Transportation

Flying to Costa Rica!
There are two international airports in Costa Rica: Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose (SJO), and the Liberia International Airport (LIR). Alex and Sharon recommend flying into San Jose, as the roadway from San Jose to La Fortuna is beautiful, well-paved and very easy to navigate with good signage. Traveling from Liberia to La Fortuna is much more difficult, not entirely paved or signed and a much slower path to Arenal, we have been told. However, if your travel plans also include visiting beach areas of Tamarindo or the Northern Nicoya Peninsula, you may decide to fly into Liberia due to its proximity to the coast.

Four major U.S. airlines now fly to Costa Rica

United Airlines, has daily connections from Los Angeles via Guatemala City, and Washington D.C. via Mexico City

American Airlines, flies daily from Miami and Dallas

Continental Airlines, flies twice daily from Houston, once from Newark

Delta Airlines, has a link from Atlanta. You can also fly from Los Angeles via Mexico City with Mexicana.

LACSA Airlines, the Costa Rican flag-carrier, now operates under the corporate livery of Central American airline TACA Group, flies from Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York's JFK, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Toronto. Some flights are direct, others stop in places like Havana, San Salvador, Guatemala City and Cancun.

We recommend booking your airline tickets ASAP! The earlier you buy the better your flight times will be. As the date approaches the prices MAY drop a few bucks, though they did not last year as we watched airfares only go higher as we waited, but even if prices dip, your departure and arrival dates will not be choice, and, the duration of your flight will most likely be much longer.

We encourage comparing airfares on several travel search engines such as Travelocity, CheapTickets, Orbitz, or Expedia. We're also happy to support our newly married friends Coral and Scott Tucker who can help you with some or all of your transportation arrangements, for this trip and others. Give 'em a click at Riley & Tucker Discount Travel.

Keep in mind time vs. money. Are you flying 10 extra hours to save $100? After a long flight to or from, that may seem like a pittance when you're tired and just want to get to where you're going or get back home. Also, be sure to factor in money you'll spend on meals while you wait. Considering all of this should help in deciding on booking a flight. Perhaps you may decide to choose to work with a travel agent to find times and fares closer to what you desire.

Important! A valid passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries. You must have a passport to travel to Costa Rica. Confirm your flight at least 24 hours in advance, and be at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled departure. International flights are often overbooked, so you will want to arrive early to ensure your seat.

Your Arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica. Welcome! If your flight arrives in San Jose in the morning, or early afternoon (before 2pm), you can rent a car and drive to La Fortuna (3 hours away) the same day. However, if your flight arrives later in the day, plan to spend the night in San Jose unless you will be taking a shuttle bus or other transportation to La Fortuna. The sun sets at about 5pm, roads are not well-lit and it is not safe to drive after dark. (See more details about places to stay in San Jose under the SLEEP link).

Commuter Flights Within Costa Rica

In-country flights reduce travel time to a fraction. If you want to visit various areas of the country, but are limited on time, this is a great option. In April, Alex and Sharon flew from San Jose to the southern tip of Costa Rica to visit the famous Corcovado National Park in the Osa Peninsula. The flight was a bit bumpy (Alex almost lost his cookies!), but it took only a mere 45 minutes (as opposed to 7 or more hours of drive-time on impossibly bumpy roads).

There are two companies in Costa Rica that offer flights to various destinations throughout the country onboard light, multi-engine and single-engine planes: SANSA, and Nature Air.

Nature Air seems to offer more destinations within the country, and currently they are the only small airline with flights into the Arenal/La Fortuna area.

If you do not want to rent a car, or take a shuttle bus, you may want to consider a Nature Air flight from San Jose to Arenal ($65pp one way, or $130pp roundtrip). If you will also be visiting the beaches during your visit to Costa Rica, Nature Air flies from Arenal to Tamarindo as well as Quepos. Both airlines offer many more destination options departing from its San Jose hub.

BAGGAGE LIMIT: It is very important to note, that if you plan to travel via small plane there is a strict baggage/weight limit. Please travel lightly, you will only be allowed one bag per person and it is limited to 25-30 pounds. Soft-sided bags (such as duffel bags or backpacks) are best. Baggage cannot exceed 64 square inches in diameter. Any bags that exceed this may not make it on the flight! We had to put heavy items into our small daypacks to make weight, leaving little room to waddle onboard with all of our gear.

Driving Around Costa Rica

Costa Rica is infamous for its poor, badly pot-holed roads. However, Alex and Sharon found that the road from San Jose to La Fortuna was a wonderful drive, very well-paved and maintained. It is, by far, the nicest roadway we experienced during our 2006 trip throughout the country. There are no highways, mostly two lane roads populated by logging trucks to slow you up in some spots. So you can enjoy the scenery and not get too off course because, well, you won't be going all that fast.

Driving through and around San Jose can be quite difficult and challenging to navigate. To make it FUN for gringos like us, all of the signs were even written in Spanish! (By the way, ALTO means STOP.) It is easy to get lost (ahem), and driving around is not recommended unless you are heading straight out of the city or want to make new friends at every intersection where you will be asking for directions. Take taxis or the bus while you are staying in San Jose. Perhaps bring a compass to orient your map and keep you headed in the right direction.

NOTE: Cops with radar guns were very abundant on the road from San Jose to San Ramon. We saw them pulling several cars over at a time every few miles. Obey the rules of the road. We never got pulled over so we do not know what happens if you do. Let us know what happens if you do!

RENTING A CAR: If you plan to rent a car from the San Jose airport and are heading straight to La Fortuna, you are in luck, this drive is easy. Simply jump on the highway and head toward San Ramon. At San Ramon you will turn right (at every turn you will see brown signs with a smoking volcano as shown in the video. Follow these signs all the way to La Fortuna).

There are several car rental agencies in Costa Rica including Adobe, Hertz, Hola and Budget. Alex and Sharon found the best rates available through Budget Rent-a-Car ($40 per day for small 4x4 called Terios, similar to a Rav4). A 4x4 is not necessary, we discovered, and a smaller car could have sufficed. However, the confidence of having a 4x4 was reassuring with heavy rains always a possibility.

If you choose to take a commuter flight from San Jose to La Fortuna, be assured that there are cars for rent in La Fortuna. We recall seeing only Alamo.

Sharing the cost of renting a car with another couple or a guest traveling solo is something to consider. Most activities will most likely be done in groups, so of course sharing rides makes sense. This can be discussed once we begin hearing word from guests on when their flight lands and departs Costa Rica.

While the size of your car is not of primary importance, keep in mind the amount of passengers vs. luggage you will be transporting. This could prove crucial should one couple decide to share a car with another couple and there are four large suitcases to stack in a small storage space. Please keep this in mind when making arrangements. Ideally, we think three people and their luggage should fit comfortably in a car.

CAR INSURANCE (please note): Rental car insurance is high in Costa Rica. Do yourself a favor and check with your individual credit card carrier to verify they cover rental car insurance in foreign countries. Being able to decline their added insurance will save you about $15 to $20 per day.

Reserve a car with Budget. The staff at the San Jose Budget office was so very helpful that we want to reward them with our repeat business. Simply email reserve@budget.co.cr and use the rate code Web-Ex so they know you are with "Los Novios" (the bride and groom!) to receive the negotiated rates below (no secret handshake required!). Check out rental options at Budget Costa Rica. We recommend the Terios. It comes with a CD player so bring some tunes for rocking down the highway.

• $35 + Insurance SLI is $12.95 for Terios Manual.
• $40 + Insurance SLI is $12.95 for Terios Automatic
• $42 + Insurance SLI is $12.95 for Rav 4 manual
• $45 + Insurance SLI is $12.95 for Rav 4 Automatic

Driving directions from San Jose, Costa Rica to Arenal

Should you have an account with another car rental agency, please be advised that Costa Rica seems to charge MORE if you book in advance online. Walking in and negotiating may save you a significant amount of money. Against Sharon's protests, Alex decided NOT to reserve a car online before our 2006 trip. The cost for renting a car for a week was just over $500 if reserved online. Waiting until we walked into the rental office dropped our price to $280 for the week. This is why we wanted to get a firm rate with Budget so that you would not be spending money unnecessarily on a car when you could be saving it for fun adventures and Imperial beer.

BUSING and HITCHING (yes, really)

Public transportation is cheap and reliable (from what we have read and been told). If you do not plan to rent a car, many travelers get from San Jose to La Fortuna onboard a bus.

Tourist Shuttle Bus: Shuttle buses will likely offer a bit more comfort on the long ride to La Fortuna than a public bus. Several bus services are available, and typically about $30 per person each way for a trip from San Jose to Arenal. Travel time is listed at 3 hours (tres ahoras).

Here are a few options:

Gray Line Bus Service: $29 per person. Departs 8:00 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.

Easy Ride Shuttle Service: $28 per person. Departs 8:00 a.m.

InterBus Shuttle Service: $28 per person. Departs 8:15 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.

Public Bus: If you are feeling very adventurous, or very budget conscious, you may try out the public bus system from San Jose to La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano): Route 211. Departs every day from Terminal Atlantico Norte at 6:15 a.m., 8:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Travel time is 5 hours. Cost is less than $10pp. (departure times subject to change.)

Hitchin it! Although hitchhiking is highly NOT recommended, it does seem to be a common means of transportation throughout Costa Rica. You will most likely see people with thumbs out looking for rides, from school kids to elderly folks. We actually picked up a few hitchers out and about in the La Fortuna area - One young boy making his way from Limon to Nicaragua to live with his mother; Another day we helped an elderly woman get into town; On our first day in La Fortuna we picked up a trio of Canadian backpackers and gave them a ride from the waterfall to their hostel in the center of town. That is how we discovered the best hostel we have ever seen: Arenal Five-Star Hostel! (more on that in the SLEEP section).

You never will know where you might meet fellow travelers!