Arrival Scenarios

You arrive on time

• Meet Oscar at the exit of the airport at scheduled time. There is just one exit for international flights. You won’t miss Oscar or his bus.

Your flight is delayed

• The bus will wait for you for a reasonable amount of time.

Your flight is delayed longer than expected, cancelled, you miss your flight, etc.

• You MUST notify Ana Martinez– the semester abroad coordinator. There is Wi-Fi at the airport

Travelling to Homestays on your own

• I had to arrive in Costa Rica a day later than my other classmates, which meant I had to travel to San Isidro on my own. This was a lot easier than I expected, it will be slightly challenging if you have never travelled alone before, but it is fairly straight forward and a great experience!
• I researched the route a lot before I left Toronto, writing directions in both English-for myself, and in Spanish-in case I needed help with directions

Steps to get from San Jose to San Isidro/your homestay on your own 

• Once you land in San Jose, pick up your checked bag
• Exit the airport- there is only 1 exit/entrance, and get a taxi- they are red with a yellow triangle

Get the taxi to the MUSOCO bus station (MUSOCO autobus estacion- in Spanish). Taxi ride shouldn’t be more than $40 or 20,000 colones. If it’s higher you can choose to stay with that taxi or walk away and get another taxi for cheaper, they also may wave you back and lower the price because you walked away

Be at bus station/buy ticket about an hour before it leaves

• It’s a 25-40-minute drive to MUSOCO bus station from the San Jose airport

Address of MUSOCO bus station:
In front of the Hospital for Women, Antigüa
Maternity Cherith, San Jose, Costa Rica
Phone: 2222-2422.

• Once at the bus station go to the window to buy a ticket to San Isidro

Ask for San Jose to San Isidro de El General directo, ask for seat Uno, dos, tres or cuatro- 1, 2, 3, or 4 if you want to be closer to the front

* Important: Buses leave every hour to San Isidro starting at 5:30 am until 6:30 pm. If you arrive after 6:30 pm, then you need to find a place to stay in San Jose and depart the next day to San Isidro.

Let Ana Martinez know the time of your bus’s departure from San Jose to San Isidro, so she can organize your pick up in San Isidro

• Find your bus for departure, they will make an announcement- in Spanish- over the loud speaker when you are allowed to board the bus

Look at top front of bus for the name (San Isidro de El General) if you can’t find it show your ticket to people and they’ll help you

• Go to the side of the bus to put luggage into the bus, driver will put it in (watch as the bag is safely put into the bus) then take your seat in the bus-sit in your assigned seat like in an airplane
• The bus ride is about 3-4 hours

The bus stops halfway there for a quick break. There’s food and bathrooms at the bus station you stop at. If you decide to get off, make sure you have your ticket to get back on afterwards. Also bring whatever you were sitting with i.e. your backpack with you if you get off

• When you arrive in San Isidro, get off the bus and wait to get your bag from the driver
• Then make your way to the agreed upon meeting place, where you will be picked up by a York employee to be driven to your homestay

If this situation happens to you, don’t panic. Everyone involved in the semester abroad will help you out and ease any worries you have about the process.

I would highly suggest getting a phone plan if you have to travel to San Isidro on your own, as you’ll have to keep in touch with Ana, so she can organize your pickup and keep track of your trip. Wi-Fi is spotty and nonexistent in a lot of places during this leg of the trip, so it’s very important to have a phone plan.