Many people going to Costa Rica hesitate for a long time between renting a car or traveling by bus inside the country. Indeed, this is a question that arises when preparing for your trip.
I therefore suggest you go over all the elements to take into account to choose what suits you best : to rent a car or travel by bus in Costa Rica?
How to get around Costa Rica?
To get around Costa Rica, there are mainly the following means of transport :
Getting around by Taxi or Uber
In biggest cities such as the capital San Jose or again La Fortuna and others, you can no problem getting around by taxi or Uber.
Indeed, short trips are relatively affordable by taxi or Uber in Costa Rica. However, as soon as you want to make longer journeys, these prices can quickly rise and it is therefore preferable to choose a means of transport.
In Costa Rica it is easy to get around by bus. Indeed, the bus network is developed across the country. There are private companies or small shuttles but also a large network of public buses. For more information do not hesitate to read my article on the subject.
Car rental
To more freedom and for families it may be easier to rent a car in order to move around Costa Rica. It is true that this option is generally the one chosen by tourists coming to Costa Rica.
If you are renting a car, be careful and choose a car that goes everywhere, of the 4X4 type because in many areas of Costa Rica the roads and tracks are not always in very good condition.
Rent a bike or scooter
In some places it is quite possible to rent bicycles or a scooter for the day to discover the surroundings. This is particularly the case on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. For my part, I rented a bicycle in Samara and Puerto Viejo. In terms of price, you can count between $ 5 and $ 10 per day for the bike.
Getting around by boat
Especially on the Caribbean coast, you can reach one point to another of the coast by boat. However, it may take longer than by car or bus.
Costa Rica by car or bus: depending on the length of your trip
La duration of your trip in Costa Rica is a criterion to be taken into account to find out if it is better to rent a car or travel by bus in Costa Rica. Indeed, if you don't have much time in Costa Rica, it may be easier to rent a car because you will be more free to move around at your own pace.
However, if you have time, you can travel extensively by bus. The duration of the bus trips is necessarily longer so if you are not in a hurry during your stay, it is quite possible to travel by bus.
Costa Rica by car or bus: depending on your itinerary
Un another element to take into account for your choice between renting a car and traveling by bus it is the route that you want to take to Costa Rica.
Indeed, although the bus network is relatively well developed across the country, some regions are less accessible than others by bus.
Indeed, for example, the southern part of the Nicoya peninsula is not the most practical, but also the southern part of the Pacific coast which happens to be relatively wild.
If you want go to these corners, I advise you to rent a car, unless you have enough time to do 1 or 2 days in transport.
Costa Rica by car or bus: according to your budget
Finally, theone of the most important elements to take into account to know whether you need to rent a car or travel by bus is the budget.
Indeed, if your budget is relatively important, I advise you without any hesitation to rent a car. With a car you will be fully spirit, and self-employed to move to pace you want and wherever you want. In this way you will not have no problem to think outside the box.
However, you should know that renting a car in Costa Rica is not cheap. Indeed, you can easily have some for $ 100 / day but it is the price of freedom.
If like me you have a tighter budget for your holidays, you can enjoy the large bus network offered in Costa Rica. Believe me, I have experienced it, it is quite possible. Obviously, choose to travel by bus will cost you much less (count between $ 2 and $ 30 per trip) but on the other hand be aware that the journey times will necessarily be longer by bus.
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For more information on the Costa Rica, do not hesitate to consult the following articles:
- Which beach to choose in Costa Rica?
- Guatemala or Costa Rica?
- Traveling in Costa Rica by bus
- 3 week itinerary in Costa Rica by bus
- Three unmissable natural sites in Costa Rica
- Costa Rica: Caribbean or Pacific Coast?
- Single woman traveling in Costa Rica: all you need to know
- 7 day itinerary in Costa Rica
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Danke für deine Tipps dazu, wie man am besten in Costa Rica rumkommt. Es stimmt, wenn man viel Zeit hat, dann kann man sleeps in Bus oder ein Boot nehmen. Wir waren teilweise etwas unter Zeitdruck und dazu noch eine ganze Familie, also haben wir einfach einen Reisebus gemietet. Das hat so super geklappt.