For travelling in, the main airport at San Jose is the best bet and is under an hour's travel time from Cartago by road. This airport is the main air facility in Costa Rica, receiving flights from North America and from Europe.
Buses and trains travel into Cartago from San Jose, with bus transport heading here every half hour. Cartago's bus and train stations are near one another and offer the main public transportation option from the capital. Getting around the city is best done by taxi transport, and you can even hire taxis for an entire day.
Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) / Arriving by Air
Address: Juan Santamaria International Airport, Pan American Highway, Alajuela, Costa Rica, CR
Tel: +506 2437 2400
Juan Santamaria International Airport is the gateway to Costa Rica, located just north-west of the capital of San Jose, being well within reach of Cartago. This is a busy facility with major carriers, receiving around a million annual flyers from the likes of the USA, Canada, Spain and London. The airport has the best facilities of any airport in the country and there are buses to San Jose, from where services run onto Cartago and many other destinations.
Car Rental
Cars can be hired from Juan Santamaria International Airport and you can do so online, picking up on arrival. The drive to Cartago is straightforward, with highways 1, 2 and 10 going all the way. You can also rent in Cartago itself. The driving style in Costa Rica is a little aggressive and there are many winding mountain roads around the city, offering distracting scenic views. In general, driving at night is not recommended.
Book your Car Hire from San Jose Airport here.
Buses and Coaches
Bus transport runs all day between San Jose and Cartago (45 minutes), as this is a major city and on a highway run. Taking a direct service is a must, since the slower buses take in any and every stop along the way, therefore greatly extending the overall journey time. Most bus services arriving in the city travel along the Avenida 2, towards the basilica, heading to the Avenida 4 and the Lumaca bus station, behind the train station. Notable bus-trip destinations include Orosi (35 minutes), Turrialba (one and a half hours) and the Irazu Volcano National Park (one hour).
Trains
Trains frequently run from Tren El Atlantico, on the eastern side of San Jose, into this city. Services are not as fast as the direct buses, but are more comfortable and travel right into the city, terminating at the Estacion del Tren en Cartago station, just north of the city centre.
Taxis
Licensed taxis are to be found all over Cartago, although you have most chance of picking up a taxi from outside one of the main tourist attractions, such as Las Ruinas. These licensed taxis are easy to recognise, being orange in colour and metered.
