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Can I plan a trip in a week to Costa Rica? We leave on the 11th...

Posted by: MZ_MARQUEZ on Jul 3, 09 at 06:18 PM Posted in: Mexico & Central America Tagged: Costa Rica Jump to last reply Flag this topic

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So we're ( my self, hubby and 11y/o son) going to CR on the fly and we'll be going to Arenal and MA for 8 days. I'm not to worried about the hotels but I'm a little worried about transportation. I've read about renting a car, hiring a driver etc. If we hire a driver..do they stay w/u the whole week or dif. areas require dif drivers. Are the roads safe enough to drive?
Should we make RSVP for activities on line or once we are there..ie: zip line, canopy tour..
I've been trying to read up on prior posts..which were very helpful..but haven;t really addressed transportation around the area

thank you so much...

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qwovadis on Jul 3, 09 at 06:33 PM

Always rent a car roads are fine 2WD is fine

www.tricolorcarrental.com www.wildrider.com

good drivers average $130-180 each leg

www.tripadvisor.com/membersroadadvisor

excellent CR driver

set your tours up online or when you get there

www.desafiocostarica.com for Arenal

www.tripadvisor.com/members/natureguide best MA guide...

Have fun,
qwovadis on Jul 3, 09 at 06:35 PM

www.interbusonline.com and Grayline

do shuttles between areas hotel to hotel

also a good option but cheapest usually

works out to be car rental...

cmerrell on Jul 3, 09 at 09:53 PM

Hi MZ,

We've driven on two of our trips and enjoyed having the flexibility a car provides. The roads to Arenal and MA were in good shape when we did that itinerary in 2006.

It's really a matter of personal preference rather to drive or not. I will say that navigating the bustling streets around the international airport can be a bit nerve wracking, but once you're out in the beautiful countryside it's very enjoyable. You do want to always drive defensively in Costa Rica and keep your wits about you. Luggage theft is unfortunately somewhat common so you should never leave any valuables unattended in your car; even locked in your trunk. It's best to reach your hotel and unpack before going off sight-seeing in the car.

There are various driver recs here if you prefer to go that route, and sometimes you can have hotels line them up for you (if you're going to book hotels in advance...). A driver usually won't stay with you the whole week; they get you from point A to point B and then you do taxis/bus in each location. A lot of local tours/day trips that you might take also offer transportation to and from your hotel.

qwovadis mentions the shuttle companies (interbus, grayline) which will also get you from point A to point B. These seem to generally work out well for people as long as you don't mind being tied to their schedules.

Most hotels will have tour desks that can line up the activities you want to participate in (zip lines, wildlife viewing, etc...). I'd make a stop at the desk after you check in and have them make some reservations for you.