www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I am planning to visit Jaco for a couple days in April. The taxi fare I have been quoted is $80-90 each way. The bus fare seems to less that $5 each way. Has anyone tried the bus? Any suggestions?

I highly recommend utilizing the Interbus System that travels throughout the country. It is very convenient and the prices are super reasonable.
I used it my last trip to travel from San Jose to Jaco and back. They have a website: www.interbusonline.com, or simply get their number out of the phone book and call directly to make your reservation. The buses are newer Mercedes Benz's. Nice buses and air conditioned. They seat maybe 6 passengers max. If memory serves it was $30.00 or $40.00 dollars round trip. They come directly to major hotels and pick you up. I believe around 8:15 am. They depart for return trip at roughly 11:00 or 11:30 am.
My driver was bi-lingual and a very cool dude.

Ice

The bus to Jaco is fine as well. If you don't need to impress anyone take the bus. It will save a ton of dough. It is less than $5.00 to Jaco. To the Panamanian border it's only like $6.00. Truly incredible prices. Of course, you will stop in every town for pickup/drop off but no big deal just to Jaco.

dapanz1

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Paradise= Sitting outside the Bodega in Panama City about 1 am. Drinking cool Balboas with cool friends and blazin' hot Colombianas. I want to be there..RIGHT NOW!

Sorry Scott, I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but my question is along the same lines, so maybe those in the know can help me as well.

I am going to Flamingo Beach with a girl in May for a couple of days.

I'm trying to decide what form of transportation to utilize. We were originally going to fly both ways based on MG recommendation because it's only an hour each way then a 20 minute cab ride, but it's kind of pricey. ($80+taxes each way, per person + cab). Just for comparison, a taxi is $200 each way and Interbus is $29/person each way. The regular bus is probably cheap but I assume it doesn't have A/C, so I'll pass, money's not that important.

I think we'll take the Interbus (~5 hours) to Flamingo and fly back. The reasoning behind this is two-fold: saves me a few bucks and see some of the country along the way. It makes a couple of stops along the way, possible photo ops. And I'd prefer to fly back since a long drive would be draining and may screw up the last 2 days of my vacation.

Anybody have any comments about my plan or suggestions to improve it? Thanks, I'll appreciate any input.

Thanks for the information on the interbus. It is only $19 and they offer pick-up/drop off service at no extra charge. I have a local who may go with me....if so we will just take the regular bus. Thanks again for the info.... I saved the link.

Orange,
Can't really speak to the buses that run to Flamingo. But, the bus that runs from San Jose to the Panama border has A/C. And let me tell you something, it pumps out ice cubes. In fact it was so cold I was miserable.

dapanz1

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Paradise= Sitting outside the Bodega in Panama City about 1 am. Drinking cool Balboas with cool friends and blazin' hot Colombianas. I want to be there..RIGHT NOW!

Scott, Orange...

The Interbus may be the best way to go for a couple reasons.

Yes, the regular commuter buses are cheap, but it's often necessary to buy your tickets a day in advance. This means (depending on your destination and which of the seven bus companies run the route you want) a stroll to the CocaCola Bus terminal (in a really shitty neighborhood) the day before your trip.

You'll need to be at the bus stop a good half hour before the bus departs; they do sell SRO tickets (standee tickets), and you're going to want to lock in a seat.

The overland trip to Jaco is really pleasant, going through ORotina up in farm country. Great vistas all the way.

The main advantage of using the Interbus is that they will pick you up directly at your hotel. This is also a disadvantage if you're in a hurry; the van may cruise to six different hotels before hitting the road to Jaco. The Interbuses are very new, modern and comfortable. People who have taken the cheaper communter buses have reported that these are usually quite comfortable as well, so the only real considerations are price and convenience. I'm planning to use the Interbus for at least one overnight trip in August, even though the Interbus is 7 - 8 times more expensive than the tico buses running the same routes.

Flying would be a great option for your return trip Orange. And if your chica has been a b*tch on your outing, you can take the plane and put her disagreeable ass on a $5.00 tico bus. Thus, you'd save even more.

Hope this helps, amigos..

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

One problem using the local Tico buses, that is not frequently mentioned, is the issue of baggage theft. Even though you just have a small carry on overnight bag they frequently are snatched from the overhead luggage carrier. The crooks are very slick and people never know the bag is gone until they reach their final destination.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

One thing I forgot to mention was that Costa Rican citizens get 50% off Sansa air when they walk up and buy the ticket. This is useful if you're taking a Tica with you, but she has to buy her own ticket, you can't buy for both in advance. I wasn't aware of this until MG told me. With this in mind, flying both ways seems more do-able, but I'm still leaning towards the Interbus getting there just for the scenery and the picture ops. We'll fly back for sure.

Irish Drifter makes a good point.

Crime of all kinds seems to be more of a problem for gringos taking the local buses. Pickpockets and muggers are reportedly very active near the CocaCola, and I have heard/read several stories of guys getting their baggage pilfered, especially while waiting for the bus or as Irish said, directly from the overhead baggage compartment on the bus itself.

OTOH, if one can keep an eye out for trouble and keep control of his luggage, the tico buses do present great cash savings for the budget-minded traveler.

I think that for most of us, the Interbus offers a good compromise between the bargain-basement travel on a local bus and the deluxe travel (by comparison) of Sansa or NatureAir flights.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

A while back, someone reported getting their money clip pickpocked as they slept on the tico buss to Jaco

Unfortunately sleeping gringo equals easy mark on a tico bus.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Several CR trips ago I met a young female eco-tourist from Australia who was touring Central America by bus. While traveling in Guatemala, she fell asleep, when she awakened, she discovered that apparently, the woman who had been sitting next to her had cut her backpack open with a razor blade or knife, stealing her passport and money.

Zebra

The shuttle may make for a better alternative in some situations but I think you guys are being overly harsh regarding the public buses. Let's look at it point by point.

PURCHASING TICKETS: You may be well advised to purchase bus tickets a day ahead during weekends during the dry season, but during the week and during the wet season it may not be necessary. Even if it is that does not necessarily mean an extra trip to the bus station the day before. One could simply ask someone at the front desk of their hotel if they could get someone to pickup tickets for them and I'd be willing to bet most hotels would be willing to help out with this service. Tipping the guy a couple of bucks for his trouble will still come out way cheaper than paying $20 each way for the shuttle. And I can't see how its could be counted as a major disadvantage of taking the bus if you have to reserve a day ahead for the shuttle as well.

BUS STATION LOCATION: Yes, El C, the Coca Cola Terminal can get a little rough and that's why I'd definitely avoid arriving back there after dark. However, the buses to Jaco take off during the day and that area is not much worse at that time of day than many other nearby areas we already routinely visit in the Zona Rosa (e.g. the Calle 6 Pensiones, MP 747, etc.) and significantly better than the Mercado Central which many of our members also like to visit. I'd also be as wary as you if I couldn't see what was going on around me, but fortunately I don't have that problem. Obviously, as in anywhere you go in SJ, but particularly here, you pay attention to your surroundings and don't do anything stupid like walk around with your daypack hanging open behind you or nodding off on a terminal bench. Daytime crimes are much more likely to be of the stealth/theft variety than outright robbery/muggings. One just needs to stay on their toes.

BAGGAGE THEFT: If I'm going for just a night or two I can usually stuff everything I need in a daypack which I can keep with me always. If it won't all fit, I pack just my clothes and other non-valuable items in the bag that goes in the luggage compartment and carry my camera(s), passport, money etc. in my day pack (and a light jacket or sweatshirt in case it gets chilly, but that hasn't been a problem on the buses I've been on). BTW, it also doesn't hurt to use a bag that is not too fancy if not even a little beat up rather than something that marks it as belonging to a rich tourist. I usually wait until they open the lower compartment and start loading bags and wait until I see mine is well buried before I get on the bus, particularly if I have someone else with me that can grab and hold a good set of seats for us. The front end right hand side affords the best views, most comfortable ride, allows me to watch if anything happens with the luggage compartment at intermediate stops and allows me to get off quickly at the end to watch the unloading of bags. As far as my daypack, that would NEVER go in the overhead bin. That is an open invitation for someone to mess around with it on the pretense of getting something out of their own bag when you're not paying much attention. I also never place it under my seat which allows the person behind me to get to it with out my noticing. These are well documented risks and anyone who has been ripped off in this fashion either hasn't done their reading or simply slipped up. I always carry my daypack on my lap or wedged between my feet and zipped up (I even have a little travel padlock I use). If I decide to take a nap, I hug the bag to my chest with my arms securely around it (or use it as a pillow). However on a short trip to Jaco, I wouldn't need or even want to sleep. The ride is scenic and only 2.5hours long. And despite all these precautions, I've always felt perfectly comfortable on buses and at ease and most if not all the people near you on most routes will be regular ticos just trying to get somewhere like you, not crooks looking to rip you off. In other words you just need to take sensible precautions, but you don't need to be paranoid.

BUS STOPS: There are 2 types of bus routes, direct and indirect. One would probably never take the indirect with its frequent stops (e.g. the direct to MA is 3.5 hours the indirect takes 5). The direct buses usually make a few intermediate stops too, but not many. Usually what few stops there are of the quick hop-on or off the bus variety with no messing around with the luggage compartment until the final destination. The 2.5 hours bus ride to Jaco does not really allow for many stops if any since that time span is not much longer than it would take to drive straight through to Jaco by private car. The last bus I took to Monteverde made exactly 1 stop - a scheduled pit stop. And the bus from Arenal made 5 minute stops at the San Carlos and Alajuela terminals and maybe 2-3 elsewhere en route to allow someone to hop off.

SCHEDULING: Ultimately, IMHO, whether to take a shuttle or a bus comes down as much to scheduling as it does to price or security. The Interbus http://www.interbusonline.com leaves for Jaco at 8:15AM. Grayline http://www.graylinecostarica.com is another shuttle service that is usually a little cheaper than Interbus but to Jaco the cost a couple of bucks more and leave at 8AM. Either of those times would work fine for me and would get me to Jaco nice and early to get some quality beach time. If I were dragging from a late night before or if I was counting on a chica companion to show up on time (yeah right!), it might be a little more problematic. Unfortunately the next shuttle van doesn't leave until 2 or 2:30 in the afternoon meaning a late afternoon arrival in Jaco and barely any beach time. OTOH, it would allow me to slip in one extra Oasis or ZB massage session before I headed out. The public buses run a little more frequently allowing more options in addition to 7:30AM departure (yeah right! now that's starting to get a little early for me) they also have a 10:30 departure as well as their afternoon departure. Leaving mid-morning would allow me to sleep a little later yet still get to Jaco with plenty of daylight left.

Thanks Prolijo for a wealth of useful information and common sense.

One point of comparison that you omitted but which should be obvious is the difference in costs:

Flight = $80.00 one way
Car/driver = $70.00 - $80.00 depending on your negotiating skills, one way
Interbus = $30.00 one way

Tico bus = $5.00 one way.

A fifty dollar per round trip savings over the Interbus, more flexible departure times and the adventure of traveling with the locals make the option very attractive to me. I'm not particularly worried about crime, although I'm sure the threat exists. Hey, I've got a guardian angel or twelve; I'm cool, even near the CocaCola.

I always have exercised the baggage cautions you advise. Thanks for laying them out for less experienced bus riders. Frankly, the kind of pilfering described in an earlier post is as likely on a Greyhound going from Dubuque to Denver as a Tico bus going from SJ to M.A.

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.