Transportation
 

We are going to CR for our honeymoon this November. We are staying 2 nights at Tabacon, 3 nights at Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo, and 3 nights at Makanda in Manuel Antonio, and the last night somewhere around San Jose. Wondering what the best way to travel around is? Renting a car versus taking a bus. Also, we land in san Jose at 1:30pm. Does that leave ample time to get to Tabacon before sunset? Thanks!

Sarah, sounds like you have a great trip planned.<BR>Sunset in Costa Rica is around 6pm year round and it gets dark immediately after that. The drive from SJ to Tabacon will take you 3-4 hours. You can probably make it, provided everything goes smoothly at the airport, you can get your car quickly and you won't get lost. Have you considered hiring a car with a driver instead, at least for part of your trip?<BR>We went to CR twice and did a combination of flying and driving which worked very well for us. We spoke to someone who got around by bus. She said it really depended on the bus type you happened to get: some public buses were comfortable and some were school bus types.<BR>There are also some good bus services that just go between tourist destination. I think one is called Grey Bus and one Inter Bus. If you do a search on the Internet you should be able to find information on those. Renting a car will give you most flexibility. If you take a bus or a hire a driver you will have to rely on taxis or public transportation at your destinations (which is not a problem in the destinations you are going to). But driving in CR is not very easy. I did not mind it, but a lot of people are not comfortable with the condition of the roads, lack of signs and crazy local drivers.

Dear Sarah,<BR>My daughter and I just got back from two weeks in Costa Rica. Interbus was a reasonable, relaxing way to travel. It does require reservations usually two days ahead. Several times we found that it was full and unavailable. From San Jose to most destinations such as Arenal or Manuel Antonio it generally seemed to be $25 per person. However, it seemed to be available only two times per day. Once in the morning and once in the early afternoon. Several times we found ourselves flying SANSA because it was actually less expensive than a private driver and in the case of San Jose to Quepos it was only 18 minutes as opposed to 3-4 hours. I do not like those tiny little planes though! Hope that helps.<BR>Kathy

Just honeymooned there in March. <BR>Makanda was incredible. I would recommend taking your time and<BR>staying overnight in San Jose the first night. We stayed at a place 15 minutes from the airport called Xandari (gorgeous: http://www.xandari.com/) They pick you up at airport (included in hotel price) and take you to hotel. Our plane arrived around the same time as yours will be and it was nice to go to hotel, hike through their trails, hang by the pool and watch sunset, instead of continuing the travel right away. Early the next morning we left for Tabacon. As far as transportation, we took minivan shuttles everywhere. It's inexpensive and worry free. I think we mostly reserved through: http://www.arenal.net/tour/transportation.htm<BR>Enjoy your honeymoon!!<BR>

Sarah,<BR>I would agree with the above posters regarding use of Interbus or Fantasy Greyline (both great shuttle bus companies). The advantage to these shuttle buses is that you get to enjoy the beauty of the countryside in comfort without the distractions of avoiding potholes, reading maps, taking wrong turns, etc. - all of those things inherent in driving a rental car in Costa Rica. I would like to put in my personal plug for public buses. We used them several times while traveling in Costa Rica and loved it. As stated above, the public buses vary from converted school busses to air-conditioned Mercedes Benz buses with upholstered seats. If you really want to experience Costa Rica the way most Ticos do, this is the only way to travel. <BR><BR>That said, since you will be on your honeymoon and understandably may not want to travel this way everywhere you go, you might want to use the private shuttles or flights between your destinations and then use the public bus system once you arrive at your destination. For example, you can catch a public bus from Makanda to either Quepos or Manuel Antonio National Park for about 35 cents each way. That way, you get the best of both worlds.<BR><BR>Happy Honeymoon!

Two notes:<BR>Interbus is at www.costaricapass.com. The "online reservation form" doesn't work; to make a reservation before you go, e-mail them at [email protected].<BR><BR>Interbus routes tend to head out very early in the morning. To earn yourself an hour or two, check out the shuttle service at www.monteverdeinfo.com. (I'm sure you can get this out of Tabacon; not sure about the other places.) Same price as Interbus, generally. Also - if you really want to relax in the a.m., these people can provide private minivans for ~$130/day.