Is it realistic to think we can travel by bus?

terig wrote:

We are visiting for two weeks in January 2014. Our plan is to travel by bus from Alajuela to Grecia to Manuel Antonio to Dominical and ending up in San Jose. We'll be spending 3 days in each place. I've researched thebusschedule.com and it appears doable. Would anyone recommend this mode of travel or are we out of our minds? I've read so many things that make me not want to rent a car

Hi, I have taken the bus from San Jose to San Ramon many times (that goes by Alajuela and Grecia) and it is very reliable, runs every half hour I think.

The bus to Manuel Antonio from San Jose runs out of "the Coca Cola" (have a taxi take you there; and hang on to your suitcases and wallets when you are there - it's one of the most dangerous places in terms of being pick-pocketed or having your suitcase(s) snatched. But if you're careful and hold on to them every second, no problem). the bus to Manuel Antonio is a long hot ride; make sure you use the bathroom before you get on and wear shorts and a breezy blouse/ shirt.

From there to Dominical the bus USED TO run only a couple times a day. Not sure how it is now. The road used to be really bad but I THINK it's better now.

In any case it's all very do-able just long and hot.

As to driving, I find driving in San Jose' to be very dangerous and I'm not a "scaredy cat" (I drive in Los Angeles and the Bay Area). Signs and lights are sometimes hard to see, trucks and buses pass on curves, there are huge potholes that you can break an axle on, and speeding tickets and uturn and etc tickets are outrageously expensive. If you wreck even in the middle of the highway you have to wait there, not move your car, and wait for the police to come. I do drive in Costa Rica but only when I really HAVE to.

For the most part I enjoy the bus ride. You get to see the REAL people of Costa Rica, how people live, and you get to really see the countryside instead of having to focus on the road when driving. I think bussing it to the locations you mention is the best way to go, and oh, I forgot to mention:
Renting a car is super expensive due to the insurance. (much more expensive than in the USA)

diverkathy wrote:

I've been living here for more than one year and I take the bus everywhere.  If you're going to Manuel Antonio - you need to come to San Jose and take the bus from Tracopa not "Coco Cola".  Be sure to take the Directo.  Getting your tickets in advance for Manauel Antonio is advisable.  They sell out and you can get better seats for the view - in front on the right!  Stop by the station before you go off to the other places.....And enjoy.....

Thanks for correcting me. It has been a long time since I went from San Jose to Manuel Antonio and it used to be from the Coca Cola. I figured things like that never change in CR but I guess this one did! ;-D And that is a GOOD change! I hate the "Coca Cola" bus experience!

Luckylimey wrote:

So what is the average car rental cost per week/month, Gas, insurance etc. and the road conditions? Thanks.

Hi, of course charges will change over time (No doubt they are higher than last year), but basically I booked through Vacation City (did research and arrived at them for best rates and reputation) and I paid about $42/day for a very basic Terios 4wd automatic.
But what kills you is the insurance which can run at a minimum of $10/day to more like $30/day if you really want to be covered.

I recommend buying the max insurance because the roads are often bad and drivers are crazy.

If you think your credit card covers insurance, think again, and ask this very specific question:
"Does it cover a rented 4wd vehicle on UNPAVED ROADS?"

When driving in  Costa Rica you will most likely find yourself on unpaved roads and any accident on an unpaved road is specifically NOT covered according to the fine print on my Platinum Master Card contract. "Your mileage may vary" so check specifically with your card. When I asked "Does the insurance benefit that comes with my credit card cover me in Costa Rica?" the answer was simply YES. But when I asked specifically if it covers me on unpaved roads, the answer was "Mmm, let me see..." and then after checking the details, "NO!"

Ask them to email you a copy of the contract for their insurance coverage and check it YOURSELF to be sure!

So basically a rental costs "about" $62 a day if you get the medium coverage, $72/day if you get the maximum coverage - again these are approximate and subject to change. It may be less in the "green" or rainy season (more or less April through November). You MAY also get a monthly rate if you ask around.

Road conditions vary. The freeways and some major highways are very good. Smaller highways can have the following problems:

*huge holes that could break your wheel or axel with no signs or warnings
*trucks passing on curves coming towards you (you might have to swerve off the road to avoid them)
*non-existent shoulders and no lines demarcating the shoulder so at night you can barely see the side of the road which goes straight off into a huge ditch that could wreck you badly if you go off the road into it (Even on some "Good" highways.)
*trucks coming around a curve slightly in your lane and you have to swerve all the way over to the right to avoid being hit head on (this happened to me - and it was just luck that there WAS a little bit of shoulder for me to swerve onto)
*in the back country, some roads are not passable but you won't know until you try. Could be too slick to get up a hill in mud, or a bridge out, a tree blown over into the road, etc. (ie. no warning signs)
*unmarked Speed Humps or Bumps (that are much more severe than the ones we have in the US that are also marked with warnings here but not in Costa Rica)

These are just some of the problems and I don't say this to scare you but just to take driving in Costa Rica very seriously and drive very cautiously and realize you aren't in Kansas anymore!

For people who live there, they get used to it and are likely to say "Oh, it's not so bad!" But for people who are driving there on vacation for the first time, or infrequently, yes it is pretty dangerous. IMHO.

I am a "bold" driver in the states, and I am a "bold" traveler, not a scaredy cat at all. I've traveled alone all over Mexico and Central America, I've walked at night in places people say I shouldn't, I carry my laptop around San Jose' which people warn me not to do... But when it comes to driving in Costa Rica - especially in San Jose' - I admit it scares the cr*p out of me. And I go out of my way and spend more to take a taxi out of the airport instead of out of San Jose' because driving in San Jose' is NUTS. If I spend the first night in San Jose' I take a taxi to the airport to pick up my car from there instead.

Also what scares me are the traffic and speeding tickets which are higher than most places in the USA now. And like here, I am guessing that over time (if not already) they will start to see this as a great income source and become overzealous in their enforcement. And I am guessing they would prefer enforcing it on tourists instead of on Ticos (This last part is just a cynical projection on my part so take that with a grain of salt.)

I don't remember the exact price of gas but it's Expensive; quite a bit more than even the most expensive areas of the USA.

Bottom line: Renting a car in Costa Rica SUCKS because it's so expensive due to the insurance. Driving there sucks because of the road conditions and crazy drivers - especially truck and taxi and motorcycle drivers.

For touring as a tourist I would definitely look into Gray Line transporation. I haven't used them but they look like a good alternative at least for some trips:
graylinecostarica.com