Rick

My wife and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica in late July/early August. We'd like to see different parts of the country, but are concerned about driving around, especially during the "green" season. Right now, we're thinking of Arenal and Manuel Antonio, but we're open to suggestion. Will the rain make the roads even slower?

Dana

Hi! <BR>My husband and I visited CR in Dec/Jan--the dry season. We rented a 4WD Daihatsu Terios and drove from San Jose to Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest and then to Manuel Antonio. The going was verrrrrry slow and bumpy. It's not a matter of dodging a pothole from time to time, but of constantly having to decide which one to hit. At times, 25 mph felt too fast. So what looked like a 2 hr. trip on a main road from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio was actually a 5 hr. ride. I can't even imagine what it would be like in the wet season. We certainly had a lot of laughs along the way though, and the scenery is great. <BR> <BR>Have fun and good luck. <BR>

JoAnn

Dana, your post had me laughing so hard! We did the same trip in March '94 in a non-4X4! Took us longer to get to Monteverde because we lost the car in several pot holes! But it was worth the trip! I take it they haven't fixed the road after Jaco to Quepos. We couldn't figure out why people were driving so crazy until we got to that spot in the road! Jerry says NEVER AGAIN. 2 years ago we took the bus from San Jose to Samara on the Nicoya coast and the road just got worse the further we went. At one place part of the road had washed out the previous May and was still not fixed, with only tree limbs in the middle of the road to block your way-the bus went part way in the ditch to get around it. We flew back to San Jose. But GO to Costa Rica--it is soo beautiful and the people are wonderful!

lisa

For those of you who have done this trip, if you don't recommend renting a car, what do you recommend instead -- taking the bus, flying, going as part of a group tour, or hiring someone to drive? My boyfriend and I are planning two weeks in CR at the end of November and have heard tons of horror stories about driving experiences but aren't sure how else we could do it. We are flying into San Jose and then want to go to Arenal, Monteverde, then down to Manuel Antonio and back to San Jose. Any suggestions?

JoAnn

The bus service in Costa rica is very good and cheap. Some buses are a/c, some not. It cost us about $6 each to go from San Jose to Samara on the Nicoya coast. Below are listed some websites I've collected so I can dream more! The first is a BBS about CR. There are some very knowledgeable people on the board. Have fun--it is great there <BR>www.casualforums.com/globe/CR_Forum/ <BR>www.costaricapages.com/ <BR>&gt; <BR>://www.tourism-costarica.com/ <BR>&gt; <BR>gallery.uunet.be/guido.gevels/index_en.htm <BR>&gt;http://sony.inergy.com/CRica/ <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt;http://

Lynn

We are planning a similar trip to the one mentioned above, possibly San Jose -&gt; Arenal -&gt; Playa de Jaco. <BR> <BR>Does anyone know of any specific transportation (buses, etc.) companies that service these areas, and are reliable? Do we need reservations? Any information would be appreciated.

Karen

We just returned from 9 heavenly days in Costa Rica, with our two children ages 13 and 10. It was the best trip we ever took and can't wait to go back. We wented a 4 wheel drive and drove from San Jose to Monteverde, from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, and from Manuel Antonio to San Jose. It was quite an adventure, the roads are worse then you can imagine. Although I would do it again in a heart beat during the dry season, I WOULD NEVER DO IT IN THE WET SEASON. The roads, especially from San Jose to Monteverde and from Manuel Antonio to San Jose, are about a car and a half wide, twisting up mountains with a 400 foot cliff on one side. There is no berm or guard rail. In areas part of the road has washed away. During the dry season, the roads required very cautious driving. In the wet season, with the propensity for slipping, either yourself or another driver without 4 wheel drive, I would never chance it. I would also be concerned about road wash out and avalanche. Be it as it is, the drive during the dry season was a part of the wonderful adventure. We would have missed so much scenery and people if we hadn't driven. During the wet season I would reccomend flying from San Jose to Manuel Antonio, and maybe a bus from San Jose to Arenel. I am not sure whether or not flights are available to Arenel. Although we did not make it to Arenel, we went to Monteverde instead, those we spoke to who did, were disappointed. Apparently often you cannot see the volcano for the clouds. Hope this is helpful. I hope you love the country. We did!

gwp

These messages brought back memories! Went to CR in 3/98 (dry season) with 2 friends, rented a 4 wheel drive vehicle, drove the route Lisa is taking. Had a great time, but I second Dana's remarks...bumpy doesn't begin to describe it. In fact, around Arenal, we drove down several MILES down a horsepath (terrifying some local cattle) until the vehicle got completely stuck and had to be pulled out by two local farmers. You might wonder how we could have been so stupid, but believe me, initially there wasn't so much difference between the real road and this other one! Anyway, if you drive, try to get a 6 cylinder 4 wheel drive vehicle (or at least something with more pickup than the Rav 4, which is what we had); remember to switch into low gear for those long downhill rides, and make sure the rental agency carefully marks down the dings on your car before you drive away, since they will be inspecting it meticulously on your return and you'll get charged for any new dings. We ended up paying about $60 (definitely justified, considering our adventure, which involved mud and many large rocks), for some underside damage which probably would have been a couple hundred in the US. Anyway, I'd definitely consider flying if I went again. If anyone is interested, we went on a horseback riding daytrip around Manuel Antonio with a fantastic guide, a horse fanatic who used to be a teacher and is a born naturalist, which ended up with swimming at a waterfall--I can probably find his card (smart guy) if you email me at the above address.