Lawrence L. Says:
I am moving to Quepos, Costa Rica with my elderly cat. IL has been a huge help and resource for this life-changing event.
Since I am moving with a cat, what is the best way to travel from the airport (either Liberia or San José) to the area I will be moving into? Would it be best to rent a car (not familiar with driving in CR), hire a driver, or fly?
Also, as I will be applying for the rentista visa, what bank should I deal with for the money transfers?
I appreciate your help.
IL Costa Rica Correspondent Bekah Bottone Says:
Hello Lawrence,
How exciting you’re coming down soon! Good luck.
You’ve got some great questions there. I can tell you’re well informed and have used the resources here at IL to do your research.
I’ll address each of your questions below, starting with the issue of getting here with your cat.
When going to Quepos, it’s much more convenient to fly into San José (SJO) as compared to Liberia (LIB).
Here are the driving times and distance from both airports:
SJO to Quepos by car
2 hr 49 min (151.3 km) via Carr. Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno/Costanera Sur/Route 34
LIR to Quepos by car
4 hr 45 min (260.5 km) via Ctra. Interamericana N and Carr. Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno/Costanera Sur/Route 34
I think renting a car or hiring a shuttle/driver is the easiest way to go. When driving, I recommend Waze as the best app for directions and maps. As for hiring a driver, I know people who have used Olman at ticotransfers.com. I would use him if I needed a car service.
Your other options are as follows:
Sansa Airlines offers internal flights to Quepos. It requires that your pet has a certificate of good health, and that pets are in an approved cargo crate. Sansa Airlines does not allow pets to travel in the cabin of the aircraft, so that may be something to consider. The cost would be around $120.
I wouldn’t recommend the regular bus with a cat and luggage. With this method, you would have to go from SJO to La Sabana to San José, then walk to San José Tracopa Terminal and take that to Quepos. Cost would be about $15, but the difficulty could eclipse the savings.
As for your question about money transfers, I think all of the banks here are pretty much the same.
I use Banco Nacional, and a person I know wires money to BN from the U.S. regularly (to other people’s accounts) and the money often lands the same day.
However, if the money exceeds $10,000, or if you send that amount too often, it can get flagged. You then have to produce all sorts of documentation to prove to the bank that the money is legit before they will release it.
I take money out of the ATM and use my credit card for many items, so I can just send those payments from the U.S. I have a Wells Fargo account, but get charged about $8 every time I take out $700. You might look into Charles Schwab. It offers online banking services and doesn’t charge international fees.
If you haven’t already done so, I’d also suggest picking up a copy of our Escape to Costa Rica guidebook on the IL bookstore here. It’s an exhaustive resource with lots more information on moving with pets, transport, and finances.
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