Tdiddy12

I agree with Volcanogirl about drivers and or shuttles for that matter. We’ve always had good experience with drivers showing up on time. Even shuttles which sometimes have to pick up many people. Also, many people put down San Jose but for an afternoon it’s well worth it to Uber in an walk around the old town.

GAJayhawks

Such a lovely and helpful trip report. I am trying to make some last minute plans for a 7 day visit and I took many notes from your trip. Thank you.

AlessandraZoe

GAJayhawks--Your compliment gave me an excuse to revisit the last bit of travel we did before COVID hit. Thank you! Vicarious travel certainly helps the mood! Enjoy Costa Rica--lovely country and even more lovely people. AZ

GAJayhawks

Your trip report was truly lovely and seems to be all the things that appeal to us. AZ, Did you arrange your drivers through your lodging or did you do it on your own? May I ask how much you spent and who you used for each leg? T.i.a.

AlessandraZoe

GAJayhawks--While I checked out various shuttles and so on, I went with VolcanoGirl's basic advice--use the hotel concierge desk, something I normally avoid. Therefore, I cannot tell you if you can book with any of the drivers directly. Both hotels sent me the information; La Mariposa made me send back signed forms.

Victor, who drove us for both trips to and from La Mariposa, was actually a retiree who gets his clients his cousin Harold Chacón, the hotel's transport guy, Our drivers to Nayara and from the airport drove more upscale cars with WiFi, as would befit a client of that resort.

• Our trip from the hotel outside San Juan to La Mariposa in Manual Antonio (around 2.5 hours) cost us $200.
• Our trip from La Mariposa to our hotel in Jaco (around 1 hour and 20 minutes) cost us $125.
• Our trip from Jaco to Nayara (around four hours) cost us $263.
• Our trip from Nayara to the airport (2.5 to 3 hrs) cost us $206.

Those numbers for our private drivers actually don't compare badly to the pricing of shared shuttles.

Did we miss not having a car? NO! Again, you have no idea how much my husband hated driving our rental car in Costa Rica on the previous trip, and holiday rental fees for an automatic for just three or fours days were insane.

We did use our feet most of the time in Manual Antonio and Jaco. However, La Mariposa has a scheduled shuttle that we used a couple of times. Any tours we booked provided transport to and from. We employed beat-up taxis in Jaco and Manual Antonio when needed.

BUT, if you'd rather drive...
I had referred to meeting the parents of the website owner MyTanFeet.com on our swamp tour. I had enjoyed her website, and I think her article on renting a car is worthy of a read:
https://mytanfeet.com/about-cr/renti...sta-rica-tips/

Hope this helps,
AZ

Lois2

Just a quick note to warn about a transfer company that our group booked based on some Trip Advisor reviews. The company is TUCAN LIMO and a driver named Luis showed up 1/2 hour late and seems he had been drinking. We spoke with our hotel concierge...they sent him away and got us another driver and we were on our way. Very bad experience. This was from Manual Antonio back to San Jose.

volcanogirl

Lois, that surprises me - glad your concierge was able to find you someone quickly. We've never used that company, but that driver is a prolific poster on tripadvisor.

londonbug

I am amazed that you are able to travel.
we are not allowed to leave the country at the moment!
nicecto love vicariously by this thread x

AlessandraZoe

How wonderful that you could extend a warning about that company, Lois2. It probably makes sense that if you are arranging a private shuttle, deal directly with the hotel as we and VolcanoGirl have done because the hotel does not want to recommend an idiot.

I so miss Costa Rica. Darn that COVID!