Traveling by bus through Costa Rica is safe (assuming common sense is present), fun, and very cost effective. Traveling by bus can be considerably slower than public/private tourist shuttles so the small print is you’ll need to have plenty of time on your hands to make this worthwhile. Here’s a simple guide to get you where you want to go for nearly pennies on the dollar compared to tourist-centered transportation options like shuttles and taxis.
Buses in Costa Rica are operated by a variety of private companies and sometimes the company consists of a dude that drives a bus…it’s all good!
Here are the 5 steps to get you rockin’ across this beautiful country like a boss:
- Figure out where you are and where you need to go. You need city names.
- Get an idea of what bus companies have routes that run from where you are to where you need to go. The best resource I’ve found is here: http://thebusschedule.com/EN/cr/ Main things to note when using this site is bus company names and phone numbers that are displayed as a result.
- THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP! CALL or have someone who speaks Spanish call the number that you find to verify if the bus runs the route that you need, what times it runs, and where it stops in your town. Even if a Costa Rican tells you that the bus will be somewhere at sometime still CALL the number of the bus company! The times and destinations change and the most up to date and reliable information will come from the company. You do not want to find out that the bus company no longer departs from the Coca Cola terminal in San Jose, it’s not enjoyable or advisable to wander around seedy bus stations looking lost and asking for information.
- Arrive at the stop 30 minutes early. If the bus shows up early, it will take off early.
- If you need to change buses in non major cities make sure you or someone that speaks Spanish speaks with the driver so that they can let you know when to get off the bus. This might seem daunting for people who don’t speak Spanish but you can literally have someone write what you need to say on a piece of paper and show it to the driver. Again, a small inconvenience in order to save up to $100s of dollars for a trip as well as get a chance to zoom around Costa Rica (and beyond) like a Costa Rican.
Good luck and happy travels!
