Arriving

By Plane -- Juan Santamaría International Airport (tel. 437-2626 for 24-hr. airport information; airport code SJO) is located near the city of Alajuela, about 20 minutes from downtown San José. A taxi into town costs between $12 and $16 (£6-£8), and a bus is only 60¢ (30p). The Alajuela-San José buses run frequently and will drop you off anywhere along Paseo Colón or at a station near the Parque de la Merced (downtown, between calles 12 and 14 and avs. 2 and 4). There are two separate lines: Tuasa buses are red; Station Wagon buses are beige/yellow. At the airport you'll find the bus stop directly in front of the main terminal, beyond the parking structure. Be sure to ask whether the bus is going to San José, or you'll end up in Alajuela. If you have a lot of luggage, you should probably take a cab.

Quite a few car-rental agencies have desks and offices at the airport, although if you're planning to spend a few days in San José itself, a car is a liability. (If you're heading off immediately to the beach, though, it's much easier to pick up your car here than at a downtown office.) Several car-rental agencies already have desks inside the new terminal, right where passengers exit Customs and Immigration; others are still awaiting completion of an airport remodeling , so be sure to contact them first to confirm that they will have an agent or an office at the airport when you arrive.

At press time the airport was still in the midst of a major renovation and expansion. So far, the first phase of the new terminal has been completed, and all of the major airlines have moved their desks into the terminal. The baggage claim and Customs and Immigration areas, which are modern and spacious, are not necessarily fast and efficient. Moreover, despite the major remodeling, chaos and confusion continue to greet arriving passengers the second they step out of the terminal. You must abandon the luggage carts just before exiting the building and then face a gauntlet of aggressive taxi drivers and people offering to carry your bags. Fortunately, the official airport taxi service has a booth inside the terminal after you clear Customs. Most porters or skycaps wear a uniform identifying them as such, but sometimes "improvised" porters will try to earn a few dollars here. (Moreover, there's often really nowhere for them to have to carry your bags because the line of waiting taxis and shuttles is just steps away.) The entire airport renovation and expansion should be completed sometime in mid-2008. There is hope that things will improve some once the work is done and new facilities are opened.

In terms of taxis, you should stick with the official airport taxi service, Taxis Unidos Aeropuerto (tel. 221-6865), which operates a fleet of orange vans and sedans, charging fixed prices according to your destination. Head to its kiosk in the no-man's land just outside the exit door for arriving passengers. Here you can buy a prepaid voucher to the hotel or destination of your choice. Despite the fact that Taxis Unidos has an official monopoly at the airport, you will usually find a handful of regular cabs (in traditional red sedans) and "pirate" cabs, freelance drivers using their own vehicles. You could use either of these latter options, and they tend to charge a dollar or two less, but I recommend using the official service for safety and standardized prices. Keep a very watchful eye on your bags: Thieves have historically preyed on newly arrived passengers and their luggage. You should tip porters about 50¢ (25p) per bag.

You have several options for exchanging money when you arrive at the airport. There's an ATM in the baggage claim area, which is connected to both the PLUS and Cirrus networks. There's also a Global Exchange money exchange booth just as you clear Customs and Immigration. It's open whenever there are arriving flights; however, these folks exchange at more than 10% below the official rate. There's a branch of the Banco de San José inside the main terminal, on the second floor across from the airline check-in counters, as well as a couple more ATM machines up there. The taxi company and rental-car agencies accept U.S. dollars.

Tip: There's really no pressing need to exchange money the minute you arrive. Taxis Unidos accepts dollars. You can wait until after you settle into your hotel, and see if the hotel will give you a good rate of exchange, or use one of the many downtown banks or ATM machines.

If you arrive in San José via Nature Air, private aircraft, or another small commuter or charter airline, you might find yourself at the Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas. This small airport is located on the western side of downtown San José, about 10 minutes by car from the center. There are no car-rental desks here, so unless you have a car or a driver waiting for you here, you will have to take a cab into town, which should cost between $10 and $18 (£5-£9).

By Bus -- If you're coming to San José by bus, where you disembark depends on where you're coming from. (The different bus companies have their offices, and thus their drop-off points, all over downtown San José. When you buy your ticket, ask where you'll be let off.) Buses arriving from Panama pass first through Cartago and San Pedro before letting passengers off in downtown San José; buses arriving from Nicaragua generally enter the city on the west end of town, on Paseo Colón. If you're staying here, you can ask to be let off before the final stop.

By Car -- For those of you intrepid readers arriving by car, you'll enter San José via the Interamerican Highway. If you arrive from Nicaragua and the north, the highway brings you first past the airport and the city of Alajuela, to the western edge of downtown, right at the end of Paseo Colón, where it hits Parque La Sabana (La Sabana Park). The area is well marked with large road signs that direct you either to downtown (CENTRO) or to the western suburbs of Rohrmoser, Pavas, and Escazú. If you're heading toward downtown, follow the flow of traffic and turn left on Paseo Colón.

For those of you entering from Panama and the south, things get a little more complicated. The Interamerican Highway first passes through the city of Cartago and then through the San José suburbs of Curridabat and San Pedro before reaching downtown. This route is relatively well marked, and if you stick with the major flow of traffic, you should find San José without any problem.

Visitor Information

There's an Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) (tel. 443-2883) desk at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, located in the baggage claims area, just before Customs. You can pick up maps and browse brochures, and they might even lend you a phone to make or confirm a reservation. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, which is more than a little bit pathetic because such a large number of flights arrive either on the weekends or after 5pm. If you're looking for the main ICT visitor information center in San José, it's located below the Plaza de la Cultura, at the entrance to the Gold Museum, on Calle 5 between avenidas Central and 2 (tel. 222-1090). The people here are helpful, although the information they have to offer is rather limited. This office is also open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. There's also another ICT information desk at the main Post Office (tel. 258-8762; Calle 2 between avenidas 1 and 3), which is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm.

Getting Around

By Bus -- Bus transportation around San José is cheap -- the fare is usually somewhere around 10¢ to 30¢ (5p-15p) -- although the Alajuela/San José buses that run in from the airport cost 60¢ (30p). The most important buses are those running east along Avenida 2 and west along Avenida 3. The Sabana/Cementerio bus runs from Parque La Sabana to downtown and is one of the most convenient buses to use. You'll find a bus stop for the outbound Sabana/Cementerio bus near the main post office on Avenida 3 near the corner of Calle 2, and another one on Calle 11 between avenidas Central and 1. This bus also has stops all along Avenida 2. San Pedro buses leave from Avenida Central between calles 9 and 11, in front of the Cine Capri, and take you out of downtown heading east. Escazú- and Santa Ana-bound buses leave from the Coca-Cola bus station, as well as from Avenida 1 between calles 24 and 28. Alternatively, you can pick up both the Escazú and Santa Ana buses from the busy bus stop on Calle 42, just north of Gimnasio Nacional.

Board buses from the front. The bus drivers can make change, although they don't like to receive large bills. Be especially mindful of your wallet, purse, or other valuables, because pickpockets often work the crowded buses.

By Taxi -- Although taxis in San José have meters (marías), the drivers sometimes refuse to use them, particularly with foreigners, so you'll occasionally have to negotiate the price. Always try to get them to use the meter first (say "ponga la maría, por favor"). The official rate at press time is around 80¢ (40p) for the first kilometer (1/2 mile) and around 60¢ (30p) for each additional kilometer. If you have a rough idea of how far it is to your destination, you can estimate how much it should cost from these figures. After 10pm taxis are legally allowed to add a 20% surcharge. Some of the meters are programmed to include the extra charge automatically, but be careful: Some drivers will use the evening setting during the daytime or (at night) to charge an extra 20% on top of the higher meter setting. Tipping taxi drivers is not expected. It's not uncommon for passengers to sit in the front seat with the driver.

Depending on your location, the time of day, and the weather (rain places taxis at a premium), it's relatively easy to hail a cab downtown. You'll always find taxis in front of the Teatro Nacional (albeit at high prices) and around the Parque Central at Avenida Central and Calle Central. Taxis in front of hotels and the El Pueblo tourist complex usually charge more than others, although this is technically illegal. Most hotels will gladly call you a cab, either for a downtown excursion or for a trip back out to the airport. You can also get a cab by calling Coopetaxi (tel. 235-9966), Coopeirazu (tel. 254-3211), or Coopeguaria (tel. 227-9300). Cinco Estrellas Taxi (tel. 228-3159) is another company that is based in Escazú but services the entire metropolitan area and airport, and claims to always have an English-speaking operator on call.

On Foot -- Downtown San José is very compact. Nearly every place you might want to go is within a 15-by-4-block area. Because of traffic congestion, you'll often find it faster to walk than to take a bus or taxi. Be careful when walking the streets any time of day or night. Flashy jewelry, loosely held handbags or backpacks, and expensive camera equipment tend to attract thieves. Avenida Central is a pedestrian-only street for the blocks from Calle Central toward the Cultural Plaza and a little bit beyond. It has been redone with interesting paving stones and the occasional fountain in an attempt to create a comfortable pedestrian mall.

By Train -- In mid-2005, urban commuter train service was reopened in downtown San José. A single-line connecting the western neighborhood of Pavas with the eastern suburb of San Pedro passes right through the downtown, with prominent stops at, or near, the U.S. Embassy, Parque La Sabana, the downtown court area, and the Universidad de Costa Rica (University of Costa Rica) and Universidad Latina (Latin University). The train runs in each direction roughly every 2 hours between 5am and 6pm. The fare ranges from 20¢ to 60¢ (10p-30p) depending on the length of your ride.

By Car -- It will cost you between $35 and $110 (£18-£55) per day to rent a car in Costa Rica (the higher prices are for 4WD vehicles). Many car-rental agencies have offices at the airport. If not, they will usually either pick you up or deliver the car to any San José hotel. If you decide to pick up your rental car in downtown San José, be prepared for some very congested streets.

The following companies have desks at Juan Santamaría International Airport, as well as offices downtown: Alamo (tel. 800/462-5266 toll-free within Costa Rica, or 242-7733 for central reservations), Adobe Rent A Car (tel. 442-2422 at the airport, or 258-4242 in downtown San José), Avis (tel. 800/331-1084 in the U.S., or 293-2222 central reservation number in Costa Rica), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 in the U.S., 436-2000 at the airport, or 255-4750 in downtown San José), Dollar (tel. 443-2950 at the airport, or 257-0671 in downtown San José), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3001 in the U.S., 443-4645 at the airport, or 221-1818 in downtown San José), National Car Rental (tel. 800/227-7368 toll-free within Costa Rica; 440-0085 at the airport, or 290-8787 in downtown San José), Payless Rent A Car (tel. 800/582-7432 in the U.S., 443-5286 at the airport, or 257-0026 in downtown San José), Thrifty (tel. 800/847-4389 in the U.S., 441-9366 at the airport, or 258-5868 in downtown San José), and Toyota Rent A Car (tel. 441-1411 at the airport, or 258-5797 in downtown San José).

There are dozens of other car-rental agencies in San José, and most will arrange for airport or hotel pickup or delivery. One of the more dependable agencies is Hola! Rent A Car, across the street (west) of Denny's, La Uruca, San José (tel. 520-0100).