Official orange taxis run a fixed zone fare from SJO. Uber works but has to meet you off the kerb. If you are renting a car, the mandatory insurance is what turns a cheap quote into a normal price.
- The official orange taxis are the regulated airport concession, USD 25 to USD 30 to central San Jose on a fixed zone fare paid at the desk.
- Uber works but operates in a grey area, and drivers avoid the official rank - expect a short walk out of the terminal zone.
- Third party liability insurance on a hire car is required by law, cannot be declined, and credit-card cover does not replace it. It adds USD 10 to USD 25 a day, so a USD 12 quote arrives at USD 35 to USD 45.
- Book car hire direct with a company that quotes the insurance up front. Comparison sites almost universally hide it, which is why the price doubles at the desk.
- Do not drive at night outside the Central Valley - unlit, unfenced roads with potholes, cyclists and dogs - and never leave anything in a parked car at a trailhead or beach.
San Jose, Juan Santamaria (SJO)
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Official orange taxi | USD 25 to USD 30 to central San Jose | Fixed zone fare, paid at the desk. The regulated airport concession |
| Uber | usually a little less | Legal grey area; the driver will ask you to walk out of the terminal zone |
| Hotel shuttle | often free or USD 10 | Most airport-area hotels run one |
| Shared shuttle to the coast | USD 50 to USD 90 per person | Interbus and Grayline serve the main beach towns |
| Public bus | a couple of dollars | Slow, not designed for luggage |
- The orange taxis are the official concession and are the safe, boring, regulated answer.
- Uber operates in a grey area and is not formally regulated the way taxis are. It works at SJO and in the metro area; drivers avoid the official rank, so expect a short walk.
- Liberia (LIR) is the better airport for Guanacaste. If your trip is Tamarindo, Nosara or Papagayo, flying into LIR saves four to five hours of driving.
- Do not plan to drive to the Pacific coast the night you land. The roads are unlit, mountainous and full of surprises, and most arrivals get in late.
Renting a car, and the insurance that is not optional
This is the biggest single money trap in Costa Rica.
- Third party liability insurance is required by law and must be bought from the rental company. You cannot decline it, and credit-card rental cover does not replace it.
- It costs roughly USD 10 to USD 25 a day on top of the quoted rate. A car advertised at USD 12 a day arrives at the counter at USD 35 to USD 45.
- Collision damage waiver is separate and optional, and to decline it you normally have to show a letter from your card issuer proving cover in Costa Rica.
- A deposit of USD 750 to USD 3,000 is held on a credit card.
- Book direct with a company that quotes the insurance up front. Comparison sites almost universally hide it, which is why the price doubles at the desk.
Driving
- A 4x4 is genuinely needed for Monteverde, the Osa Peninsula, Nosara and much of the Nicoya coast in the rainy season. Elsewhere a normal car is fine.
- River crossings are real. If you cannot see the bottom, do not drive into it. Rental insurance excludes water damage entirely.
- Roads are unlit and unfenced, with potholes, cyclists, dogs and no shoulder. Do not drive at night outside the Central Valley.
- Waze is what everyone uses, and it is better than Google Maps on Costa Rican back roads.
- Never leave anything in a parked car, especially at a trailhead or a beach car park. Rental-car break-ins are the commonest crime against visitors.
- Fuel is sold by attendants at a nationally fixed price, so no station is cheaper than another.
Getting between towns without a car
- Public buses are cheap, frequent and slow and go almost everywhere. San Jose to La Fortuna is about USD 6 and four hours.
- Shared tourist shuttles cost ten times as much and halve the time, and go door to door. Interbus and Grayline are the big two.
- Domestic flights on Sansa cut a six hour drive to Drake Bay or Puerto Jimenez down to under an hour, with a strict 15 kg baggage limit.
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