~ Transportation to and from San Jose ~
After booking your flight to (SJO) Costa Rica, be sure to reserve your transportation away.
Rental Car: The best way to travel in Costa Rica as you'll have the freedom to go on expeditions whenever you want. The roads in Costa Rica are quite good, but getting to some remote areas like Corazon del Rio it is best to rent a 4x4 because traveling unpaved roads can get muddy and slippery after a rain. The roads from San Jose to Dominical are excellent! It will take you about 3 hours. Rental car agencies in Costa Rica require a Credit Card (No cash, No Debit Card). I've used Greg Gordon (Broker) 1-321-890-5761 WhatsApp and found it a very nice service, he got a great price and made sure car was there when I arrived. Greg has been helping clients rent vehicles in Costa Rica for over 25 years. He only works with trusted rental companies with newer vehicles, fair prices, and excellent customer service researches which rates are best based on your needs and explains clearly the different insurance options so the price you are quoted is the final price. And the best part is he assists throughout your trip should you need it. It's easy to get a quote, just use the reservation form on his rental page - https://crsurf.com/costa-rica-car-rentals/#car-reservation--
Shared Shuttle Service A cheaper alternative – when traveling with less than 4 people – (like: www.easyridecostarica.com, MonkeyRidecr.com, SuperShuttlecr.com). This will take a little longer since it will pick-up and drop-off people along the way. If the minivan gets full, it can get quiet tight and less comfortable. The trip from San Jose to Dominical via shared shuttle will be around $65 USD per person and about 4 hours.
Private Shuttle Service to Dominical or Platanillo: If you have five or more in your group, you might look into scheduling a private shuttle, A big deciding factor for everyone is cost. Shuttles typically range from about $55-65 per person, depending on if you have a larger family or group. We usually recommend private shuttles for a family of four or larger because the price is the same or even lower. Most private shuttles will bring you up to Platanillo versus dropping you off in Dominical (ask them when booking). We suggest contacting: Interbusonline.com or CostaRicaShuttle.com .
A quick comparison for a shuttle route between SJO Airport and La Fortuna:
Shared Shuttle: $65 per person. Leaves only at 8:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m.
Private Shuttle: $200 total (up to 5 passengers). Leaves at a custom time.
Public Bus Transportation There is no boarding buses at the San Jose Airport. You will need to take a taxi to the Plaza Viquez bus station in downtown San Jose, Tickets are about $8 USD per person one-way. It will take around 3 hours to get to San Isidro from San Jose by bus. The buses are in very good shape and because they are usually not that full, it is also quite comfortable. They leave every hour from 5:30 AM to 17:30 PM. The bus terminal of Tracopa in San Jose (on Calle 5) has buses with direct service to Dominical, it leaves daily at 6am and 3pm and cost around $14 USD per person. Musoc has buses that travel inland to San Isidro.
Taxi to Dominical: A comfortable and relaxed way to travel to Dominical is going by private taxi. You will love the direct 3-hour ride. Cost can range from $100 to $150 USD one way. If by taxi, you can get a ride up the hill from Dominical to Platanillo. To get to our casa the taxi would need four-wheel-drive during rainy season.
After booking your flight to (SJO) Costa Rica, be sure to reserve your transportation away.
Rental Car: The best way to travel in Costa Rica as you'll have the freedom to go on expeditions whenever you want. The roads in Costa Rica are quite good, but getting to some remote areas like Corazon del Rio it is best to rent a 4x4 because traveling unpaved roads can get muddy and slippery after a rain. The roads from San Jose to Dominical are excellent! It will take you about 3 hours. Rental car agencies in Costa Rica require a Credit Card (No cash, No Debit Card). I've used Greg Gordon (Broker) 1-321-890-5761 WhatsApp and found it a very nice service, he got a great price and made sure car was there when I arrived. Greg has been helping clients rent vehicles in Costa Rica for over 25 years. He only works with trusted rental companies with newer vehicles, fair prices, and excellent customer service researches which rates are best based on your needs and explains clearly the different insurance options so the price you are quoted is the final price. And the best part is he assists throughout your trip should you need it. It's easy to get a quote, just use the reservation form on his rental page - https://crsurf.com/costa-rica-car-rentals/#car-reservation--
Shared Shuttle Service A cheaper alternative – when traveling with less than 4 people – (like: www.easyridecostarica.com, MonkeyRidecr.com, SuperShuttlecr.com). This will take a little longer since it will pick-up and drop-off people along the way. If the minivan gets full, it can get quiet tight and less comfortable. The trip from San Jose to Dominical via shared shuttle will be around $65 USD per person and about 4 hours.
Private Shuttle Service to Dominical or Platanillo: If you have five or more in your group, you might look into scheduling a private shuttle, A big deciding factor for everyone is cost. Shuttles typically range from about $55-65 per person, depending on if you have a larger family or group. We usually recommend private shuttles for a family of four or larger because the price is the same or even lower. Most private shuttles will bring you up to Platanillo versus dropping you off in Dominical (ask them when booking). We suggest contacting: Interbusonline.com or CostaRicaShuttle.com .
A quick comparison for a shuttle route between SJO Airport and La Fortuna:
Shared Shuttle: $65 per person. Leaves only at 8:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m.
Private Shuttle: $200 total (up to 5 passengers). Leaves at a custom time.
Public Bus Transportation There is no boarding buses at the San Jose Airport. You will need to take a taxi to the Plaza Viquez bus station in downtown San Jose, Tickets are about $8 USD per person one-way. It will take around 3 hours to get to San Isidro from San Jose by bus. The buses are in very good shape and because they are usually not that full, it is also quite comfortable. They leave every hour from 5:30 AM to 17:30 PM. The bus terminal of Tracopa in San Jose (on Calle 5) has buses with direct service to Dominical, it leaves daily at 6am and 3pm and cost around $14 USD per person. Musoc has buses that travel inland to San Isidro.
Taxi to Dominical: A comfortable and relaxed way to travel to Dominical is going by private taxi. You will love the direct 3-hour ride. Cost can range from $100 to $150 USD one way. If by taxi, you can get a ride up the hill from Dominical to Platanillo. To get to our casa the taxi would need four-wheel-drive during rainy season.
