Archive for the ‘Costa Rica flights and vacation package’ Category

Costa Rica Airfare Deals

Here are valuable vacation tips on obtaining not only a great trip to Costa Rica but big value to your money when getting that Costa Rica airfare.

High Season

December through April is the high season and the most popular times to visit Costa Rica. Many travelers are seeking somewhere warm and dry to spend their winter vacations. Costa Rica airfare this time of year can easy be $600 or more. As with any destination, it is possible to find cheaper Costa Rica airfares with booking your trip in advance. Furthermore, getting bargains is always easier during mid-week like Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you can manage to find a ticket in the $300 to $400 range, it’s a great deal already.

Off-Season

The off-season for Costa Rica is May until November. This slow season is due to the country’s rainy season. If you don’t mind with rainy season, you could save a few hundred dollars on your Costa Rica airfare and accommodations. With these dates it can be easy to find Costa Rica airfare for under $400.

Low-Cost Flying Tip

Some of the smaller Latin American airlines offer lower airfare to Costa Rica, but at a cost. Airlines such as Taca and Mexicana tend to have several stops and sometimes even make unscheduled stops. If you are specific time table I would recommend against these airlines. However, if you are on a budget, or just don’t care how long it takes to get to Costa Rica, then this is a good way to find cheap Costa Rica airfare.

Major Airlines

The airlines currently offering Costa Rica airfares from the US are: American Airlines, American West, Continental, Delta, Mexicana, US Airways, Grupo, and Taca. If you are flying from other places outside of US, you can take a flight to a major hub city like Miami or New York, and then take a direct flight to Costa Rica.

Airports

There are two main airports in Costa Rica located in San Jose and Liberia. Most flights from the US fly into San Jose International Airport. Just recently, Delta, American Airlines, US Airways, American West, and Continental have scheduled nonstop flights to Liberia International Airport. These flights come from their hubs in Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Houston.

As a tip, it is generally cheaper to fly to San Jose. But if you plan to spend most of your time on the West coast, Liberia is the nearer airport of choice. This will save you a commuter flight or a 5-hour drive.

Getting Costa Rica flights this season is indeed not a problem. With one of the busiest airports in Central America and two international airports in San Jose and Liberia, you surely can have the options with your Costa Rica vacation package.

In case you may ask, flying to Northern Guanacaste region via Liberia is only an hour away from the infamous Costa Rica attractions like Guanacaste beaches of Tamarindo, Conchal, Papagayo, and Flamingo. But most flights are in the Central Valley through San Jose international airport. Central Valley features Costa Rica attractions such as Manuel Antonio, Jaco and Arenal.

In case you are now excited to get that booking now, here is what you need to know before you arrive to Costa Rica.

Coming to Costa Rica? Some things you may need to know:

• The water here IS safe to drink however be aware in the first few days of drinking. Just like a change in diet, your stomach needs to adjust to different water.

• You don’t need malaria tablets. Cases of malaria and Dengue Fever are very rare here and as long as you have a good mosquito repellent containing DEET then you should be fine.

• Costa Rica is only 10 degrees north of the equator and the sun is strong so bring a good sun cream and use it.

• If renting a car here, remember there a few or no street signs so unless you have a good map you can get very lost!

• Costa Rican drivers are very ‘creative’ on the roads and often pay little or no attention to road laws so BE CAREFUL.

• Shopping at stores or restaurants that have no marked prices or prices in dollars will charge you too much and you could end up getting taken for a ride.

• Tell your bank and credit card companies that you are coming to Costa Rica. If they notice withdrawals in a foreign land without you telling them, they can’t get hold of you and may well block your card and accounts.

• Most credit/debit cards are accepted here and ATM machines are widely available.

• Be careful of petty thefts. Costa Rica is not bad for crime but pickpockets are everywhere worldwide.

• Don’t carry your passport on you. Make a copy of the picture page and if needed for identity purposes, take that with you.

• Accept and respect the locals and their culture. Relax. You are here as a foreigner and should comply with the Tico way of life.

• The food here is good and the best places to go to are small restaurants or ‘sodas’ where a Tico will be in the kitchen with knowledge and skill. The big universal restaurants that cater for tourists will not only disappoint but will not give you any insight into Costa Rican cuisine.

• You DO need a passport to enter Costa Rica. To contrary belief, you can’t enter the country with a drivers license or birth certificate!

• Dollars and credit cards are NOT accepted everywhere. Travelers cheques are not widely accepted everywhere either. Outside the central valley, colones are the main form of payment however, ATMs are widely available.

• When you leave Costa Rica there is a departure tax of about $26 which you can pay with credit card, colones or dollars. A great way to get rid of excess currency.

• Always check your bills at restaurants in case of ‘errors’.

Enjoy your stay!

Some excerpt of this post is from an article written by Caroline Wilson, a web consultant for Costa Rica News.

There you have it, in the next posts we will be featuring great ways to book your Costa Rica flights, lowest Costa Rica airfare, and Costa Rica vacation package at the best prices as a way of thanking you. So keep coming back or better yet bookmark this page.

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