Hi:

I am just starting to plan a 10 day trip to Costa Rica for Feb 2009. Since I do not like group tours and I do not want to rent a car, I am reading that another option might be hiring private drivers from hotels.

How does one arrange this ahead of time? Do I need a travel agent for making reservations?

I'd appreciate any info about the best ways to get from place to place without driving and not assuming the local buses.

You can just ask your hotels when you book your room if they will arrange for you. You can also search around here on the forums, there are several that are rec'd often. I myself use Alberto Barrantes. Another option is to use Interbus (cheaper) or to fly on Sansa or Nature Air.

Suzanna, like tully said, we just asked our hotels when we booked them. All of our hotels have always done this, it's pretty common. They will be waiting for you at the airport carrying a sign with you name on it. You can pick the times you'd like to be picked up, and the drivers will stop if you need a snack, bathroom break, etc. Interbus is another option - it's a shuttle service that gets good reviews.

Thanks a lot for the helpful answers, Tully & Volcanogirl.

We used Interbus to get from place to place. The hotels we stayed at (Orquideas Inn and the other one was a private B&B run by Americans in San Jose but the name is escaping me) arranged transporation to/from the airport. Interbus was fine though our trip from Arenal to Manuel Antonio was a little scary as the driver was going very fast. I did tell him half way through that he needed to slow down and he did a little bit. Otherwise, everything was fine. A part of us does wish we had rented a car though. Interbus was much much cheaper than a private driver and very easy to book. We booked online before we left. Also, we booked day trips with private drivers through our hotel. Hope that helps!

It has been my experience that if you want a car and driver, you can arrange it the night before with the concierge. Anyone else have this experience?

Pgshorty, thanks. Did you make the reservations for Interbus ahead of time, online or when you got to your destination? Do they pick you up at the hotel? How many people can they fit into a bus? Was it crowded? Do they stop for bathroom and food breaks? Do they have fixed schedules? Are they air conditioned? Did you find them reliable? Did you use the "flexipass"? Did you have any issues with the luggage? Thanks a lot.

The interbus vehicles we saw were like very short, fancy school buses but I believe they have several sizes. I don't think they are especially crowded, some people say they were the only travelers for at least part of their trip but of course it all depends. Yes, they have A/C and stop for restroom breaks. From what I hear, they are reliable and stick to their schedules. In some cases, you may need to meet interbus at a central location, but you should be able to grab a cab or walk without a problem. Their website will tell you more of the details.

It is common for hotels and resorts to book ground travel for you. They typically have a number of drivers they work with and can give you pricing and options to consider. You won't have as many options in more remote areas so you may need to plan ahead.

Thanks, Linda.

Volcanogirl, in many of your posts you recommend using the Jeep-Boat-Jeep option between Arenal and Monteverde. Would you know how much driving time is the Jeep portion from the Boat to Monteverde? Thanks.

Hi, Suzanna - we spent about a half an hour on the water and then 2 1/2 hours on the driving portion. Jeep Boat Jeep cuts about an hour off the time of driving alone. We used a company called Desafio; they have a website that might be able to give you more detailed info.

Thanks, VG.

In your useful messages you also mentioned that you hired private cars in many places (e.g. from SJO to Arenal). Did you make arrangements ahead of time with them to wait for you when you arrived? If so, do you have any companies that you would recommend based on your experience?