How to board taxis in San Jose- Costa Rica

• In this city, there are generally two ways of moving around

1. Buses
2. Taxis

There are two types of taxis in the city

1. Official taxis - are painted red for city taxis and orange for airport taxis
2. Bandit taxis- are known as piratas by locals and they operate under their own rules and not painted in any particular colors

• Though there haven't been frequent cases of issues with bandit taxis, you're better off sticking with official taxis.

Tips

• All official taxis use meter system, prices start at 550 colones which is about $1 and increase based on distance and time.
• Always have colones with you, some drivers may accept dollars but you're better off sticking with official Costa Rica currency.
• All official taxis can be hailed online.
• For the city, taxis click here to get one
• For the airport, taxis click here.
• All official red taxis are controlled by the city municipality but cases of misconduct among drivers are still quite high especially regarding tampering with meters.
• Here women sit at the back while men sit at the front, it's the norm and many taxi drivers like it when passengers stick to this arrangement.