pgh234

I am running into a wall planning a 4 day Costa Rica trip over Easter Weekend. We are a late 20's couple and have never been there. We intend on staying primarily in the Arenal/Monteverde areas.

Public Bus: This is our typical style. Cheap, interesting, with the locals. However, I have read that all public buses are simply not operating the Thursday and Friday before Easter...which is when we need them.

Rental Car: Would allow us to continue our independence. A little pricy. Poor roads, difficult navigation, and crime are a little disconcerting but I am sure we can overcome. Who has experience driving around Costa Rica? Is this your preferred option should you go back again? The drive from Arenal to Monteverde seems beautiful...if not torturous.

Tour Group: Never done a tour group. Hate the lack of independence and not being among the locals. However, the cost is similar to the other options and we would be doing the same activities anyway (ziplining, cloud forest, etc) We avoid tour groups at all cost...but maybe for this trip it is the best option.

SJOGuy

When you say "a 4 day Costa Rica trip over Easter Weekend," do you mean fly in on Wednesday and out on Sunday? It does make a difference here.

It used to be that public buses were prohibited by law from operating on Good Friday. That's no longer the case, but many routes still do not run on Thursday and Friday. Those that do operate might do so at a greatly reduced frequency on those two days. In any case, any buses that do run to and from tourist destinations will be packed. It wouldn't be pleasant.

The drive between Monteverde and anywhere is torturous.

Traffic will be horrendous on Easter Sunday as everybody heads back the city. It will be moderately horrendous on Saturday.

Two shuttle services operate between tourist destinations around the country:

Interbus:

www.interbusonline.com

Gray Line

www.graylinecostarica.com

Both operate 15-seat minivans with you and other passengers heading to the same destination. They're a nice alternative to driving, but more comfortable than a public bus. You need to reserve at least a day in advance, but considering the busy weekend, I'd reserve a lot farther ahead than that.

I can't tell from your post: Have you already booked your flights? If you haven't yet, my advice is don't. The high prices, the crowds, the congested traffic make it not a good weekend to visit Costa Rica.

pgh234

We are arriving Wednesday evening and leaving very early Monday morning (so we'd have to head back to SJO on Sunday).

Yes, the flights are already booked...it was the final free weekend we had.

I am aware, after the fact, at the poor decision I have made. I was just wondering how much truth there was to the "Don't come during easter weekend" posts I have read here and elsewhere.

With that in mind...do you suggest car rental, bus, or tour group? Prices are honestly pretty similar for all of them and do not seem to have skyrocketed yet.

SJOGuy

So be it then.

I suggest either the tour group or the shuttles I mentioned. Assuming they run, public buses that weekend will be crowded and awful. Driving yourself back to San Jose on Sunday will be equally awful.

Darian

Driving to Monteverde, or the last part of it, can be trying, but the rest of the roads you'll encounter are fine. Stay at a hotel near the airport and you will avoid at least some of the awful traffic. Crime is not really an issue as long as you don't leave anything in your car unattended.

SJOFlyer

do what SJOguy told you and take the shuttles. It will probably take you one whole day to return sunday to SJO and who knows maybe one whole day to get you to Arenal or Monteverde. Not the best days to come to Costa Rica

SJOGuy

Might I suggest too that you visit only Arenal? You'll get there sometime Thursday afternoon, probably early afternoon if traffic isn't too bad. You'll have to head back to San Jose on Sunday, and given the horrible traffic that day, you'll want to leave as early in the day as possible. That effectively gives you two full days at your destination. To try to fit both Arenal and Monteverde in that short time would be exhausting. There are a lot of things to do in the Arenal area, so you can easily fill up that time.

CREN

I have been to Costa Rica four times. I would highly recommend taking a ziplining tour and a trip to Arenal (along with the Tabacon Hot Springs).

SJOGuy

Another crowd-pleaser in the area is a trip to the Caņo Negro Wildlife Reserve, about 90 minutes north of Arenal near the Nicaraguan border. It's a day-long tour; you leave early in the morning and get back about 3:30. Several tour operators do the trip, but Sunset Tours there in the town of La Fortuna pioneered them and, I think, does them best:

www.sunsettourcr.com

pgh234

Thanks everyone! Still up in the air here...but your feedback was very helpful. ^

mrstraveler

So nobody rents a car in Costa Rica? I keep hearing about how expensive it is to do so but still seems cheaper than the shuttles.

SJOGuy

People rent cars in Costa Rica all the time. The issue here is that the OP will need to return to San Jose on what is probably the worst day of the year for driving. It's the day that everybody is coming back to the city after a week away. There are always pictures on the evening news on Easter night of these horrendous traffic jams that stretch for miles. If I had to go anywhere in Costa Rica that weekend -- and I make a point not to because the traffic congestion is so ridiculous -- I would leave the driving to someone else.