the_select

My husband and I are planning our belated honeymoon to Costa Rica in May. We've decided on flying into San Jose, 2 days Arenal, 3 days Monteverde, 3 days Manuel Antonio. From what I've seen on the forums, that seems to be a great way to get to know Costa Rica for first-timers.

We're undecided whether we want to rent a car or use shuttles to transfer from location to location. I've priced the rental car at $600 for 9 days including insurance & taxes. The shuttles come to about half that - we would transfer from San Jose to Arenal, then take the shuttle-water taxi option from Arenal to MV, then the shuttle from MV to MA, and finally back to the airport. I've read that we really wouldn't need a rental car in MA, but I'm unsure about the other two locations.

Could we rent a car on location in Arenal and MV for the day? Is it easy to use public transport (bus/taxi) around there or can our hotels arrange transport for us? I like the idea of not having to drive the whole time, and the shuttles seems convenient. Anybody have any experience with a particular shuttle company that they would recommend? Or should we just get the rental car after all?

I appreciate any input. Neither of us have ever driven in Central America

volcanogirl

Interbus is a popular shuttle bus for getting between cities. We usually hire private drivers and that has worked for us. You don't need a car in MA or in Monteverde. Taxis are cheap and easy to get. A lot of people like to have a car in Arenal just because it's more spread out. We stayed at a hotel that had a free shuttle, so we used that to go into town for dinner and just caught taxis back. Most of the tours will come pick you up and drop you off back at your hotel. Desafio is a great company for the Jeep Boat Jeep between Arenal and Monteverde - only about $25 per person. I think Arenal is the best spot of the places you're going. Personally I'd give it at least 3 nights. There's more to see and do there than any of the other places we've visited. Congrats on your marriage!

the_select

Volcanogirl, thanks for the info and the congrats!

Looking through some earlier posts, I noticed Interbus gets mostly great reviews. I'll check them out. Regarding private drivers - what could we expect to pay for SJO - Arenal? I had looked at a couple of sites, and I thought the price of about $130 was per person. Is that per car? At that point, it might be worth it paying a bit extra to have that option when we arrive, rather than trying to time the Interbus schedule. Do you have any drivers you can recommend?

allison04

I would *never* drive to/from Monteverde--the mountain-side roads are scary! We've both driven ourselves and used Interbus in CR, and we were definitely glad we chose Interbus to get to and from Monteverde. You can always do both during your trip, too. We've been to CR twice and used a combination of renting a car and Interbus each time. Good luck, and happy honeymoon!

cmerrell

I'd agree with VG on adding a night to Arenal and taking one away from Monteverde or MA if you can. There's tons to do around Arenal...

We've driven on 2 Costa Rica trips and liked the freedom that a rental car provides. That said, Interbus always gets good reviews. The biggest drawback (as you've mentioned) is being tied to their schedule. A private driver can be nice for both convenience and also for the information and perspective on the country they can provide. I <i>think</i> a price of 130$ would be per car, but VG will know better than I do.

As allison04 notes, the drive to Monteverde is pretty famous for it's rough, bumpy, steep road conditions, but lots of people have done it without issue over the years. That sort of driving bothers some people but is no big deal for others...

volcanogirl

select, we paid $120 to go from SJO to Arenal last summer and also the previous summer; rates may have gone up slightly, but that's what we paid. The price is for the entire van whether it's one person or four. The driver will be there at the airport waiting for you carrying a sign with you name on it. We've had some great drivers that have answered all our questions, provided pillows or bottled water, etc. We always book them through our hotels. You can get recs on the board as well.

Traveltolearn

Hi, Driving to Monteverde is not "recommended" The roads are dirt and not good. Best to take a transfer. I have read on these forums that the interbus is not always on time, but you are on vacation so time may not be so crucial. You can rent a car for the day in Arenal in the little town of La Fortuna. Most tourist just do the day trips offered by the tour companies so you would not need a car. I have not seen a car rental company in Monteverde but dont think you would need to rent a car there. Just take a taxi, its a very small place. I write a blog for fun which is educational so look me up on google at costa rica learn. Costa Rica is my favorite country outside the USA. I was lucky to live there for several years. Have a great trip!

the_select

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We've decided to take a private driver from the airport to Arenal, and then Interbus for the rest of our trip. I like the option of being able to rent a car by the day - we might check into that, but I think the day trips will keep us plenty busy

Costa_Rica

We considered renting a car and getting a driver for the trip we just returned from. We ended up taking several forms of transporation and although we are pretty gutsy, I'd never consider renting a car in CR after having been there. Here's what we did.

sj - La Fortuna(arenal) (we rafted the Parcuare and exploradores outdoors has a convenient service that picked us in SJ and dropped us off in La Fortuna)

La Fortuna - MOnteverde -- best way - boat, horseback, van. Pick a good outfitter though - we used desfio and had a great experience with excellent guide and great horses.

Monteverde - MA -- Interbus

MA - SJ - flew via NatureAir it cost $70/pp but lasted only 20 minutes verses a 4 hr drive.

Once we were in SJ, the driver picking us up at the airport shuttled us around.

the_select

Costa_Rica, we're actually considering exploradores. We'd be coming the other way - from Arenal to SJO. I've never rafted though, and it says it's a level 3-4 difficulty. Is that doable for a complete novice? I'd hate to finish our trip off on a sour note. I know lots of people have had fantastic experiences whitewater rafting... but i'm just not sure. The option to have them transfer you to your hotel at the end is appealing. How was the bus? I read another review that said they were horribly cramped.

Also, I can't seem to get Interbus to respond back. They wrote back once, and I sent them all my info and now nothing. Is that normal? Should I call?

Thanks so much.

Costa_Rica

Definitely doable for a novice, especially before rainy season gets into full swing. There was a group of 10-12 youth between 12-14 that seemed to have a great time. Expect to get jostled about and potentially getting tossed from your raft and you'll be fine. No rafts flipped on our trip ... just expect it so you aren't surprised if it happens. There is a guide/steerer in each raft and others in kayaks. You'll wear a helmet and a high quality floatation device. If you are up for Canyoneering or the zip lines, you're gutsy enough for the WWR.

Interbus was fine. They dropped their rates to $20 between La Fortuna and Monteverde. It was about a four hour drive but we stopped a couple of times to see the houlers and for a bio-break. It was about as comfortable as flying coach. If you have problems getting a hold of interbus, see if one of your hotels will contact them for you.

We spent the extra money and flew from MA back to SJ to save time. I recommend it if you are pressed for time. We paid about $70 pp.

Have a great time!!!

Costa_Rica

Correction - the rate drop was between MA and Monteverde but I suspect they dropped them at other places as well. We got this info from our hotel so check with your hotels as they may get promotional information that you might not see on the internet.

HoDale

I haven't been to CR since 1981, when I lived there for 2 years. FInally going back for 4 days and I want to rent a car. But I keep hearing about the aggressive drivers. Is it really, really hard to drive into and out of San Jose?

colibri

HoDale,

Traffic in San Jose can be a nightmare or it can just be slow going. We ended up behind several accidents and it took us a few hours longer to get to our destination. We were staying in Heredia with some friends and doing a few day trips to Cartago area and to the Talamancas so had to go through San Jose several times - not recommended!

Do you "have" to stay in San Jose for all four days? It seems you will be wasting a lot of time, but not sure of where you want to go for activities.

On the other hand, several SJ hotels will book tours for you with van/shuttle pickup for rafting, volcano, coffee plantation tours, etc. thus saving you the hassle of getting in/out of the city.

HoDale

Hi Colibri,
That is what I decided to do. Looks like we will go to Rio Tarcoles and Jaco Beach for a sunny day adventure, Rainforest Adventure tour, then end with an Arenal all day and evening tour.