Hello,

We'll arrive at SJO at 11 a.m. and need to get to our hotel in Arenal. After 5 nights in Arenal, we need to get to Manuel Antonio. I'm a little aprehensive about renting a car ( i have one reserved in case) b/c it's our honeymoon and I'd like to avoid the stress. How much would private drivers cost? Are there shuttle services that are reliable and less expensive?

Thanks! My honeymoon starts June 14 and I'm still going back and forth...

I would contact Odyssey tours. They are awesome and will surely give you a great price. We use them all the time.

We are having the same issue with booking transfers...I have been getting prices of around $150 to get from the airport to Fortuna, but considering that all the shuttles leave at 9 am it doesn't look like there are too many other options. I am leery of the car rental due to the cost of insurance. We are going to do the jeep-boat-jeep to get from Arenal to Monteverde. It seems that it will be a lot of adventure for a low price and get us where we need to go.
Have fun on your honeymoon

Jschuh82 - misssmb is right about Odyssey Tours and they can be reached at the following address: www.odysseytourscr.com
Alvaro, Diego and their father Al are tremendous and you will be treated very well, learn lots about local culture, flora and fauna. My wife and I used them from Liberia to La Fortuna and back last month and we had a great time with these folks. Felt safe, felt comfortable, and they made the trip incredibly special. There are other operators out there, but probably none as professional, courteous, knowledegable and friendly. Good luck and have a great trip.

congrats on your upcoming wedding! We also went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon (in December).

Interbus is a great shuttle service. Convenient, safe, reliable and a good price. We used them between San Jose and Arenal, and between Manual Antonio and San Jose. https://www.interbusonline.com/home/home.asp

We splurged for a private driver to do the long trek between Monteverde and Manual Antonio because it'll take most of the day. I think we paid around $180 for two of us (I can't find my email with the info), and it was well worth it. We tried to hire Leo Rodriguez, a popular driver on this forum, but he was booked so we used his friend Carlos. Carlos was amazing! Money well spent!

please research Wilson Rojas and how he gives everyone who has used him an amazing, memorable experience. I cried hugging him good-bye, no lie. You can check out my blog (which hasn't been updated in a while), however on the second page of it you can see my video review of Costa Rica, our driver, and things we did! Pura Vita!

Carlos Bogarin is an excellent driver. You can reach him at
http://www.destinos-encantados.com/.

J, it should run you about $140 for a private driver to go from SJO to Arenal. If you don't want to pay that, Interbus is a good alternative if it fits with your schedule. You can also hire private drivers through your hotel when you book it.