There are 6 ways to get from San Francisco to San José by plane, bus, bus (Flixbus), car, train, or shuttle
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport, bus
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SFO - SJO
- Take the bus from 50 m este Del Aeropuerto to Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14bus
10h 42m$431–814Fly Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport, bus
cheapest- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane OAK - SJO
- Take the bus from 50 m este Del Aeropuerto to Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14bus
12h 41m$207–810Bus
- Take the bus from San Francisco to Los Angeles Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managuabus
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal NicaBusbus
5d$435–550Drive 5,943.6 km
- Drive from San Francisco to San Josécar 5,943.6 km
3d$797–1,152Caltrain to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport, bus
- Take the train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southboundtrain
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SJC - SJO
- Take the bus from 50 m este Del Aeropuerto to Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14bus
13h 11m$423–1,116Fly San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)plane SFO - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Alajuela
13h 29m$620–1,497
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San Francisco to San José is to fly and bus which costs $200 - $850 and takes 12h 41m.
The fastest way to get from San Francisco to San José is to fly and bus which takes 10h 42m and costs $430 - $850.
No, there is no direct bus from San Francisco to San José. However, there are services departing from San Francisco and arriving at Terminal NicaBus via Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, Los Angeles and Managua. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5 days 0h.
The distance between San Francisco and San José is 5020 km. The road distance is 5943.6 km.
The best way to get from San Francisco to San José without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 0h and costs $430 - $550.
It takes approximately 10h 42m to get from San Francisco to San José, including transfers.
San Francisco to San José bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, depart from San Francisco station.
San Francisco to San José bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, arrive at Los Angeles Union Station.
San José is 1h ahead of San Francisco. It is currently 7:06 PM in San Francisco and 8:06 PM in San José.
Yes, the driving distance between San Francisco to San José is 5944 km. It takes approximately 3 days 0h to drive from San Francisco to San José.
What companies run services between San Francisco, CA, USA and San José, Costa Rica?
You can take a bus from San Francisco to Terminal NicaBus via Los Angeles Union Station, Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, Los Angeles, and Managua in around 5d.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $170–650
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 25m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $210–800
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 29m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 19m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $260–1,000
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–950
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $430–750
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $320–750
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $350–1,400
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $330–1,300
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 18m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $410–1,600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 48m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $420–1,600
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $350–1,400
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $330–1,300
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 52m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $290–1,100
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 8m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $250–950
- Website
- aeromexico.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $170–650
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 35m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $270–750
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 26m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–750
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guadalajara
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 37m
- When
- Tuesday
- Estimated price
- $270–750
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- Cal Train
Train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
- Phone
- +506 2442 6900
- [email protected]
- Website
- grupotuasa.com
Bus from 50 m este Del Aeropuerto to Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14
- Ave. Duration
- 47 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Schedules at
- grupotuasa.com
Bus from 50 m este Del Aeropuerto to Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14
- Ave. Duration
- 47 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Schedules at
- grupotuasa.com
Bus from 50 m este Del Aeropuerto to Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14
- Ave. Duration
- 47 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Schedules at
- grupotuasa.com
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- Flixbus USA
Bus from San Francisco to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $65–110
- Schedules at
- Flixbus USA
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- [email protected]
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 6h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $330–400
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
- Phone
- +505 2222 2276
- [email protected]
- Website
- Nica Bus
Bus from Managua to Terminal NicaBus
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $37–38
- Website
- Nica Bus
- Phone
- 1 800 715 1370
- [email protected]
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $269
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Monteverde to Alajuela
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $315
- Website
- RIDE CR
- Phone
- +506 2640 1900 / 2640 0811
- [email protected]
- Website
- Tropical Tours Shuttles
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $65–69
- Website
- Tropical Tours Shuttles
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