Is it realistic to think we can travel by bus?

The buses travel the same roads as cars so if there is a wreck or slow traffic, they are affected to.  They are very inexpensive and reliable.  That being said, they stop often in town, most are not air conditioned or have bathrooms.  You are confined to their schedule and if you see somewhere you want to stop and explore, you can't I.e.  a soda, fruit or art vendor, bathroom, snacks, park.

I would rather rent a car and drive.  The GPS is very helpful for getting through and around San Jose but from my experience and others, not much hel out of the city.  Gives you weird directions outside the city.  But there are good signs up so it is easy to find your way outside of the city.

We have been to Costa Rica four times and rented a car from the beginning.  The first rental car had a Garmin GPS with NavSat software and we were so impressed we bought our own.  Have traveled all over Costa Rica with great success.

That is why I suggested the NavSat software, it was developed by a local Costa Rican company strictly for Costa Rica.

Hi TerrynViv,

your last post is out of subject, can you please refer to the topic question.

Thank you,

David.

I dont recommend bus travel for the following reasons.

1.  As a gringo  they often dont stop to pick u up at your stop and likesise wont let you off at your stop   they are just harassing you  playing a weird costa rican game to show their  "superiority"

2.  also I have experienced significant thefts on the buses

3.  if you have to ride start at the beginning and get off at the end.

4.  also asking on th bus if this is your get off point will get a lot of bad info.  The worst for me was being told that my stop was 2 kilometers before the actual stop, so I had to walk that late at night in a strange place
I guess they were just "funning with me" kind of harass the rich gringo deal which seems to get them off to no end.

terig

I rather rent a car. But to answer your question it is doable, not as comfortable or safe. Based on your destinations, you will be able to get from Alajuela to Grecia. But from Grecia de Manuel Antonio, you will need to go back to San José. In order to avoid going back to San José, you will need to take one or two buses that will take you to Orotina, were you will be able to get a bus to Manuel Antonio. Once in Manuel Antonio, you will be able to also get a bus to Dominical. From Dominical, you will be able to get a direct bus to San José.
When traveling by bus, keep an eye on your bags. Bags get stolen more often than not. In addition, get travelers insurance just in case your bags get stolen anyhow. If you end up renting a car, just get good insurance as well.

I find the replies here very pessimistic! I use the buses all the time, frequently going back & forth between Grecia & San Jose or Alajuela. Traveling down to the beach on the bus is a little more ambitious. I have been down to Panama twice on the bus, though, once via San Isidro de General & the other time by way of the costal highway past Dominical.

3 things: It helps to speak basic Spanish if you plan to do this. Keeping a Spanish phrase book in your pocket can be a substitute for this, I suppose. The 2nd thing: pack light, so that you may keep your luggage with you--not under the bus--on the longer journeys. Theft can be a problem, be vigilant. I have never had anything stolen on the buses here, but I'm very careful! Do I need to say keep electronic devices & such luxuries under wraps or at home? Read a magazine or study your phrase book. Lastly, I advise a traveler's wallet under your clothes for passport, credit cards & money. (Keep a separate small wallet or change purse containing enough cash for your immediate expenses.)I wear my traveler's wallet any time I go to a big city or a cash machine.

For your trips down to the beaches, I suggest Interbus or Grayline. These are tourist-oriented shuttle services that cost more than the regular buses, but offer door-to-door service. The drivers assist you with your luggage & it appears to be safe & secure. (I would still feel better keeping the van or bus in sight at break/meal stops, because some smash & grabber could take advantage of this. But I noticed when I used Interbus that the driver parked the van within his view at stops.) Using these companies for the long hauls would be a lot more comfortable. I've used Interbus on visits to Fortuna-Arenal & Quepos-Manuel Antonio, very stress-free. This method saves you from the car rental hassles, although it's true you can't just stop at every little roadside stand as you might enjoy doing.

As someone pointed out, everything centers on San Jose. Each region of the country has a bus station in San Jose, but there aren't good connections between regions in my experience. The Ticos just flag down buses on the highway, but this is not for the novice! I have done this, never had a problem--it's not something to be sought out, however. Make your plans accordingly.

Thanks for the helpful info! We decided to bus it no matter what so we could really experience the country. Knowing we may be in for a few long rides, we planned for it in our itinerary. I'll keep everyone posted as to how the trip goes so I can offer feedback on travelling this way.
Knowing the hazards, we are travelling light - one backpack each - and leaving valuables at home. I am confident it will be a remarkable experience!

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)

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.....

Your plan to travel light will make all the difference. It should work out fine because you have a take-it-as-it comes approach. If things get hairy, there's always Interbus, et al...but with preparation, travel via regular bus service should be a novel adventure. Happy trails! Will look forward to reading your future posts.

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!

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

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

Bonjour, C'est la grande question qu'on se pose mon mari et moi , louer ou pas louer de voiture - prendre le bus  ou pas ? Nous avons l'habitude de voyager avec sac à dos dans tous les pays du monde mais ne connaissons pas encore le Costa Rica - Notre premier arrêt sera à Porto Jemmnez d'où nous voulons faire une sortie dans la jungle ......et justement il nous faudrait aussi quelques bonne adresses dans ce secteur....... Si tu as des renseignements merçi de nous les faire connaître - Bye

@ Sapel > Please post in english, this is an anglophone forum.

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com Team

Here is a link to the [color=#EC3E12]Bus schedules in Costa Rica

Hi, have you used this bus schedule site for buses in Costa Rica?
If it works, that's really cool!

With any bus schedule listing though, I would always recommend calling or going by the station ahead of time to double check if you can. Especially if it's an important trip.