When I arrived in Costa Rica about eleven years ago, I decided not to own a car. Instead I used the bus system and quickly found that it was inexpensive and that I could travel almost anywhere in the country by autobus. I also learned that they ran on time: if you arrived at a terminal or parada (bus stop) just a few minutes late, the bus was sure to be gone.

But finding paradas and terminals was a major problem and schedules seemed to be treated like state secrets, or as if they were part of the verbal history of the nation. For my own convenience, I started to collect and record horarios (schedules). This required many telephone calls and a great deal of "leg work."

As my collection of schedules grew and the hard drive of my old laptop quickly filled, I realized that tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of tourists, especially those traveling on a budget, as well as Costa Rica residents, needed a complete and up-to-date guide that would tell them where to find the buses to their intended destinations, their departure and travel times, the current fare, and travel tips based on my own experiences. No such guide existed ... until now. The guide tells you how to travel by bus to all tourist attractions in Costa Rica. The fares cited are current with the most recent increases authorized by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) and published in the official government periodical La Gaceta.

Bus fares, like everything else, are subject to periodic increases, but they should not vary much from those indicated. You can estimate about one U.S. dollar per hour of travel. In this mountainous country, "The Switzerland of Central America," time, not distance, is the primary factor.

The guide is available in three versions:

An e-book (Portabile Data File) that you can install on your PC and / or notebook computer.

A Multi-Media DNL format e-book with sounds; music; page turning; stunning graphics; internal and external links; printable pop-up posters, maps, and domestic air schedules; and even a movie. Discover the future of e-books!

A paperback edition that you can carry with you as you explore Costa Rica.

All of these are updated on an as-needed basis to ensure that you have the latest information about Costa Rica's outstanding public bus system. 

The following pages present samples of what you will find in our PDF e-book, Multi-Media e-book, and Paperback versions. To select your version and buy, Click on "Order Now" button above or below on any page.