Costa Rica Transportation Booking Service

We know all the best places, tours, activities, and the most scenic routes to reach your destination. Our reliable, punctual, and welcoming bilingual professionals are eager to help you move safely around the country, and will ensure that you get the most exclusive, distinctive, and personalized service during your visit. 

When planning your Costa Rica vacation, how you are going to get from place to place can be a stressful aspect to plan. Costa Rica is a small country, less than 20,000 square miles, roughly the size of West Virginia, but it can be challenging to figure out how to get around in Costa Rica. All the reasons that attract people to this country, including its steep mountains, rushing rivers, dense jungles, and secluded beaches, also pose unique transportation challenges. If you book an adventure tour in Costa Rica, transportation is usually included, but you’re going to need a strategy for getting around the rest of the time. Luckily Faro Travel Costa Rica experts are here to help you choose the right one. 

There are a variety of options for moving between destinations in Costa Rica such as domestic flights, rental cars, shared shuttles, private vans, ferries, public buses, and even horseback. Your travel routes, budget, and length of stay are all important factors to consider when deciding on one or a combination of these options, and the guide below can help with a detailed description of each travel mode. While transportation modes may vary in flexibility and comfort, each is an opportunity to take in Costa Rica’s amazing scenery. By far the best form of Transportation in Costa Rica is flying with any of the domestic flight services. Booking a domestic flight can potentially save you time, let you see Costa Rica destinations from above, and take away the stress that comes along with ground transportation.

Let’s discuss your options for getting around Costa Rica so that you can make informed decisions about the transportation methods that will work best for you.

WHEN YOU SHOULD TAKE A PRIVATE TRANSPORT
Private transport can be scheduled anytime you wish and from any airport, hotel, private home, or identifiable landmark in Costa Rica. We suggest taking a private shuttle if you do not feel comfortable driving, are going to one destination (for example a resort) and want to sit back, be more comfortable relaxing, and know that every leg of your journey is taken care of. Also, if you are traveling with a large group you can hire a private shuttle just for your group or family. For those of you who want a rental car but don’t want to drive between destinations, you can always take a private shuttle to your destination and then rent a car. Private transport is the easiest and the most popular way to go. It’s safe, convenient, and flexible for your group’s needs. It allows for a scenic adventure for your group to attractions between the travel destinations, such as a short hike in a national park, a visit to a coffee plantation, shopping in a traditional Costa Rican town, or admiring a waterfall. If you are interested in making such an excursion, we would be happy to give you options and pricing information based on your travel route.

WHEN YOU SHOULD TAKE A SHARED SHUTTLE
Shared shuttles connect the main tourist destinations in an easy and reliable way with no hassles or worries. This service is provided in air-conditioned minibusses (or coasters) and in some cases with free wifi onboard for you to share your adventure on the way. For your convenience, there are multiple departure times throughout the day, and most of these shuttles can pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. Be sure to reserve shuttle buses in advance, and make sure you keep your vouchers on hand when you board! Expect some bumpy roads when the trips are longer distance journeys, but all shared shuttles include a 10-minute rest stop where passengers can stretch, use the facilities, and get a snack. This stop may be a connection stop or may involve a change of vehicle depending on the route. We recommend this method of transport for travelers who are looking for economical ways of getting from place to place, especially for group sizes of 1 to 3 people. Shared shuttles are based upon scheduled departures and established routes. We recommend you take the private transportation service if you would like to choose at your best convenience the schedule and route you will be traveling.

WHEN YOU SHOULD TAKE THE ARENAL LAKE CROSSING

Also known as the Taxi-Boat-Taxi or Jeep-Boat-Jeep, this is the fastest and most popular route between Monteverde and Arenal, combining the excitement of an adventure trip with the convenience of a transport service. Experience the beauty of the Arenal Volcano National Park, a boat ride on Lake Arenal, and incredible views of the mountains and villages on the route to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Travel easily between Arenal and Monteverde with Faro Travel Costa Rica. This service is provided daily from Monteverde to Arenal and vice versa. We will gladly pick you up from your hotel in Arenal/Monteverde, then you will get transported by vehicle to the lake and then board a boat for approximately one hour to cross the lake. Once you reach the other side, one of our professional representatives will help you board the vehicle and take you to your hotel in Monteverde/Arenal.

WHEN YOU SHOULD RENT A CAR

We believe that renting a car will give you so much flexibility for seeing a lot of things. We suggest renting a car if you want the flexibility of really exploring the country in depth. If you are planning on doing a resort/ relax type of vacation, it is not necessary to rent a car. You should also only rent a car if you feel comfortable with the thought of driving in a foreign country. If you are not sure if driving in Costa Rica is the best for you, you could book private transport or a shared shuttle. It can be difficult to determine what is the best car to rent for the places you are visiting. Sometimes you will need 4 wheels to drive and in other places, it is not necessary. To determine what car is best you can check out our destination guides for the places you are visiting.

WHEN YOU SHOULD TAKE A DOMESTIC FLIGHT

Domestic flights are available to and from the following destinations: downtown San José, Alajuela-SJO, Arenal, Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, Liberia, Sámara, Tortuguero, Drake Bay, Puerto Jiménez, Golfito, Palmar Norte, Barra del Colorado, Tambor, and Bocas del Toro in Panamá. Domestic Costa Rica Flights are an excellent way to get around Costa Rica. They save you money, and they save you time better spent enjoying your precious holiday! Good thing there are different Costa Rica airlines and schedules to choose from. Whether you want remote adventure travel or just want to reach your destination quickly. There’s no faster and more comfortable way to travel in Costa Rica. You can get to most vacation destinations in under an hour. It saves time and money otherwise spent on transfer fees, charter or bus tickets, fuel, and of course food and shopping along the way. The other benefit is the amazing aerial views of this gorgeous country. The most shared and popular Costa Rica domestic flights air carrier is Sansa Regional. It offers the most regularly scheduled daily flights. Some of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica have daily flights from San Jose in the Central Valley and/or Liberia in Guanacaste Costa Rica such as La Fortuna, Limon, Quepos, Nosara, Tortuguero, Tamarindo, and more!

One of the major perks flights in Costa Rica has compared to ground transportation, is of course the flight time which can sometimes be as short as 25 minutes. Especially because locations like Tortuguero or Drake Bay, are very difficult to reach otherwise. They are small planes sometimes allowing for minimal luggage but passengers can be assured of safety and comfort. Upon arrival, we can arrange for a private shuttle to take you further to your destination or you can opt for renting a car.

WHEN YOU SHOULD TAKE A PUBLIC BUS

Costa Rica has a decent bus system throughout the country. Taking the public bus is incredibly cheap, but it is not always the most comfortable. On some buses, you will get an assigned seat number, and on some public buses, seats are on a first come first serve basis. If you are one of the last people to get on the bus you may be left standing for the whole ride. This could be 5 or more hours depending on where you are going. Another thing to consider is that most of the buses are not the most comfortable. The seats are hard, sometimes the windows won’t open, etc.