San José lies at the geographical centre of Costa Rica, and is served well by road connections. With that said, roads are poorly marked, and driving the city's crowded streets is not for the faint of heart. Parking is widely available throughout the city centre, though it's recommended that you only use guarded lots as car theft and vandalism is a major problem. If you're not a road warrior, there is an extensive network of public and private bus lines that radiates from San José.

Grayline's Fantasy Bus (tel: 220 2126; website: www.graylinecostarica.com) operates intercity scheduled coach services to and from San José. Although there is no main terminal, the company schedules pick-ups from major hotels across the city.