There are 7 ways to get from Palo Alto to Costa Rica by plane, bus, car, shuttle, train, or bus (Greyhound, Flixbus)
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
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SFO - SJO
9h 23m$274–819Train to Oakland International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
cheapest- Take the train from Santa Clara Amtrak to Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtraktrain
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane OAK - SJO
12h 36m$201–778Bus via Hermosillo
- Take the bus from San Jose to Hermosillobus
- Take the bus from Hermosillo to Tapachulabus
- Take the bus from Ciudad Tecún Umán to San Salvadorbus
- Take the bus from San Salvador to San Josébus
4d 21h$358–503Drive 5,898 km
- Drive from Palo Alto to San Josécar 5,898 km
3d$791–1,143Fly Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SJC - SJO
11h 6m$449–911Fly 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 Puntarenas
12h 26m$579–2,518Bus
- Take the bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Los Angeles Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managuabus
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Busbus
5d$416–593
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Palo Alto to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $270 - $850 and takes 9h 23m.
The fastest way to get from Palo Alto to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 9h 23m and costs $270 - $850.
The distance between Palo Alto and Costa Rica is 4931 km. The road distance is 5898 km.
The best way to get from Palo Alto to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 0h and costs $410 - $600.
It takes approximately 9h 23m to get from Palo Alto to Costa Rica, including transfers.
The best way to get from Palo Alto to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 9h 23m and costs $270 - $850. Alternatively, you can bus via Hermosillo, which costs $350 - $550 and takes 4 days 21h.
Costa Rica is 2h ahead of Palo Alto. It is currently 2:18 AM in Palo Alto and 4:18 AM in Costa Rica.
Yes, the driving distance between Palo Alto to Costa Rica is 5898 km. It takes approximately 3 days 0h to drive from Palo Alto to Costa Rica.
There are 749+ hotels available in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between Palo Alto, CA, USA and Costa Rica?
United Airlines and Avianca - Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from El Camino & Churchill to San José via San Jose, Hermosillo, Tapachula, Ciudad Tecún Umán, San Salvador, and San Salvador in around 4d 21h.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–700
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 20m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $230–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 16m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $380–1,600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 8m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $420–1,800
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $400–1,700
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 20m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–800
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 44m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 41m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $220–900
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 13m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $410–1,700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 13m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $470–1,900
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 59m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $180–750
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $260–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $260–800
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Ontario/San Bernardino, San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 15h 15m
- When
- Tuesday and Thursday
- Estimated price
- $260–1,000
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 16m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $380–1,600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 31m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $390–1,600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 59m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $180–750
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 54m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–1,000
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 15h 35m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $230–950
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 55m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–800
- Website
- jetblue.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Fort Lauderdale
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 16m
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $470–1,900
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guadalajara
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 42m
- When
- Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $270–950
- Website
- aeromexico.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 47m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $270–950
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Santa Clara Amtrak to Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $14–17
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +52 644 410 2444
- atencionaclientes@tufesa.com.mx
- Website
- tufesa.com.mx
Bus from San Jose to Hermosillo
- Ave. Duration
- 23h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $120–190
- Schedules at
- tufesa.com.mx
- Book at
- tufesa.com.mx
- Plus
- $120–190
- Titanium
- $143–145
- Phone
- +52 713 120 0700
- ventas@autotravel.mx
- Website
- autotravel.mx
Bus from Hermosillo to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 2d 6h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $100–170
- Schedules at
- autotravel.mx
- Book at
- autotravel.mx
- Phone
- +𝟓𝟎𝟑 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟒 𝟔𝟓𝟒𝟖
- elcondorinternacional@gmail.com
- Website
- facebook.com
Bus from Ciudad Tecún Umán to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 9h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $50
- Schedules at
- facebook.com
- Phone
- +503 7841 5688
- info@transportedelsol.com
- Website
- transportedelsol.com
Bus from San Salvador to San José
- Ave. Duration
- 23h
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $80
- Schedules at
- transportedelsol.com
- 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/
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- ifsr@greyhound.com
- Website
- greyhound.com
Bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $40–140
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $40–120
- Schedules at
- flixbus.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
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- info@ticabus.com
- Website
- ticabus.com
Bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
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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