There are 8 ways to get from California to Costa Rica by plane, train, bus, car, 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 Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
best- Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)LAX - SJO
8h 27m$142–365Train, bus
- Take the train from Los Angeles to San Marcos Amtrak
- Take the bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Take the bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Take the bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Take the bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
4d 12h$531–901Drive 5,330.6 km
- Drive from Los Angeles to San José5,330.6 km
2d 18h$715–1,033Fly San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)SAN - SJO
10h 43m$254–1,507Fly San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)SFO - SJO
9h 27m$201–615Fly Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)TIJ - SJO
12h 28m$158–702Fly Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)LAX - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas
11h 36m$667–2,414Bus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
4d 15h$372–447
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from California to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $140 - $370 and takes 8h 27m.
The fastest way to get from California to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 27m and costs $140 - $370.
No, there is no direct bus from California to Costa Rica. However, there are services departing from Spring / 1st and arriving at Terminal Tica Bus via Los Angeles and Managua. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 4 days 15h.
The distance between California and Costa Rica is 4411 km. The road distance is 5330.6 km.
The best way to get from California to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 4 days 15h and costs $370 - $450.
It takes approximately 8h 27m to get from California to Costa Rica, including transfers.
California to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Buses USA Tours, depart from Los Angeles station.
The best way to get from California to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 27m and costs $140 - $370. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $370 - $450 and takes 4 days 15h.
California to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Buses USA Tours, arrive at Managua station.
Costa Rica is 2h ahead of California. It is currently 2:06 AM in California and 4:06 AM in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between California, USA and Costa Rica?
Alaska Airlines, Inc., Delta, and four other airlines fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Spring / 1st to Terminal Tica Bus via Los Angeles, Managua, and Managua in around 4d 15h.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–850
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 43m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 36m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $320–1,300
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 28m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $340–1,400
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 6m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–270
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guatemala City
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–270
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–600
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 21m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 3m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $210–850
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–1,300
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 1m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $350–1,400
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 39m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $400–1,600
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–1,300
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–850
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 21m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $410–1,600
- Website
- aeromexico.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 1m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 7m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- vivaaerobus.com
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Monterrey
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 45m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- $210–650
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 11h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guatemala City
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 13m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–300
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 31m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- copaair.com
Flights from San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Panama City
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 58m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $230–900
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston Hobby Apt
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 45m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $210–850
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Luis Potosi, Cancun
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 50m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $240–800
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Los Angeles to San Marcos Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 20m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $220–380
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1 800 923 1799
- contactus@omexusa.net
- Website
- omnibusexpress.com
Bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 17m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $140–220
- Schedules at
- omnibusexpress.com
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $80–170
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 19h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $90–140
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +𝟓𝟎𝟑 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟒 𝟔𝟓𝟒𝟖
- elcondorinternacional@gmail.com
- Website
- facebook.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $50
- Schedules at
- facebook.com
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- info@ticabus.com
- Website
- ticabus.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
Bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
- Phone
- +504 9919 5375
- Website
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
Bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $55–81
- Schedules at
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
- Road
- $55–75
- Phone
- 1 800 715 1970
- info@ridecr.com
- Website
- ridecr.com
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $223
- Website
- https://www.ridecr.com/
Shuttle from Monteverde to Puntarenas
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $171
- Website
- https://www.ridecr.com/
- Phone
- +506 2640 1900
- info@tropicaltourshuttles.com
- Website
- tropicaltourshuttles.com
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $55–75
- Website
- https://tropicaltourshuttles.com/
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- info@boletosdebus.com
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 6h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $340–400
- 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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