Bus Travel to and from Costa Rica

If you want to travel to Guatemala, Panama or other Central American countries, you can use the bus services listed. Those wanting to live in Costa Rica permanently without being legal residents can take a bus to Panama or Nicaragua, return to Costa Rica after 72 hours, and thus renew your papers so you can remain legally in the country for another 90 days. Many foreigners, living as perpetual tourists in Costa Rica go through this procedure every few months in order to avoid immigration hassles.

From time to time the immigration department asks to see a return ticket before extending tourist cards. So it is a good idea to buyan inexpensive bus ticket to a neighboring country to prove you can leave the country.
Tica Bus (Tel: 2218954), Avenidas 2 and 4 between Calles 9 and 11, offers bus service to the rest of Central America.
San José to Panama City leaves daily at 10 p.m. from the Tica Bus Terminal. The 542-mile journey takes eighteen hours.
San José to David (Panama) leaves daily at 7:30 a.m. from Avenida 5, Calle 14. It makes the 240 mile-trip in 9 hours.
San José to Managua, leaves the Sirca Bus Company at 6 a.m. The 270-mile trip takes about 10 hours.
San José to Guatemala, leaves daily at 6:00 a.m. from Avenida 4 between Calles 9 and 11. This trip takes 2-1/2 days.
San José to Honduras leaves at 6:00 a.m. daily.