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Private Transfers & Private Driver in Costa Rica

Keel-billed toucan in the Costa Rican rainforest

A driver meets you at arrivals, handles the luggage, and takes you straight to your hotel — door to door, on your schedule, in your own vehicle. No navigation, no parking, no sharing a shuttle with strangers on a fixed timetable.

Coastal boat transport near Puerto Limon, part of Costa Rica's varied private transport network

Private transport in Costa Rica is not limited to the road — on some coastal and remote routes, boats form part of the journey too.

What a Private Transfer Actually Includes

Door to Door

Picked up at the airport or your hotel, dropped directly at the next one — no transfers between shuttles or waiting for other passengers.

Your Own Vehicle

Sized to your group, not shared with travellers you don’t know. Luggage handled by the driver.

Fixed to Your Schedule

Timed around your flight or checkout, not a shuttle company’s departure board.

One Less Thing to Plan

No rental paperwork, no insurance decisions, no navigating an unfamiliar road yourself.

When a Private Transfer Is Worth It

After a long flight

Arriving tired is a poor time to collect a rental car and navigate an unfamiliar route. A driver waiting at arrivals is usually the better start to the trip.

Families & older travellers

When the group includes young children, older travellers or anyone who’d rather not handle a vehicle repeatedly, a transfer removes that entirely.

Remote lodges & complex routes

On mountain roads, long drives or routes that end at a boat dock, a hire car often just sits in a car park. A transfer — or transfer plus domestic flight — is usually the more comfortable option.

Weighing this up against a rental car for your own route? Our full comparison guide walks through the trade-offs in detail.

How It Works

1

Tell us your route

Arrival and departure points, dates, group size and any hotels already booked.

2

We match the vehicle

Sized to your group and the road ahead — including 4×4 where a destination calls for one.

3

Your driver meets you

At arrivals or your hotel lobby, ready when you are.

4

Straight to your next stop

Door to door, with luggage handled and no detours to collect other passengers.

  • Costa Rica specialists since 1998
  • Local team based in Costa Rica
  • Private, not shared, transport
  • Arranged as part of your itinerary or on its own

Routes We Arrange Most

San José (SJO) Airport transfers — to the Central Valley, or straight on to Arenal, Manuel Antonio or Guanacaste.
Liberia (LIR) Airport transfers — the shorter route into Guanacaste beach hotels.
Arenal & La Fortuna to Monteverde — the roads are long and winding; most of our guests take a transfer, or the scenic jeep–boat–jeep crossing of Lake Arenal.
San José to the Osa Peninsula — usually a private transfer combined with a short domestic flight rather than the long mountain drive.
Between coasts — the Central Pacific, Caribbean coast and Southern Pacific & Osa region pages each cover what getting there looks like in practice.

Not seeing your route? Tell us where you’re headed and we’ll quote it directly — we cover the whole country, not a fixed list of routes.

GET A PRIVATE TRANSFER QUOTE

Private Transfers — Frequently Asked Questions

Do you only offer private transfers, or shared shuttles too?

Our focus is private, door-to-door transport. Shared shuttles exist on some popular routes through other operators, but they run on fixed timetables and are less practical for remote hotels — ask us and we’ll tell you honestly which suits your route.

What if my flight is delayed?

Tell us your flight number when you book and we track it, so your driver adjusts to your actual arrival time rather than a fixed pickup slot.

Can I combine a private transfer with a rental car for part of the trip?

Yes — many of our itineraries use a transfer for the arrival day or a complicated mountain leg, then a rental car for a stretch where independence is genuinely useful, such as a coastal week.

Do you arrange transfers for large groups?

Yes, the vehicle is matched to your group size, from a couple through to larger families and groups of friends travelling together.

Is a private transfer available to every destination?

For very remote lodges reached only by boat or small plane, a transfer usually covers the road portion, combined with that boat or flight. Tell us your destination and we’ll lay out exactly how it works.

Do I need to book transfers separately from my itinerary?

No — if we’re planning your trip, transfers are arranged as part of the same itinerary. You can also request them on their own if you’ve already booked your hotels.


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Pack for a purpose
Hours

Monday to Saturday: 8:00am – 5:00pm

Costa Rica Time = GMT-6
(Central Standard Time, no daylight saving)

Contact Info

Email: 
contact@crstours.com

Toll-Free number from the US:
+1 (800) 431-0137

Phone Costa Rica: 
+506 4001-7794

WhatsApp: 
+506 6108-3327

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