus from the airport to San Jose will pass nowhere near there.

If your flight arrives mid-afternoon, it will be the height of the rush hour by the time you get to downtown San Jose. That's never a good time to find a taxi. It gets dark about 5:30, another reason you shouldn't attempt to walk from the bus terminal.

A taxi from the airport to the hotel should run about $25-$30 one way. That would be the total cost for the two of you together. I'm all for trying to save money when I travel, but this is one area where I wouldn't try to cut corners given the dicey neighborhood where the bus will drop you off and the fact that it'll be getting dark.

Jeff, thanks for the advice. Can anyone else comment on the safety issue? I tend to underestimate the possible danger of various situations...And I've never been to San Jose.

I'm serious: Take an taxi directly from the airport to your hotel. It'll be a lot safer.

Here's what I'm afraid will happen to you if you try the bus: It'll be a crowded bus that time of day. Even though it stops at the airport, it isn't really designed to be an airport bus and is difficult to take if you have luggage. It's a commuter bus that runs between two cities. You'll get to downtown San Jose around 5 or 5:30 and it will be getting dark. You'll have trouble finding a taxi there because it's the height of rush hour. The terminal is in a dicey neighborhood and you've never been to San Jose before.

Take a taxi from the airport directly to your hotel.

San Jose is big, not a very pretty city for the most part, lots of razor wire, etc. I'd listen to Jeff's advice. Common advice is to take taxis at night, not wear nice jewelry, etc.

I really would listen to Jeff. The few dollars you will save are just not worth it.

How are things after the earthquake? Has any damage been reported? Hope everyone is okay.