Costa Rica - do we NEED a car?

Old Sep 25th, 2012, 02:22 PM
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Costa Rica - do we NEED a car?

We want to spend 7-10 days in December in Costa Rica with 10 and 12 year olds.
Seems form my reading it may be possible to arrange transfers to one or two places of interest as opposed to driving which I here isa challenge.

Thoughts?

Sounds like Arenal, Osa Peninsula, Monteverde & Tortuguero are of interest but what makes sense. We are not busy, busy travelers so do not want to overload the schedule.

Kids love wildlife, jungle, rainforest, zip lines etc

Suggested itinerary welcomed!
THANKS
dendleju is offline  
Old Sep 25th, 2012, 02:28 PM
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A car is not necessary but may be a good idea, depending on the specifics of your itinerary. If you're doing Arenal and Tortuguero it would make sense. If you're doing Osa and Tortuguero, it would not make sense.
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Old Sep 25th, 2012, 05:37 PM
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You don't really need a car, but some people like the freedom that having your own car offers. We usually just reserve a private driver through our hotel to get from the airport to hotel or to go between cities, and then we use taxis once we're at the hotel. Tortuguero doesn't really have roads; it's canal-based so a car wouldn't do you much good. We use Nature Air or Sansa to fly to the Osa; driving there would take quite a while. If you do tours, they'll usually pick you up and drop you back off at your hotel. We used Desafio's Jeep Boat Jeep service to go between Arenal and Monteverde.
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Old Sep 25th, 2012, 11:51 PM
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Even before deciding about the transport you should decide about the places to visit. The ones you mentioned are top spots in Costa Rica but logistically at least 2 full weeks are needed to visit them all. In 10 days Monteverde-Arenal-Tortuguero is more then enough. In 7 days two of them or fly to Osa and drive back. Driving in Costa Rica is not that much of a challenge however some roads are unpaved and the average speed is low so you need more time to drive from point A to point B then you are accustomed to. OTOH for a family of 4 shuttle transport can quickly add up; using a private transfer will be same (or lower) cost but much more comfortable and enjoyable (if choosing the right driver).
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Old Sep 26th, 2012, 07:59 AM
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The only times we have ever felt that we NEEDED a car was when we rented houses and had to buy our own food. The problems (challenges?) are lack of direction signs in some parts of the country, dangerous drivers, and damaged or poorly maintained roads in some parts of the country. It is possible to plan where you go and what you do so that you don't NEED a car to have a good time. Some people feel that they need a car for other reasons or for personal preferences.

If you are planning for this December, you need to book everything quite soon.
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Old Sep 26th, 2012, 08:08 AM
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If you do rent a car, be sure not to leave anything of value in it unattended. Breakins aren't that uncommon.
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Old Sep 27th, 2012, 10:50 AM
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I traveled around CR for 3 weeks with one other person a couple of summers ago, and we did so entirely by public transportation and a fairly limited knowledge of the Spanish language. It was really easy and CHEAP, though maybe a bit more time intensive than having your own vehicle would be. Most people would say that having your own vehicle allows for greater flexibility with your plans, but I would disagree in the case of CR because the public bus system goes frequently to many of the most popular tourist destinations/larger cities, and to smaller places as well due to the fact that most people actually living there don't have personal cars. We literally went all over the place and to some obscure small towns without major issues. Sometimes the buses are a little late though, so make sure you give yourself some time between connections! And if in doubt, ask a local!
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Old Sep 29th, 2012, 01:04 AM
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Taylor, I do imagine that the other person was an adult one?! and that you traveled light, with only a backpack?! Now you imagine yourself on the bus stop in say Cartago with two kids, four full size suitcases, having to cross the town to reach the connecting bus which leaves in 30 minutes??!! I think this family NEED a car; if only for a transfer from hotel to hotel, or a rental car that is another question.
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Old Sep 29th, 2012, 07:05 AM
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I agree, Xelas; the situations change for each type of travel in CR. Retirees, young solo travelers, might like to hire cars, pay for taxi cabs, or use a bus. A family (unless they are all fairly adult backpackers)will find it easier to get around and do what/when they want with a car. In addition (looking into the distant past), there's the fact that vacation time is quite limited and therefore precious, and any time saved is more vacation. (Also,schlepping your kids (and their luggage and issues) is one wrinkle taken off the plate.)
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Old Oct 1st, 2012, 09:45 AM
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Traveling with kids, I'd recommend Arenal and Manuel Antonio personally (I'd skip Monteverde unless you don't mind a longer drive). There's enough to keep the kids busy without having to spend a ton of money and get more flights (like if you go to the Osa). You can hire a driver if you don't want to drive. We used Wilson ([email protected]) and thought he was wonderful- lots of great reviews on here for him. Driving to either place is also very manageable from San Jose, just not at night. We've used a GPS and had no problem. Hope that's helpful!
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Old Oct 3rd, 2012, 03:54 PM
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The kids are 10 and 12, so I would assume that they are old enough to handle their own luggage. No extra schlepping by mom and dad should be necesary.

Interbus is another option. It does hotel to hotel transfers.
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Old Oct 4th, 2012, 11:47 AM
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We've done CR with a car, without a car, and part with and part without. Personally, I enjoy the freedom of having our own vehicle and we've never had a problem driving anywhere in CR. However there are sometimes that it's nice to have a driver - when you just don't want to make that long drive yourself.

Our first trip, it was just my husband and myself - we rented a car and drove it all - San Jose to Arenal, Arenal to Peace Lodge, back to San Jose and then flew to Osa where we didn't need a car.

Second trip, we brought our kids who were about 6 and 8, we rented a car from San Jose to Arenal - I enjoy have a car in that area. The flexibility to chose the restaurants we want,as well as to just come and go when we choose. Also we can be flexible with what we want to do. For example, one day it was fairly dreary out and we just drove around the lake, up to Nuevo Arenal, went to a bakery and took in the sights. It was a great, relaxing day. But we then hired a driver to go to Manuel Antonio because by the end of the trip, making the long drive wasn't something we felt like doing with the kids and we knew we wouldn't need a car once we were in MA. The driver was great - we all relaxed on the drive and the driver told us all about the country during the ride. He also drove us back to the airport in San Jose.

The third trip, we had not only the kids, but my parents as well. So for 6 of us, it made more sense to hire a driver than to pay for a rental that fit 6 of us with luggage. But we rented a car in Arenal. For the three days we were there we had the flexibility to come and go when we wanted, which was great since we were staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, which is a bit remote.

So - you can mix it up a bit and do what works for your family. But I wouldn't be intimitated by driving in Costa Rica. For the most part the road conditions are fine and you can get good directions and maps. We've never used a GPS, but I'm told they work well!
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