San José Travel Forum

We are arriving in San Jose at the Pavas airport on a Nature Air flight from Nosara at 11:30 am on January 9. We would like to get a Mepe bus to Puerto Viejo from the Terminal Gran Caribe mid-afternoon. How much time should we allow between these two parts of our trip? We would like to take the earliest bus possible because it is a long trip. I've heard the buses often sell out, especially on a weekend. Is it possible to arrange for a taxi driver to purchase our bus tickets in advance and then meet us at the Pavas airport to take us to the bus terminal?

We were in San Jose a few years ago and had a fantastic meal at a restaurant recommended by someone from the north...it was a combination of a wonderful buffet and also many kinds of meats served by waiters at your table, as often and as plentifully as desired. Now I am sad and embarrased to have forgotten the name...it was in an odd location and I remember the taxi having trouble finding it. Is this familiar to any Virtualtourists? I would greatly appreciate help remembering the name.

We usually drive our selves when on vacation even in hard to drive places. Is it recommended to rent a car when traveling in Costa Rica (we are only looking to drive from the airport to Arenal and Monte Verde) if so whom should we rent a car from. If it is really not recommended then how should we transport our selves (a family of 5) from one place to the other?

ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED. THANKS, DC

we need to take a bus from san pedro {san jose ] to playa coco on a thursday afternoon. what bus station would be best? any help or advice? thanks , dave and carla

I came on the Tica Bus from Panama to Costa Rica. No official stamped my passport when I entered C.R. I am now trying to fly out of SJO, but the airport authorities say I am here illegally! What is it that I must do? I am desperate and need exact directions as to my next step as I am running out of money. Any help would be gratefully received. Thank you.

Hi everyone. I am getting off a cruise ship at 6:00 am.and our flight leaves at 4:00 p.m. so time to see a little of old san juan since charter will not allow us to stay an xtra day or two. BUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR LUGGAGE. I really want to see some of san juan but with the luggage am stiffled.
Any suggestions??Thanks a lot.

Hi all,
Due to business issues, I just had to change my flight out of San Jose to the U.S. to an earlier one, and now need to change my Sansa flight into San Jose to an earlier one. How much time do I need to comfortably get through the airport and out on time? Our flight is at 10:00 a.m. on a Sunday. Thanks.

hey guys,
I arrive 10am on August 1st at San Jose airport and we want to go directly to Liberia (or a beach town but that would be our main hub). How can we get from the airport to Liberia? Do we have to go into San Jose city and then connect to a bus or is there a bus from the airport going directly north-northwest?

thanks!

My wife and I booked package with Hilton Double tree in Puntarenas July 21.
We will arrive San Jose Int'l airport 7/21 11am.
We called the hotel regard shuttle.
But turns out our package do not include shuttle.
Hotel told us we must call in advance to arrange shuttle with this guy name Dimas for $80 one way to the hotel.
Wiki said $80 is minimum for all modes of transportation.
But that's crazy expensive.
Is there other way to travel from Sanjose airport to Puntarenas for cheap?
Safety is a concern too.
Thanks.

I want to Rent a car at San Jose and drive around Northern Cost Rica before returning car back to San Jose. Does anybody know if I will be allowed to cross the Nicaraguan border with a Costa Rica Rental Car?

We will be arriving into San Jose Aiport around 11:40 PM and wanted to know if it was safe taking airport taxi to the Marriott Courtyard, and or the Marriott Resort late at night or early in the morning? Thank you.

Can these be done as a day trip from San Jose? I mean one day per location not both in the same day? We'll most likely have to take a bus.

We're going to spend a couple of days in San Jose and need an affordable place to stay. I would prefer a small hotel/B&B. Hostel would do as long as there are individual rooms as opposed to dorm style. Our max budget is $40-50 per night for two people.
Since we're not renting a car I would prefer closer to the downtown area where most of the sights are.
My travel guide recommends a place called Pension de la Cuesta. Anyone tried it?

What is the best way to transfer from Continental flight from US to a Sansa flight leaving from the local airport?

I am visting San Jose CR for a convention, I would like to book a hotel close it (walking distance if possible) "The Barceló San Jose Palacio" - location of the convention. Its close to La Sabana park. Also please advice me on the best mode of travel in the city, I am not looking for luxury.... so any decent hotel would do.

Also let me know how much taxi fare from the airport would be.

Any help and suggestions greatly appriciated.

Cheers,

Does anyone know a decent hotel near the tobias blacno airport in San Jose? I arrive late at night at the international airport and need to catch a domestic flight early in the morning at Tobias Blanco

Thanks

has anyone driven between costa rica and panama? i will be in san jose for a couple of weeks on business and would like to drive down to the panama canal and back over the weekend. is this possible to do without encountering problems with immigration in either country? does anyone know the airlines that fly this route? i checked kayak and they came up with 600usd, which is way too much. thanks, omax

has anyone stayed in these apartments? is it in a safe area? i am going for dental work and would rather have an apartment than a hotel. can anyone help? thanks, omax

Hello, myself and two buddies would like to rent a Jeep Wrangler from March 8th through the 16th. We are planning on doing some light traveling through Costa Rica, with SanJose as the base, and want the open air effect. Would anyone know where we could rent one? The car companies I have emailed have not been able to confirm that we could get a Jeep Wrangler as our car for certain.

Thank you!

I am going to costa rica on the 6th of feb spending 2 weeks my fiancee is traveling there from the philippines I want to get there on the 5th so i can be setteled in before she arrives on the 6th close to the sjo airport her flight will arrive 11.00pm i want a nice hotel maybe for 2 days then we can travel out to other areas i know she will be very tired from traveling 30 houres, my sister stayed at paradises in the north west 2 times in the last 6 months and loved it I had a travel agent get me some pricing but it is so expensive 8 thousand for 2 weeks i really dont want to spend that much I want nice hotels ,I like beach and boating and fishing not really into forest and things like that.any help would be a appretiated thanks

We are looking for an airport shuttle from the international airport (CR SJO) provided by the Aurola Holiday Inn in San Jose. We have reservations at the Aurola and arrive at the airport 9:40 PM.

Thank you.

Hey there VT friends,
Im in the mood for Costa Rica for the end of this year and looking for a travelling companion.
Im planning to drive to Costa Rica for a week or so, Anyone interested ????
Dates and itinerary is still in the planning.

what's the best time of year to travel to costa rica? looks like right now is the rainy season.

I am going to visit Costa Rica at september, and I will stay at San Jose for couple weeks for a dental surgery, I have found this hotel www.pensiondelacuesta.com , it says it is located at Avenida 1 , 50meters west from regitro civil. The website and hotel looks nice and cheap but is it a nice neighborwood and safe? Any comment or suggestion will be very helpful!

Thanks in advance to any and all who can help. In a few months, a friend and I will be going to Arenal via San Jose. We are flying into Santamaria (SJO), and are going to take a flight on Nature Air to Arenal. Nature Air flies out of Tobias Bolanos Airport. This is my question (I have tried Google but keep getting different answers): Does anyone in this forum have real time experience with how long it takes to get from SJO to Tobias Bolanos? Google says the airports are about 10 miles apart, and gives answers ranging from a travel time of 20 minutes to an hour. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as well as some advice on the quickest way to get from SJO to Tobias; i.e.; taxi, etc. Thanks again.

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know a good Hotel close to the San Jose Airport.
On my way home from Costa Rica I have an early flight in the morning. And after a month of backpacking I want a goodnight rest before my flight. So no budgethotel for the last night...
But also no Hilton :) just a place close to the airport where I can have a good night of sleep...

Thanks for you help,

Ron

hello everyone,

we are thinking about moving to Costa Rica (san jose) since we got a job offer there. The problem is that we know nothing about the living costs and other expenses (flats fairs in good regions, transportation, food, movies ets...)

We'll be greatfull for any tip of information.

I am wondering if anyone of you can help me?

I have got a scholarship for Upeace University in Costa Rica for this school
year.

The University is in town named Ciudad Colón (near San Jose).

Can you help me to find place to stay in this town for 10 months (begining at
the end of august, till june 2008).

I need something decent but not expensive :-)))

Thanks in advance,

my e mail address is spacefog2001@yahoo.com

Hello, my fiance and I are planning to go to Costa Rica for our honeymoon and narrowed it down to spend time in Manuel Antonio and Arenal. The question is, should we stay all 5 nights in Manuel Antonio and take a day trip to Arenal? Or should we split up our trip b/w those two sites.

Also - how do you get from the airport to these 2 destinations? Thanks!!