COSTA RICA
LATEST ARTICLES
Getting Around in Costa Rica: Your Main Options
by Matt Lloyd in Costa Rica
Getting around in Costa Rica isn’t as straightforward and well-organized as back in the US. Sure, there are plenty of ways of transportation, even ‘luxury’ ones, but knowing how they work can be a big help.
In Costa Rica, you have a few options for getting around. You can buy your own car, get a taxi or Uber, or you can take a bus. In this article, we’ll look at the latter two options, going by bus and taxi/Uber.
Public Transport
In Costa Rica, there is an extensive public transport system, ranging from long routes all across the country to short-distance ‘colectivos’. The good thing is that buses in Costa Rica are cheap!
Buses in Costa Rica are privately owned. This means that every company sets their own fares, stops, and also has its own bus terminal, which sometimes can get confusing. Make sure you double-check which company operates your route.
A few long-distance companies that operate the touristy routes are Pulmitan, Tuasa, Transtusa, and 7-10. BuscoBus Costa Rica provides an overview of the most popular Costa Rican bus companies and allows you to book quickly and easily.
The popular route from San José Airport to Jacó, takes you about 2 hours and will cost you around 2600 colones, which is about USD$4.3. San José to Puerto Viejo will take around 4.5 hours and cost about 6000 colones. Not even 10 bucks!
Taxi
If you rather take a taxi, know that every taxi driver is required to either use their taximeter, also called “Maria”, or the “Batsë” app on their smartphone. The latter option is still in its development phase and taxi drivers are in a training period.
At the airport in San Jose, the only taxis that are officially allowed to pick up and drop off passengers are the orange airport taxis. Nevertheless, the official red taxis drop passengers off all the time.
Expect to pay around USD$1.5 to USD$2.5 per mile (USD$1-USD$1,5 per kilometer) for a taxi in Costa Rica. So, for a trip from San José airport to Jacó for example, you should be charged around USD$80-USD$100. If you want to be safe, ask a local how much a trip would cost before you approach a taxi driver.
The main taxi companies, and their contact information, are:
- Easy Taxi 4033 3414
- Taxis en Escazu 5000 7777
- Taxi Aeropuerto SJO 7195 4603
- Taxi Public 8333 4163
Piratas
´Piratas´, or taxi pirates, are unofficial and unlicensed taxi drivers. They are illegal, though, for the most part, tolerated by the government. They use their private vehicle, and you can often find them waiting outside key areas like bus stations. Furthermore, they’re recognizable by their very distinctive call; “Taxi?”
Uber
Like in many countries, Uber is controversial in Costa Rica, and not 100% legal. But it’s still one of the best ways to get around if you’re in the San Jose metropolitan area. No negotiating and no chance of getting ripped off, since you already see the fare upfront.
Since it’s technically not legal, the Uber driver might ask you to sit in the front seat, to avoid getting fined by the police.
DiDi
DiDi is Uber’s main competitor in Costa Rica. With more than 5000 drivers within the country, DiDi offers promotions for early adopters and specials like a 50% discount on rides on Tuesday. You can also get coupons when you invite your friends to join.
You can download both the Uber and DiDi-app in the App Store or on Google Play.
Photo by Larepublica.net
Discover everything you need to know about moving to Costa Rica while enjoying 7 relaxing days at a beachfront resort, click here.
About The Author
Matt Lloyd runs a hotel in Costa Rica since 2016. He's based on the Pacific Coast side of the country, outside the town of Jaco.
If you'd like to discuss options for moving to Costa Rica with me on a phone call, you can book a free 30-minute session here.
