bride_2004

I'm getting ideas for a trip to Costa Rica in December. I'd like to see two places-- probably some combination of what seems like the typical first timers itinerary: Manuel Antonio/Arenal/Monte Verde. I am also looking into staying at the Peace Lodge either on our first or last night, which seems to be highly recommended.

What are our options of getting from place to place? We don't speak Spanish (but will learn some basics before we go), and to be honest, we want this to be a really relaxing vacation, not one where we spend a lot of time trying to figure out local bus systems etc. unless they are very easy. At the same time, we don't want to spend 100s of dollars in transportation either... Any thoughts?

bride_2004

PS--I don't think we're adventurous enough to want to rent a car and drive ourselves around.

raquel_z

The transportation issue has been dealt with at length numerous times.
Basically in CR to get around you can choose:

scheduled shuttles like interbus
http://www.interbusonline.com
hiring a private driver
using the public buses
hiring a taxi
flying on Sansa or Natureair - small commuter planes
renting a car
between Monteverde/Arenal taxi or jeep/boat/taxi or jeep
Some modes work better than others from certain locations
for example from Arenal or monteverde to Manuel Antonio - Interbus or private driver is a good idea. Taking the public bus would be a long drawn out process and there is no non stop air service between the two.
From MA to San Jose - the public bus is convenient and is the most economical. The cost is about $5.00 per person and the trip takes about 3.5 hours.
Sansa and Nature Air also are a good option. The cost is in the $50.00 per person range and the flight takes about 20 minutes.
Interbus also is a good option. The cost is $29.00 per person.
Not knowing what your budget is or the kind of traveller you are, or how flexible you are, its hard to tell you which to pick. Do some searching in the forum - there is enough info on each and then make your decision.
raquel

bride_2004

Thanks Raquel

hipvirgochick

What time in December do you plan on going? Last week of December/1st week of January may be difficult to find the accomodations you want at this late of date. HIGH peak season for both locals and tourists.

Getting to Peace Lodge will be the trickier part, as you pretty much either need to have a car or private driver (at least to go in a relaxing way, which is what you said you wanted). They can arrange transportation to and from airport area for you, for about $35/pp each way. Interbus is a good way to get to Arenal from SJO area and they pick up and drop off at your hotel. 2 leave daily from Arenal to MA, then you could take public bus back to SJO if you want. Interbus is comfortable and with a/c, not like a Greyhound or anything! Much nicer.

Not sure what time your flight gets in or departs, how many days you have or the order you want to do things...?

cmerrell

Interbus gets lots of positive recommendations, so that may be a good option for much of your trip. I will say that activities in the Arenal area are pretty spread out, and having a car there was very beneficial. Sort of depends on what you would be doing there. You can arrange a variety of local tours that include transportation. Most hotels are a little way outside of town so you'll have to rely on taxis if you want to head into La Fortuna. You'll spend more time getting from point A to point B due to the way things are spread out, but that's hardly the end of the world.

MA is much more compact and it's a bit easier to jump on a bus or grab a taxi. Can't speak for Monteverde, since I haven't been yet.

We rented a car and really rather enjoyed the adventure of driving. It was actually much less intimidating than I feared it would be, but you certainly should go with the transportation option(s) that you feel most comfortable with.

If you are traveling towards the end of December, definitely heed HVG's warning about the difficulty you may well find in getting accommodations lined up. There have been a couple of recent posts here from people having trouble finding vacancies for December (in MA particularly).

Early December should be easier, but CR is such a popular destination that I would not wait too long to start making those arrangements.

Good luck with the planning process. Costa Rica is a wonderful choice of destination!

volcanogirl

We hired private drivers through our hotels. Not sure of what your budget is, but to give you an idea of costs, we paid $120 to get from SJO to Arenal and $50 to get from SJO to Peace Lodge. It's really convenient - they pick you up and drop you off at your hotels at the time you request.

dfr4848

To give you another perspective, we just returned from a week in CR and rented a car. We definitely had some reservations after reading/hearing here and elsewhere of stories about various problems (flat tire routine, etc). We always like some flexibility and stuck with our decision. We had no problems at all (except with the GPS, which is a different story altogether which I'll mention when I hopefully get around to a trip report). Our Spanish is also limited. We got the supplemental ins through AE. We had reserved a RAV4, but were upgraded to a Prado at no extra charge - and glad we had the extra room. DW did have a problem with the stick shift on hills, but that's also a story for the report (!). With the mandatory insurance and GPS, our total was just under $400 for the week.

We were given estimates of $125-150 for private driver for the 4 of us from SJO to MA one way. We felt like the additional $100 for the rent car with its flexibility was worth it, and we really didn't feel like it was a hassle at all. But it's really a personal choice.

BTW - MA is fantastic and we didn't get to do everything we wanted in the week we were there. Great excuse to go back.

I would agree that in the MA/Quepas area, there are plenty of taxis if you go that route.

Pat_Hewitt

I really think that renting your own car is the way to go here. As good as Interbus is, you are stuck on their schedule. I don't see Peace Lodge listed in their destinations either, so you will end up booking at least a couple of private transfers.

It would just be nice to have your own wheels too. Arenal and Monteverde are a little spread out, and you will appreciate the mobility. You can drop the car off in Quepos. The taxi service is pretty good there, and pretty much all of the hotels and restaurants are either in Quepos or on the road to the park.

If you absolutely don't wish to drive, you can take private transfers from the airport to Peace Lodge. Then a private transfer to the Arenal area. You could then take the jeep / boat transfer to Monteverde, and a private transfer to Quepos. Then either fly or take a private transfer back to San Jose. I am guessing the transfer is best. You are packing for multiple climates, and it will be difficult to get under the 25 pound weight limit for the flights.

Doing some quick calculations here. It would cost you $500 to $600 dollars to do the above. Five days of car rental would cost you half of that, and give you the flexibility that you would appreciate.

You could also do private transfers to Peace, and then to Arenal. The boat / jeep to Monteverde, then Interbus to Quepos and on to San Jose. But this would not save all that much. Again these figures are off the top of my head. But figure around $425.00, of which over $200 is for the private transfers to and from Peace Lodge.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
(Travel professional)