Hello,
I would appreciate suggestions on traveling from San Jose to Arenal and then from Arenal to Manuel Antonio. We are considering buses or shuttles. I would love to know pros and cons of either option. We are 2 adults and 2 kids. Thank you!

annie, have you thought about hiring a private driver? With 4 people, it might be worth looking at since they usually charge a flat fee and not a per person price like the shuttle services.

Agree, with 4 people your shuttle costs would come out to about the same as a private driver. Your best bet may be to contact the hotels in Arenal & MA you are staying at, they usually have drivers they can schedule for you.

I would suggest a private driver. It will allow you more freedom. The driver can stop when you want and take you to places on the way that you might want to see. I used Wilson Rojas. He was amazing. The drives are long. He stopped when we wanted, made great suggestions and we saw more of the country with him than we would have on a shuttle. Plus, he has a tv in his van to keep your kids occupied on the long drives!

We hired all our drivers through our hotels - it's really nice to get off the plane and have your driver there waiting for you; they'll stop wherever you want for bathroom breaks, snacks, etc. It's really convenient, and ours served as a tour guide too.

Agree with the others, do get a quote through your hotel or recommendation here to compare with Interbus. We use Interbus and really like the convenience, but it's just myself and daughter, so it's cost effective. Once you have 2 adults and 2 kids, the cost gets closer justifying a private driver.

Duh! I realize I pretty much just said what everyone else said in my own words!

Posting anyway!

Yup, all sounds good.

I keep telling everyone to book there transport here.

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/

They have all the competitive rates and they do the talking for you. They call and arrange each transfer right in Costa Rica. Just spoke with some tourists yesterday who used them and they said it was excellent and convenient.

Transport is found in the column on the right.

Buenos Suerte

Thank you everyone -
has ANYONE taken the public busses? I would love to know how doable this is.Thank you!

yes I have taken public buses.
For point to point trips, they are fine.

I would not recommend taking the public bus from Arenal to MA. You will end up travelling a whole day, as you will have to go back to San Jose You would be better of with either a private driver or one of teh shuttles on that leg. But for San Jose Arenal, or Manuel Antonio San Jose, they are a good alternative. They are reasonable and relatively comfortable. They are not air conditioned nor do they have bathrooms. The con of San Jose Arenal is that you have to get to downtown San Jose. Also the last direct bus is 11.30 AM. It is best to get your tickets in advance.

If you take the bus from MA to San Jose, you can ask the driver to let you off at the airport if that fits into your plans.

I personally think that you'll be fine using a combination of public buses and drivers or shuttles - figuring out what makes sense for your schedule. As part of the Costa Rica experience, I would say it would be good to take at least one bus trip.

raquel

If you take the public bus from San Jose or MA be very vigalant about protecting your luggage at the bus stations and carry on bags while on the bus from snatch and run thieves.

Our family (with 3 kids) used Wilson Rojas to drive us from San Jose to M.A. then M.A. to Arenal. He was wonderful, he stopped at great lunch places, helped us set up tours to horseback ride, river raft, and also set up a guide for us at Carrara Natl. park. He was patient, on time,friendly, affordable and had a nice, air conditioned van and even brought snacks. His email address is www.greenadventure.net

Thank you everybody! this is very helpful!
Annie

I just returned from CR and used Nature Air and Interbus. I recommend FLYING. I would never travel on their highways again. The roads and traffic are HORRIBLE. On a day-trip out of SJ, we were delayed 6 hours due to vehicle accidents and land slides. There are several small airlines that fly around CR. Nature Air flies from SJ to Arenal for sure and I think from Arenal to MA.

Typically the roads aren't that much of a problem, thank goodness. We've traveled the roads of Costa Rica top to bottom, east to west, for years with few problems. Many of them are surprisingly good.

As for public bus transport, it can be a lot of fun. It is easy to get a taxi into SJO. You just have to know which bus station to go to. Most of the taxi drivers know which go where. If you are traveling with a small bag or a backpack, it isn't any problem. If you have luggage that would need to go beneath the bus, choose another method as the luggage sometimes disappears along the way. It also helps if you speak a little Spanish.

I can remember last summer, leaving a little town near the airport (where I was in school), catching the San Jose bus in front of the school for $0.65 into San Jose. It dropped me at the Parque Merced where I then caught a taxi to the bus station (just 4 or so blocks away) for about $1. Bought my ticket and caught that 11:30 bus to Arenal. The route went through Zarcero to San Carlos and was beautiful. The road was new and excellent.

After a 30-40 min. layover at the large station/shopping mall/food court/theatre in San Carlos, we continued on to La Fortuna. It took about 4.5 hours from San Jose with the stops, etc. Very simple, although it may sound a little complicated. Having had prior experience with it made it seem easier, I'm sure, but there's a first time for everyone!

Great budget travel, though. Certainly, if it is in your budget, the private transport would be best. And I notice also that you are traveling with kids. That alone makes the public bus NOT a good idea. Sorry I overlooked that before spouting. . . !

Whoever travelled with Wilson Rojas might like to know that I just called him and his first child, a son, was JUST born!

Does anyone have an email address for Wilson Rojas? Do I contact him directly at [email protected]? Thanks.

Yes, you can contact Wilson at [email protected]. I would also copy his other email address:

[email protected]
He said he had been having trouble with his webpage.