By Air

Juan Santamaría International Airport (tel. 506/2437-2626 or 2437-2300, www.alterra.co.cr) is on the outskirts of Alajuela, 17 kilometers west of San José.

Two tourist information booths (tel. 506/2443-2883, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri.) are in the baggage claim area, and another is immediately beyond customs. There’s a bank in the departure terminal and exchange bureaus in the baggage claim area. (However, they offer lousy rates and take 10 percent more than the bank and hotel exchange rates.) Taxis accept dollars, but you’ll need local currency for public transport into San José. (As of 2011, the departure tax for travelers leaving Costa Rica is $26, payable in dollars or the equivalent in colones. You pay at the booth to the right inside the departure lounge prior to checking in. To avoid long lines, pay your departure tax when you arrive in Costa Rica. You can also pay online or at some hotels.)

Pavas Airport (Tobías Bolaños, tel. 506/2232-2820), about four kilometers west of town, is used for domestic flights, including by Nature Air, small charter planes, and air taxis. Bus 14B runs from Avenida 1, Calles 16/18, and stops in Pavas, a short walk from the airport.

Grupo Taca (tel. 506/2299-8222, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat., 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun.) has a reservation center at Calle 40 and Avenida de las Américas.

By Train

Commuter train service runs between San Pedro and Pavas six times daily Monday–Friday and three times daily Saturday–Sunday, departing the Estación Ferrocarril Pacífico (Pacific Railway Station, Avenida 20, Calle Central/7, tel. 506/2257-6161). A commuter train links the Estación Ferrocarril Atlántico (Atlantic Railway Station, Avenida 3, Calle 21, no tel.) and Heredia 12 times daily.

By Car

Westbound from downtown San José, Paseo Colón feeds right onto the Pan-American Highway (Hwy. 1, or Autopista General Cañas), which leads to the Pacific coast, Guanacaste, and Nicaragua. A tollbooth just east of the airport charges 60 colones ($0.25) per vehicle for westbound traffic only.

Calle 3 leads north from downtown and becomes the Guápiles Highway (Hwy. 32) for Puerto Limón and the Caribbean and Northern Zone. Avenida 2 leads east via San Pedro to Cartago and the southern section of the Pan-American Highway (Hwy. 2), bound for Panamá; there’s a tollbooth (60 colones) about three kilometers east of the suburb of San Pedro.

By Bus

San José has no central terminal. Buses for Puerto Limón and the Caribbean depart from the Gran Terminal del Caribe on Calle Central, Avenidas 15/17. Most buses to other destinations leave from the area referred to as Coca-Cola (the zone is centered on Avenida 3, Calles 16/18, but encompasses many surrounding streets; there’s a 24-hour police station, tel. 506/2257-3096). Other buses leave from the bus company office or a streetside bus stop (parada). Many street departure points are unmarked, so ask locals.

A Safe Passage/Viaje Seguro (tel. 506/8365-9678, www.costaricabustickets.com) will make your bus reservations and buy your tickets for you in advance. Tickets cost $25 single, $40 a pair to anywhere in the nation. The company also offers airport transfers and a pickup and drop-off service to bus stops and stations in San José. The ICT publishes a bus schedule, including the companies and telephone numbers.