Transport

Getting Around Costa Rica

Whether to rent a car is the single biggest decision in a Costa Rica itinerary. Here is how to make it.

Rental cars

A car gives you the country: roadside sodas, empty beaches, leaving a park at dawn.
Mandatory third-party liability insurance is added locally and is not covered by your credit card. Budget for it or your quote will double at the desk.
A 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle is genuinely needed for Monteverde back roads, Osa, Santa Teresa and many beach access tracks.
River crossings, unlit roads and motorbikes with no lights are real. Do not drive after dark on your first days.

Tourist shuttles connect every major destination, cost far less than private transfer, and remove all driving stress.
They run on fixed schedules, usually once or twice daily, so you lose flexibility.

Cheap, safe and slow. Excellent for single long hops such as San José to Puerto Viejo.
Luggage space is limited and routes rarely go directly between tourist towns.

Sansa flies small planes to Drake Bay, Puerto Jiménez, Tambor, Tamarindo and Quepos.
Luggage limits are strict (often around 30 lb) and weather cancels flights. Worth it for Osa; rarely worth it elsewhere.

Distances are short; times are long. Assume 40–50 km/h averages on mountain roads.
Add an hour to any estimate that crosses San José at rush hour.