There are 6 ways to get from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica by plane, train, bus, car, shuttle, or bus (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 Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
best- Fly from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)SBA - SJO
11h 19m$162–654Train, bus
- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
- Take the train from Los Angeles to San Antonio Station
- Take the bus from San Antonio 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$479–995Drive 5,481.1 km
- Drive from Santa Barbara to San José5,481.1 km
2d 19h$735–1,062Train to Los Angeles International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
- Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)LAX - SJO
11h 28m$175–475Train to Los Angeles International Airport, fly to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
- 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
14h 37m$700–2,524Bus
- Take the bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to Los Angeles Union Station
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
4d 18h$389–499
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica is to train and fly which costs $170 - $480 and takes 11h 28m.
The fastest way to get from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 11h 19m and costs $160 - $700.
No, there is no direct bus from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica. However, there are services departing from Santa Barbara Bus Stop and arriving at Terminal Tica Bus via Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, Los Angeles and Managua. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 4 days 18h.
The distance between Santa Barbara and Costa Rica is 4542 km. The road distance is 5481.1 km.
The best way to get from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 4 days 18h and costs $380 - $500.
It takes approximately 11h 19m to get from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica, including transfers.
Santa Barbara to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, depart from Santa Barbara Bus Stop station.
The best way to get from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 11h 19m and costs $160 - $700. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $380 - $500 and takes 4 days 18h.
Santa Barbara to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, arrive at Los Angeles Union Station.
Costa Rica is 2h ahead of Santa Barbara. It is currently 3:37 PM in Santa Barbara and 5:37 PM in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between Santa Barbara, CA, USA and Costa Rica?
American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines fly from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) 5 times a day. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to Terminal Tica Bus via Los Angeles Union Station, Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, Los Angeles, Managua, and Managua in around 4d 18h.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 19m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Francisco
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 13m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
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
- aa.com
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 20m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
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 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
- 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
- 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 Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 21m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $410–1,600
- 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
- 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
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 53m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $30–110
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Los Angeles to San Antonio Station
- Ave. Duration
- 29h
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- $150–370
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1 800 923 1799
- contactus@omexusa.net
- Website
- omnibusexpress.com
Bus from San Antonio to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 3m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $130–210
- 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 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $17–55
- 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
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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More Questions & Answers
Yes, the driving distance between Santa Barbara to Costa Rica is 5481 km. It takes approximately 2 days 19h to drive from Santa Barbara to Costa Rica.
There are 794+ hotels available in Costa Rica.





























