Social ConventionsHandshaking is common and forms of address are important. Christian names are preceded by
Don for a man and
Doña for a woman. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home and gifts are appreciated as a token of thanks, especially if invited for a meal. For most occasions casual wear is acceptable, but beachwear should be confined to the beach.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Taca International Airlines (TA) (website:
www.taca.com).
Air PassesVisit Central America
Pass: available from
Grupo Taca and is an economical way to travel to Costa Rica from the USA and from Costa Rica to other Central American countries.
Departure TaxUS$26 (or the equivalent in Costa Rican Colon), payable if staying more than 24 hours.
Main AirportsJuan Santamaría (SJO) is 23km (14 miles) northwest of the city.
To/from the airport: Coaches depart regularly; return pickups stop at various hotels. Buses depart to the city every 15 minutes (journey time – 20 minutes). Some hotels have shuttle services to the airport; these are 24 hours and free of charge. Taxis are also available to the city (journey time - 15 minutes).
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Puntarenas and
Caldera are the two main ports in the Costa Rican Pacific coast.
Puerto Limón receives
cruise ships.
Getting There by RoadThe Inter-American Highway runs through Costa Rica from La Cruz on the Nicaraguan border through San José to Progreso on the Panamanian border.
OverviewThe following goods may be imported into Costa Rica without incurring customs duty:
400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500g tobacco; 3l of alcoholic beverages (people aged over 18 only); a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use.Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirSANSA (website:
www.flysansa.com), a national airline, operates services between San José and provincial towns and villages. A bus is provided from the airline offices in San José to the airport. A number of smaller airlines also provide internal flights, such as
Nature Air (website:
www.natureair.net).
Getting Around by RailThere is a train that goes from San José to Caldera. For more information and reservations, call 233 3300.
Getting Around by RoadThe standard of the roads is generally very good. There are 35,583km (22,110 miles) of all-weather highways including 663km (412 miles) of the Inter-American Highway and highways linking San José with the other principal towns. Traffic drives on the right.
Bus: Regular and inexpensive services to most towns, but buses are often crowded so pre-booking is advisable. Costa Rica offers a wide variety of sightseeing tours. Most tour companies feature bilingual guides and round-trip transportation from hotels. For full details, contact the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (see
Top Things To Do).
Taxi: Numerous and inexpensive in San José. The taxis are colored red (except those serving the Juan Santamaría International Airport, which are orange). Taxis are usually metered.
Car hire: Major car hire companies as well as local firms have offices in San José. Distances are measured in kilometers. A speed limit of 88kph (55mph) is enforced on most highways.
Documentation: Drivers must have a national license or International Driving Permit.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesSan José has privately run bus services, charging fares on a two-zone system.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from
San José to other major cities/towns.
| Air | Road |
| Alajuela | - | 0.30 |
| Cartago | - | 0.30 |
| Puntarenas | - | 2.00 |
| Puerto Limón | 0.25 | 3.00 |
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