Excerpted from Best Places to Go: A Family Destination Guide by Nan Jeffrey

Flying is the easiest way to visit Costa Rica. The national airline LACSA has daily flights from the United States, as does the Guatema airlines Aviateca and other international airlines. Most flights from Europe connect with the U.S., except KLM and Iberia. By bus or car, the trip possible from the United States or other Central American countries on the Pan American Highway, although this is only for the diehard adventuring family with plenty of time on their hands.

Regional Transport

Costa Rica has an excellent public bus service, serving nearly every corner of the country. Buses are frequent and rarely crowded, other than early morning and late afternoon"rush hour". Most are comfortable, although a few retain that Third World school bus aura that makes bus riding in some countries such an intensely cultural experience. Luggage is usually carried underneath rather than on the roof. Bus stops are clearly indicated along the road with roofed benches. Destinations are affixed to the front of buses. Not all buses stop everywhere and available seating can be limited en route. For long distance travel, it's best to make inquiries and try to board buses at their point of origin. We once went 50 km in the wrong direction to get the bus to San Jose we needed. Children over the age of two pay full fare on all buses.

Roads

Roads come in all guises, from dual highways around San Jose to some memorable gravel teeth shakers. The emphasis throughout the country is still on dirt roads. The main highway, the Pan American, is a paved two-lane affair running the length of the country, with little traffic. Count on spending most of your time on dirt roads, some of which can be rigorous, to put it mildly, especially on the Nicoya Peninsula. Traffic is very light outside the immediate San Jose area, although the state of the roads can make distances seem deceptive.

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