Depending on how you like to travel, and depending on your budget, renting a car may not be in the cards.
Costa Rica has an excellent source of transportation options to get you from point A to point B, so don't worry about it!
Private Shuttles/Busses
During our trip to Costa Rica we decided not to rent a car because we realized how easy it would be to get to the locations we had planned using private shuttle busses. If you plan to go to a remote area, then renting a car may be your only option. On the other hand, if you plan to explore the more popular areas such as Arenla Volcano, La Fortuna, or San Jose, you will definitely find transportation easily!
Interbus is the main company we used while traveling from point A to point B. This is a private company that provides shared shuttle busses. You need to purchase your ticket online and ahead of time. You should expect to be in a smaller van with about 6 other people. The vans are comfortable, clean, and air conditioned! That sounds much nicer to me than sitting in a packed public bus with no AC! They will pick you up from your hotel at point A and bring you directly to the front of your hotel at point B. Now that is customer service! When the ride is over they will ask you to sign your name in a cute notebook where you can write fun thoughts or memories that you had along the way. Tipping is not required but most people who use this service tip the drivers.
One thing I LOVED about Interbus, was the ability to communicate with them. Not only did they respond to my emails quickly, but I could send them a text over whats app and they would message me back within minutes. As a reminder, they are picking everyone up from their hotel so they give about a fifteen minute window time for pick up. If they say they will arrive between 6:30-6:45am, don't worry if they show up at 6:50. They will still show up! Click here to learn more about Interbus.
Public Transportation
When in larger cities, such as San Jose or Arenal, you can take taxis or busses to get around. One unique fact about Costa Rica is that they do not use addresses the same way we do. For example, we stayed with a good friend of mine who lives in center city San Jose. She said her house does not have an address, so instead of saying "take me to 123 Main Street" she needs to say "take me to the brick building by the park near the old school playground". I was shocked when she told us this! If you plan to take a taxi around San Jose, be sure you remember key landmarks so you can inform your driver where to go!
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