There are 7 ways to get from San Jose to Costa Rica by plane, train, bus, car, subway, 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 Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
best- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SJC - SJO
10h 30m$184–704Train, bus
- Take the train from San Jose to Los Angelestrain
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to San Salvadorbus
- Take the bus from Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador to Terminal Tica Bus San Josébus
5d$467–722Drive 5,872.6 km
- Drive from San Jose to San Josécar 5,872.6 km
2d 23h$788–1,138Caltrain to San Francisco International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Take the train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northboundtrain
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SFO - SJO
10h 10m$437–972BART to Oakland International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Take the subway from Berryessa / North San Jose to Coliseumsubway
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane OAK - SJO
11h 51m$300–664Shuttle to Monterey Regional Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Take a shuttle bus from SJC Airport Terminal B to Monterey Shuttle Station
- Fly from Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane MRY - SJO
15h 4m$234–762Caltrain to San Francisco International Airport, fly to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Take the train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northboundtrain
- 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 Puntarenas
12h 52m$540–1,449
Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San Jose to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $180 - $750 and takes 10h 30m.
The fastest way to get from San Jose to Costa Rica is to Caltrain and fly which takes 10h 10m and costs $430 - $1,000.
The distance between San Jose and Costa Rica is 4852 km. The road distance is 5872.6 km.
The best way to get from San Jose to Costa Rica without a car is to train and bus which takes 5 days 0h and costs $460 - $750.
It takes approximately 10h 30m to get from San Jose to Costa Rica, including transfers.
Costa Rica is 1h ahead of San Jose. It is currently 11:24 AM in San Jose and 12:24 PM in Costa Rica.
Yes, the driving distance between San Jose to Costa Rica is 5873 km. It takes approximately 2 days 23h to drive from San Jose to Costa Rica.
There are 752+ hotels available in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between San Jose, CA, USA and Costa Rica?
Southwest Airlines, Delta, and two other airlines fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) twice daily.
- Website
- united.com
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
- $190–750
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
- $180–700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $160–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 30m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 39m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $180–700
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 15h 15m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 29m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $250–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 19m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $270–1,100
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 48m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $260–1,000
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from San Jose to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $110–260
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- [email protected]
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Los Angeles to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 3d 15h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $290–380
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Want to know more about travelling around Costa Rica
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
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