Transportation to Puerto Viejo from San Jose?
May 18th, 2011, 05:16 PM
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Transportation to Puerto Viejo from San Jose?
I'll be arriving in San Jose around 1:00 PM and I'm trying to find a way to Puerto Viejo without taking a public bus. I know Interbus heads there, but they only have morning departures. Is there an alternative to Interbus and public transportation that won't cost me more than $60/person (Me & my girlfriend)?
May 19th, 2011, 04:03 AM
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Tansportes Mepe
thebusschedule.com
your most cost effective bet have done it a bunch
nice ride but touts/thieves/scammers around the bus station.
insuremytrip.com always wise same for PV
sort of a druggy dodgy little places nice rustic vibe though.
Punta Uva pachamamacaribe.com my fav there.
thebusschedule.com
your most cost effective bet have done it a bunch
nice ride but touts/thieves/scammers around the bus station.
insuremytrip.com always wise same for PV
sort of a druggy dodgy little places nice rustic vibe though.
Punta Uva pachamamacaribe.com my fav there.
May 19th, 2011, 04:33 AM
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What's the hurry? Why not spend a night in San Jose? I find that when travelers try to do too much in one day, that is when problems develop.
San Jose is not Paris or New York. But it is a more vibrant city than a lot of people give it credit for. Good food, fun nightlife, etc. A night there can be fun, and will make your life a lot easier.
Look at this from a practical standpoint. There are several flights that all arrive around that time of day. It usually takes 20 minutes or so to deplane. Customs and immigration can get crowded. If you are one of the first flights in, you can clear in twenty minutes. If you are later, you can be there for ninety minutes. So you may not leave the airport terminal until 3:00. It starts to get dark around 6:00 PM.
To get to the Limon road, you have to go through at least part of San Jose. If you were taking a private transfer, and traffic isn't bad, the earliest you are going to get to Puerto Viejo is 7:00 PM.
But you are taking a bus into a strange foreign city, and are going go to try and negotiate the whole bus terminal and ticket thing. So now figure that you might get to Puerto Viejo at 9:00 or 10:00.
Also figure that if you are getting in at 1:00 PM, you probably had to be at the airport in your home city at 4:00 or 5:00 AM. You are going to be a little sleep deprived, and trying accomplish a lot in a strange place. By the way, they probably didn't feed you on the flight either. You will need to work a meal in here somewhere.
So far, this is what is going on, if everything is going perfectly. But what if the dominoes don't fall your way?
I deal with customers every week who have flight delays or cancellations. What happens if you are pushed to a later flight and get in at 7:00 PM? Now you will still have to figure out a hotel for the night in San Jose.
Lets consider Plan B.
There are lots of inexpensive hotels in downtown San Jose. You can take a taxi. If you are on a strict budget, you can even take the bus downtown.
If your flight is delayed, it is not a big deal. You just get to the hotel later in the day. If not, you can knock around San Jose for an afternoon or evening. You will still have a good day.
Take your girlfriend out for a decent meal, and find a cold adult beverage. You can de-stress and organize the luggage. The next morning, you are fresh and have the whole day to get to the coast. You can do then do the Interbus thing. Or ask the hotel front desk to assist with finding the correct terminal and buying a ticket on the local bus.
So easy. Your gal will finally realize that she is in love with a genius.
If you really want to be savvy, book a white water rafting trip that will get you to the coast at the end of the day. Sure, this costs $99.00 per person. But if you had planned to go rafting anyway, you will already have this in the budget. They will pick you up at your San Jose hotel, and take you rafting for the day. Your luggage stays secure with the driver in the van. They then drop you off at Puerto Viejo. You turn a transportation day into an exciting tour day, and the transfer is free.
Either way, it is an awfully pretty drive to Puerto Viejo. It would be much more fun to do it in the daylight.
Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer any more advice.
Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Travel Professional
San Jose is not Paris or New York. But it is a more vibrant city than a lot of people give it credit for. Good food, fun nightlife, etc. A night there can be fun, and will make your life a lot easier.
Look at this from a practical standpoint. There are several flights that all arrive around that time of day. It usually takes 20 minutes or so to deplane. Customs and immigration can get crowded. If you are one of the first flights in, you can clear in twenty minutes. If you are later, you can be there for ninety minutes. So you may not leave the airport terminal until 3:00. It starts to get dark around 6:00 PM.
To get to the Limon road, you have to go through at least part of San Jose. If you were taking a private transfer, and traffic isn't bad, the earliest you are going to get to Puerto Viejo is 7:00 PM.
But you are taking a bus into a strange foreign city, and are going go to try and negotiate the whole bus terminal and ticket thing. So now figure that you might get to Puerto Viejo at 9:00 or 10:00.
Also figure that if you are getting in at 1:00 PM, you probably had to be at the airport in your home city at 4:00 or 5:00 AM. You are going to be a little sleep deprived, and trying accomplish a lot in a strange place. By the way, they probably didn't feed you on the flight either. You will need to work a meal in here somewhere.
So far, this is what is going on, if everything is going perfectly. But what if the dominoes don't fall your way?
I deal with customers every week who have flight delays or cancellations. What happens if you are pushed to a later flight and get in at 7:00 PM? Now you will still have to figure out a hotel for the night in San Jose.
Lets consider Plan B.
There are lots of inexpensive hotels in downtown San Jose. You can take a taxi. If you are on a strict budget, you can even take the bus downtown.
If your flight is delayed, it is not a big deal. You just get to the hotel later in the day. If not, you can knock around San Jose for an afternoon or evening. You will still have a good day.
Take your girlfriend out for a decent meal, and find a cold adult beverage. You can de-stress and organize the luggage. The next morning, you are fresh and have the whole day to get to the coast. You can do then do the Interbus thing. Or ask the hotel front desk to assist with finding the correct terminal and buying a ticket on the local bus.
So easy. Your gal will finally realize that she is in love with a genius.
If you really want to be savvy, book a white water rafting trip that will get you to the coast at the end of the day. Sure, this costs $99.00 per person. But if you had planned to go rafting anyway, you will already have this in the budget. They will pick you up at your San Jose hotel, and take you rafting for the day. Your luggage stays secure with the driver in the van. They then drop you off at Puerto Viejo. You turn a transportation day into an exciting tour day, and the transfer is free.
Either way, it is an awfully pretty drive to Puerto Viejo. It would be much more fun to do it in the daylight.
Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer any more advice.
Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Travel Professional
May 19th, 2011, 06:31 AM
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Completely agree with Pat, usually people runs away from San Jose, and most of them do not give the credit that deserves it. You can have a nice day in San Jose and it will be fine, as he explains the things can be easier and more comfortable just by staying in San Jose.
I think the rafting tour is a great idea.
Cheers for San Jose!!
I think the rafting tour is a great idea.
Cheers for San Jose!!
May 19th, 2011, 10:34 AM
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The rafting trip is really the way to go, IMO, of course the OP is up for that. I agree that spending the night in San Jose is no biggie and I always do, but I also understand the desire to hit the beach asap!
