Getting to Monteverde
Okay you have a couple options.
First you can take a public bus. I have the timetable, but not with me at the moment. It's your cheapest option. It takes about 4.5 hours on the bus from San Jose to Monteverde.
Option 2 is to rent your own car. It's a fun way to do a little more exploring on the way on your own. The drive is not nearly as bad as others made it out to be. The road is along the interstate most of the way and when you turn off the interstate the road is completely paved until the final 25 km then paved in town (with the exception of the road to the park). The last 25 km are bumpy and full of potholes but it's a clearly marked route and difficult to get lost. You can do it in a regular car but I would recommend renting a 4 wheel drive if you have the option.
The third option is to take a shuttle service. This is more expensive than the bus and less expensive than hiring your own taxi. I also have shuttle times, but not with me at the moment unfortunately.
Your fourth option is to hire a taxi. This is expensive but the fastest way. Our driver made it from San Jose to Monteverde in just under 3.5 hours but it was a hefty $140 US one way. We did have air conditioning, could stop whenever we wanted to and our driver was playing dvds during the ride, although that made me extremely nervous. But we got there in one piece.
