Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rica there is a tourist train called the Tico Train Tour (email: americatravel@ice.co.cr) from San José to
Caldera, near the tourist center of Limón, that only runs once per week on the weekends.
Buses
Countrywide and intercountry buses are the most widespread and easiest way to travel the region. You can
catch most buses for $10 USD. Longer bus rides and overnight trips are generally around $30 USD. This
is the most common way for people to travel—locals and tourists alike. Buses here (often called “chicken
buses” due to the abundance of chickens and rice transported on them) stop everywhere, letting people on
and off. They are slow, and very few are direct. They squeeze as many people on as possible, especially in
Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. You can even take these to the border, hop off, and jump on another
after you cross the border, to save money.
Riding on these buses is an experience. You're cramped, you feel a bit lost, everyone is looking at you
like “Who's the gringo who didn't take the tourist bus?” and if you're tall, the seats are going to feel quite
small. But that's what makes these buses so fun. You meet a lot of interesting people on them and can get a
really good sense of how the locals travel.
“We found taking local public transportation to be one of the highlights of our experience and ridicu-
lously inexpensive by comparison. Bus drivers and their money-collecting helpers were always so helpful
getting us on and off at the places we needed to change buses. There are buses going everywhere—and with
a bit of asking around and planning, you'll get there no problem—and you'll be joined by indigenous locals
in their colorful clothes, cowboys, slick young rapper types, entire families seated in just one or two seats,
plus chickens, sacks of rice, and a whimsical sense of overall controlled chaos,” says Dani.
Buses can simply be booked at the station or flagged down from the side of the road. In Central America,
there's no system. There's no main operator. You don't book online. (And anyone selling bus tickets online
is simply a private tour operator charging you three times the real price!) You just show up and get a ticket.
Tourist offices and the registration desk at your hostel/hotel can give you more up-to-date information about
bus times and pickup locations during your visit.
There has also been a growth in private tourist buses in this region over the last few years. These tourist
buses are quicker and more direct than the local buses. They won't stop twenty times to pick people up on
the way until they are full like the local buses, but they are generally double to triple the cost of the local
bus. I took tourist buses a few times in Costa Rica because they were more direct and cut down my travel
time. You pay more, and the bus will only be filled with other tourists, but sometimes you just need to move
a little quicker.
These can be booked from your hostel or hotel (again, no online bookings). Booking the bus in Central
America may seem complicated, but it's actually simple: All you do is show up and buy a ticket. There is
always a bus and, normally, always a spot. It's only a pain because, since you can't prebook anything online,
it can be hard to plan your trip.
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a very popular method of getting around here. This region, though serviced heavily by bus,
relies a lot on hitchhiking. The buses can be late or sporadic and sometimes extremely full. Many people
simply can't afford the bus, and you'll find hitchhiking widespread and relatively safe. It is not uncommon
to see single women, families, children, and old grandmothers on the side of the road looking for a ride.
I've done this in Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama. Though hitchhiking is common in many parts of the re-
gion, use caution when entering someone's car, especially if you are a female traveler. I wouldn't hitchhike
