wendy

Where did you find your driver that you hired?<BR><BR>Thanks.

Kristin

Good question! We found the driver through a tour company that we contacted to set up a day trip from San Jose to Tortuguero... they ended up setting us up with a van and guide for about 6 days of our 10-day trip, and it was fantastic! Let me run back through my info and find the tour company's name... I'll get back to you asap.

Kristin

OK, i think we found the driver through Costa Rica TravelNet (http://centralamerica.com/cr/index.htm) or Costa Rica Travel Web (http://www.crica.com). I filled out an itinerary planner form online and got an e-mail back saying that they could get us a driver to help us fit in everything we wanted to do. <BR><BR>We also used RainForest Tours (www.rainforesttours.com) for a couple of day trips where we went with a small group - the trip to Tortuguero was great. <BR><BR>So, try TravelNet or Travel Web and see if they can help you - I wish I could give you more precise info, but it's been 2 years and my memory is foggy. I should have kept better notes!<BR><BR>Just to give you some more info... The driver picked us up in San Jose, drove us to Arenal, where we stayed 2 days, then to Monteverde (another 2 days), then drove us to Manuel Antonio and dropped us off. We flew back to San Jose from there, and our same driver came and picked us up at the airport, took us on a little trip to the Aerial Tram, then dropped us off at our hotel in San Jose and we flew back home the next day. As I recall, part of our charge was paying for a hotel room for the driver at the places where he stayed with us (Arenal and Monteverde), but we definitely felt like it was all money well spent. It was such a treat to have someone deal with all the driving so we could just look out the windows and enjoy. And he stopped wherever we wanted, translated for us when needed, checked us into our hotels, drove us to Tabacon and to various day tours we did in Monteverde - just basically on call 24/7 for the days we hired him. And though I don't recall the exact price, it turned out to not be much more expensive than renting a car for that whole time, and much more enjoyable.

Sam

So how much did you pay for 6 days of this private service? I am interested in something similar

Kristin

Unfortunately, I've already told about all I can remember! Like I said, we had to pay for his hotel rooms (the tour company booked everything for us, and charged us for whatever the cheapest rate for a basic room was for our driver). <BR><BR>I can't remember a total figure, but basically I told the tour company where we wanted to go, and they proposed an itinerary and quoted a package price for us that included the driver, hotel rooms, etc. When we broke it down, it ended up being not much more than getting our own rooms (this company was able to get cheap hotel rates as I recall), renting a car and paying for gas would have been.<BR><BR>Sorry my memory is so sketchy - I wish I could be more helpful!

How much?

So, Kristin was it $100 or more like $us 800? More less. we are not asking details.

Wendy

Kristin, thanks a lot for all your info. Your trip is almost identicle to what we're doing, except we're going to Montezuma as well. Where did you stay in Monteverde and Manuel Antonio?

Kristin

re: How Much - Sorry I am being so vague! Like I said, we paid a "package rate" that included our hotel, the driver's hotel, and whatever premium they charged for the driving services. It wasn't broken down, so I can't give you a good estimate for the driving alone, but I think we paid around $600 for the portion of our trip where we used the driver, which would have included 4 nights hotel and 5 days of driving.<BR><BR>Also, this was 2 years ago, so prices have probably risen. Again, sorry I can't be more detailed - if you're really curious, I suggest you e-mail one of the tour companies and ask them for an estimate that's tailored to your itinerary.<BR><BR>Wendy - In Monteverde, we stayed at the Fonda Vela, which we loved. The room was huge - more like a cabin really, and the grounds are beautiful for taking little strolls in between activities. It's also extremely close to the park entrance. www.fondavela.com<BR><BR>In M.A. we stayed at Las Tres Banderas, which we also really liked. http://www.hcstucson.com/costa-rica/ The room was a little musty, but I imagine that's hard to escape in such a damp climate. But we had a lovely private balcony with rocking chairs, and they have a nice pool and a charming courtyard with a bar and restaurant. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and the hotel is a quick bus ride down the hill to the beach, or a longer but manageable walk, and also an easy walk to other bars and restaurants along the main road. They also have a resident sloth, who I spent far too many hours staring at!<BR><BR>I know the Si Como No also comes highly recommended on this site.<BR><BR>I don't know if you'll be in San Jose, or if you've picked hotels already, but I highly recommend the Grano de Oro, where we stayed on our first night, and the Don Carlos, where we stayed our last night. Grano de Oro was lovely and luxurious for far less than you'd pay elsewhere, and the Don Carlos was completely charming and quirky, and also had great service and lovely rooms.<BR><BR>Happy planning!<BR><BR>