One of the most common questions we receive is: How to get from the airport to downtown San José? In fact, the airport is around 20 kilometers (over 12 miles) from the city, connected to it by one of the main highways in the country, and it is closer to the city of Alajuela than it is to San José.
Keep reading for a detailed recount of all of your options so you can decide which one works best for you.
Table of Contents
Renting a car
You will find desks of several car rentals before the exit of the arrivals area, and you may rent a car on the spot, or you may book it online beforehand.
How to drive to San José
The road to San José is well maintained and signaled, and it is a straightforward drive. If you have a GPS or a smartphone with Google Maps or Waze, you may just type the address of your accommodation and drive to it.
Hiring a shuttle service
If you are traveling in a group, this option is cheaper than a taxi, and it will drop you right at the door of your accommodation. Depending on where you are staying, this option should cost between $10 and $15 per passenger to San José.
Taking an airport taxi
Before exiting the airport, there are several counters of licensed operators. The fare of a ride to downtown is in the vicinity of $30 to $40.
Using rideshare apps
If you have roaming or are able to obtain a local SIM card, you may use a rideshare app. Note that there is certain animosity between the taxi drivers hanging out at the exit of the arrivals area and drivers using these apps to provide transport services, so you may need to meet your driver further outside, near the bus stop.
Ask your accommodation for a ride
Many hotels have a shuttle service, for free or for a fee, and even smaller B&Bs and apartment hosts may arrange to pick you up.
Taking the bus
This is the least expensive option and you will need to exchange/withdraw a few Colones to pay the fare, and it is best to pay with a 5000 bill or less. We recommend this option during the daytime only. Expect to pay around $2 per person. The buses are generally red and belong to a company called TUASA, so they are generally easy to distinguish.
Where to take the bus?
The bus stop is only a few meters away from the exit of the Arrivals area, just walk to the road on the other side of the parking lot and you will see the bus stop sign. When you go out of the terminal, you will see the parking lot across the road. Get to the street out of the airport, the bus stop is behind the parking lot. There is no need to cross the main road outside the airport.
Is it safe to ride a public bus to San José?
Generally yes, but be watchful of your belongings at all times.
As many of these buses don’t have a baggage compartment, it may be a very uncomfortable ride if you come with more than one piece of luggage, and we would recommend other means of transport for comfort and ease of mind.
How to know you are boarding the right bus?
Note that bus drivers generally only speak Spanish, so simply asking ‘San José?’ may be the best chance, or ask other people at the bus stop.
If you ask the driver, make sure to do it from outside the bus, as the doors of the bus have a passenger counter, and if you even put a foot inside, you have to pay the fare whether you ride the bus or not.
There’s also the ‘Directo‘ bus that does fewer stops and may get you downtown quicker than the regular bus to San José.
Where will the bus drop me in San José?
The final stop is the TUASA terminal, in Avenida 2. around the block, there’s Avenida Central, a pedestrian avenue that traverses the city from west to east. From here you may also take a taxi to your accommodation, for a fraction of what it would have cost you from the airport.
Arriving late at night
At night, the car rentals will be closed, and the buses don’t run. In this case, the most practical way to get to your accommodation will be to use the airport taxis.
Can you walk or ride a bicycle to San José from the airport?
No. The highway to San José does not have a bike path or even a sidewalk, technically it is not permitted to do so, and definitely, it would be dangerous.
Have any other questions? Leave a comment!
Credits:
Photo: Stoschmidt, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Last Updated on August 10, 2021
