| For a very low cost ($2 to $8, or about $1 per hour of
driving time) you can take a bus to almost anywhere in the
country. Most Costa Ricans do not own cars, so they depend
on buses for traveling to other parts of the country. Riding
a bus provides the perfect opportunity to get to know people
on a personal basis, see the lovely countryside and learn
something about the country and the culture. Most buses used
for these longer trips are modern and very comfortable. Unlike
some parts of Latin America, Costa Rica's buses are not filled
with chickens and other small animals and standing is not
allowed. Buses are crowded on weekends and holidays, so buy
your tickets in advance or get to the station early. Be sure
to check for schedule changes.
Alajuela (a bus every 20 minutes or so), Ave. 2, Calle 12/14..................................................................
222-5325
Arenal (buses at 4:15, 8:40, 11:30 am), Calle 16, Ave. 1/3
Cartago (a bus every 10 minutes), Calle 5, Ave. Central, Calles18/20
.....................233-5350
Golfito (get tickets in advance), Ave. 3/5, Calle 14........
221-4214
Heredia (a bus every five minutes), Calle 1, Ave. 7/9 ....
233-5350
Heredia (small buses or busetas), Ave.2, Calles 12/14........261-7171
Liberia (get tickets in advance), Calle 14, Ave. 1/ 3.......
222-1650
Limón (hourly get tickets in advance on holidays),
Calle Central, six blocks north of the Metropolitan Cathedral.............................221-2596
or 223-7811
Nicoya (get tickets in advance), Calle 14, Ave. 3/5 ........
222-2666
Puntarenas (every 30 minutes; be early on holidays), Calle16,
Ave. 10/12 .................................................222-0064
Quepos (get tickets in advance inside the market), Coca Cola
Terminal .............................................223-5567
San Carlos (a bus every hour), Coca Cola Terminal ...... 255-4318
Santa Cruz, Calle 20, Ave.3/4.......................................
221-7202
San Isidro El General (get tickets in advance), Calle 16,
Ave. 1/3 .......................................................
222-2422
San Ramón Calle16, Ave. 10/12 ..................................
222-0064
Sarchí (Coca Cola Terminal, every hour), Calle 16/18,
Ave. 1/5...................................................
494-2139
Southern Border (Paso Canoas, leaves daily) Ave. 3/5, Calle
14 ........................................................
221-4214
Tilarán (daily) Calle 12, Ave. 7/9 ..................................
222-3854
Turrialba, Calle 13, Ave. 6/8 .........................................
556-0073
*If your destination is not listed, check with a local travel
agency or some knowledgeable person who is familiar with bus
schedules and knows the different bus stops. An Intercity
Buses website gives a complete bus schedule at http://www.yellowweb.co.cr/crbuses.hmtl.
Bus tickets may be purchased online at http://www.CostaRicaBusTicket.
com. This company covers most areas north and west of San
José. You may contact them at 365-9678.
Interbus (tel. 283-5573, fax 283-7655, e-mail vsftrip@racsa.co.cr,
http://www.interbusonline.com) and Fantasy Tour/Gray Line
(tel. 2202126, fax 220-2393, e-mail fantasy@racsa.co.cr, http://www.graylinecostarica.
com) offer direct tours between many of the country's major
tourist attractions. Both companies offer transportation to
more than 40 destinations and have offices around the country.
Costa Rica by Bus is a great new book that covers bus
routes, fares and more. To purchase a copy, see http://www.costaricaByBus.com.
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