Car hire and driving in San José
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Costa Rica traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SJO means 15 km (9 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from San José
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| San José to Masaya | Nicaragua | 316 km (196 mi) | about 4 h 49 min |
| San José to Managua | Nicaragua | 340 km (211 mi) | about 5 h 11 min |
| San José to Matagalpa | Nicaragua | 388 km (241 mi) | about 5 h 55 min |
| San José to León | Nicaragua | 413 km (256 mi) | about 6 h 18 min |
| San José to Chinandega | Nicaragua | 447 km (278 mi) | about 6 h 49 min |
| San José to Panama City | Panama | 512 km (318 mi) | about 7 h 48 min |
| San José to San Miguelito | Panama | 515 km (320 mi) | about 7 h 52 min |
| San José to Juan Díaz | Panama | 519 km (322 mi) | about 7 h 55 min |
| San José to Danlí | Honduras | 531 km (330 mi) | about 8 h 6 min |
| San José to Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 573 km (356 mi) | about 8 h 44 min |
| San José to Catacamas | Honduras | 581 km (361 mi) | about 8 h 52 min |
| San José to San Miguel | El Salvador | 596 km (370 mi) | about 9 h 5 min |
| San José to Mérida | Mexico | 1,362 km (847 mi) | about 20 h 47 min |
| San José to Guatemala City | Guatemala | 873 km (542 mi) | about 13 h 18 min |
| San José to Cancún | Mexico | 1,284 km (798 mi) | about 19 h 35 min |
| San José to San Pedro Sula | Honduras | 753 km (468 mi) | about 11 h 29 min |
| San José to Villa Nueva | Guatemala | 871 km (541 mi) | about 13 h 17 min |
| San José to Tuxtla | Mexico | 1,236 km (768 mi) | about 18 h 51 min |
| San José to San Salvador | El Salvador | 695 km (432 mi) | about 10 h 36 min |
| San José to Mixco | Guatemala | 880 km (547 mi) | about 13 h 25 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in San José?
The right, as everywhere in Costa Rica.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.