HOW TO GET THERE:
By Plane
Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) is located close to the cities Alajuela, Heredia and the capital San José.
SJO is currently under reconstruction. The dimly lit but otherwise pleasant airport features the normal assortment of duty-free shops but an inadequate selection of overpriced restaurants (Church's Chicken, Burger King and a fast-food pizza joint). SJO is serviced daily by American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines,Iberia, Thomas Cook, Martinair ,Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Air Canada as well as Taca and Copa Airlines. Connecting the airport with cities such as: Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, Chicago, Newark, Toronto, Montreal, Madrid, Frankfurt, Bogota, Caracas, Lima, Guayaquil, Quito, and all Central America. Frontier Airlines is slated to begin non-stop service from Denver on November 30th, 2007 and will fly to SJO 5 days a week.
There is a US $26 exit fee at the Juan Santamaría Airport. This must be paid in cash, or by Visa (in which case it will be processed as a cash advance). The fee can also be paid in advance at some hotels.
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) is near Liberia in the Guanacaste province. This airport is closest to the Pacific Northwest coast. Liberia receives flights from Delta, American, United, Continental, Air Canada, Sky Service (charter), and First Choice (charter). Connecting the airport with cities like: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Newark, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, London, etc.
By Car
The Interamericana (Panamerican Highway) runs through Costa Rica and is the main entry point by car. The border post in the north (to Nicaragua) is called Peñas Blancas and in the south (to Panamá) Paso Canoas. Virtually all travel out of the capital (except to the Caribbean side) will involve travelling this road. There are many speed traps along this major artery, as well as some random police checks for seat belts and, especially near the borders, for valid travel documents. The highway speed is 80km/h, but since the Interamericana (a.k.a. Highway #1) passes through innumerable small towns the speed frequently drops to 50 or even 30 km/h as you suddenly find yourself in a school zone. Most of the highway is not divided. A common indicator that a police checkpoint is ahead is that oncoming cars flick their lights at you. Drivers also appear to flick their lights sometimes when someone has overtaken them. A speeding ticket is approximately 40,000 Colons (US $80), and although the police are generally congenial, foreign drivers are occasionally illegally offered an "on the spot" fine that is half that or less.
Many Costa Rican roads are in terrible shape, and short distances can take a very long time. Even the only road in and out of popular tourist destinations are riddled with major potholes. To avoid potholes, drivers will often snake through the left and right lanes, usually returning to the right when oncoming traffic approaches. While this may seem erratic to North American drivers, one becomes quickly accustomed to it. Driving at night is highly inadvisable due to the unpredictability of road conditions and lack of safety features such as guard rails on the many hairpin turns in the hills.
Many roads are unpaved, and even the paved roads have lots of unpaved sections and washed out or unfinished bridges. Bridges are often only wide enough for one vehicle; one direction usually has priority. Do not expect to get anywhere quickly, supposed 3 hour journeys can turn into 5 or more hours easily: there are always slow cars/buses/trucks on the road. This causes a lot of crazy driving, which you begin to emulate if you are in-country for more than a day. The government does not seem to be fixing the infrastructure well (or at all!) 50km/hr is good over unpaved roads, you hit a resonance frequency where the damping factor of the suspension matches the undulations of the road and you have a smooth ride.
Navigation can prove challenging. Road signs are relatively few, and those that do exist can be inaccurate. It is recommended that you have a good road map with the small towns listed, since road signs will often only indicate the next town, not the direction of the next major city. Towns generally do not have town-limit signs; you are best to look at the names on the roadside food stores and restaurants to determine the place you are passing.
There are no formal street addresses in Costa Rica, but two informal systems systems exist. The first (often used in tourist information) indicates the road on which the establishment is located (e.g. "6th Avenue") together with the crossroad interval (e.g. "between 21st and 23rd Streets"). In practice, street signs are virtually non-existent, and locals do not even know the name of the street they are on. The second system, which is much more reliable and understood by locals, is known as the "Tico address", usually involving an oriented distance (e.g. "100 meters south, 50 meters east") from a landmark (e.g. "the cathedral").
It is worth noting the particular road naming system in San Jose. Avenues run east-west and streets run north-south. The numbering is less straighforward. Starting at Central Avenue going South are 2nd, 4th, 6th Avenue, etc. while going North are 1st, 3rd, 5th, etc. Streets use even numbers going west, and odd numbers going east. This means that if you are at 7th Avenue and 4th Street, and looking for 6th Avenue and 5th Street, you are on the wrong side of town.
Gas stations are full service and the guys there are very cool about taking dollars or Colón(es). The interesting thing is that Costa Rica is small so you do not burn a lot of gas getting places even though it seems like forever. Costa Rica is also land of the traffic circles so people from Europe should have no problem but North Americans should make sure they know how they work.
By Bus
There are bus services from the neighboring countries of Panamá, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
There is an extensive network of bus routes within the country with reasonable fares. Departures are very punctual, though routes often take longer than expected. Stop by the Tourist Office downtown (underneath the Gold Museum in the Plaza--ask anyone and they'll be able to help you out) and get a detailed schedule. The bus system is a safe and even fun way to see a lot of the country cheaply and not have to worry about car rentals. It is highly recommended! If using the bus routes within the country, some ability to speak and understand Spanish may be necessary, although most are friendly enough to be able to help you out.
By Boat
There are some boat transfers available into Costa Rica from Bocas del Toro in Panamá.
There is twice daily boat service from Los Chiles (in NE Costa Rica), former home of the Contras, to San Carlos, Nicaragua. The cost is about $5, plus a $1 fee. The boats usually only run in the mornings.
HOW TO GET AROUND COSTA RICA:
Keep in mind the pet peeve most tourists have with tico kindness: often times when a tico has no idea where a certain destination you may have had in mind is, he or she will simply direct you to a random location. Often simply incomprehensible, these directions are a reflection on the cultural approach to kindness many Costa Ricans adopt. Ask for directions from several different people if you aren't convinced by the first answer you get.
Public Bus
Most major tourist destinations in Costa Rica are serviced by at least two daily buses from and to San Jose. The advantages of public transportation in Costa Rica are that tickets are cheap (rarely more than $7 US per person) and they cover most towns around the country.
Rental Car
For 350-700 USD a week you can rent a econocar/mid size 4WD. Insurance is the majority of this cost and it is not optional. 4 wheel drive is good for extensive traveling outside the Central Valley, especially in the wet season. In the dry season going from La Fortuna to Monteverde via a direct route was over a boulder strewn 15-30 MPH road. 4WD was also useful on the Nicoya coast.(above based on 2001 roads)
Due to the condition of most roads outside San Jose, car insurance, even with a zero-deductible option, generally does not cover tires and rims. Car rental companies requires a guaranty deposit from 750 USD during the rental period and a credit card is necessary for this process. Using an insurance program provided by some types of gold or platinum credit cards is a good advantage since these credit cards would cover small scratches, small dents as well as the entire rented vehicle in case of collision or theft.
Taxi
Another easy way to get around Costa Rica is to use the services of mini-vans. At most of the hotels, the receptionist is able to assist travelers who want to travel across the country by arranging for the services of a driver. Rates are reasonable (US$29 per person, for example, to get from San Jose to Tamarindo in April 2007) The drivers know the roads well; the vans are clean and comfortable; and they take you from door to door.
Taxis are available in most large cities. They are usually inexpensive, charging only a few dollars to get most anywhere within the city. The meter is called "la maria"; ask the driver to turn it on immediately upon getting in the car, or he may leave it off and make up his own, more expensive, price when you get to your destination. Official taxis are red with a yellow triangle on the side. If you are alone, especially if you are female, ride in the back seat as riding in the front with the driver can be seen as suggestive.
Hitching
If you choose to hitchhike, Costa Ricans are generally very friendly and helpful, particularly in more rural areas where traffic on the dirt roads can be light. As always, be gracious and offer a bit of money, which will probably be declined.
San Jose Costa Rica
The capital of Costa Rica is the transportation center of the entire country, so most visitants pass at least a few days in the city. It has a more North American sense to it than many America Central capitals, with fast-food chains, shopping malls, department stores.
However, it also has various excellent museums, theaters, zoo (zoologicos), parks, rivers, rainforest, beaches, monuments, towns, colorful markets some great restaurants, and a fine home environment for your stay in Costa Rica .
The more prestigious museum of Costa Rica are the Museo Nacional, which has exhibits of religious art, colonial furniture, Costa Rican archaeology. The most extraordinary city building is the Teatro Nacional ( National Theater ), constructed in the 1890s. Plays, ballets, operas and performances by the National Symphony Orchestra. the Museo de Oro Precolombino (The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum), which houses an amazing collection of gold objects; and the Museo de Jade ( museum of Jade ), with the world's biggest collection of American jade sculptures. The most popular market in Costa Rica is Mercado Central (Market Central), which bustles rather than buzzes, but has a variety of craft work , leatherwork and some of the cheapest meals in San Jose town. Costa Rica Attractions more info
Costa Rica Culture
Costa Rica is a country of wonderful biodiversity. Its flora and fauna, natural attractions and reputation for preservation attracts nature lovers from the entire world. Political initiatives have made causes to defend the country's image as a tourism destination, making Costa Rica one of the best areas to experience the tropics naturally and with minimum impact.
The cultural action in Costa Rica has simply begun to prosper in the last 100 years, due to a past European influence erasing most of the aboriginal culture. This conduces to the country being observed more for its natural beauty and friendly natives than for its culture. Costa Rica Culture
Monteverde
This beautiful place in Costa Rica ( Monteverde )was constituted by Quakers in 1951 and is now an attractive and popular destination for both ticos and international visitants. The town of Santa Elena is the closest settlement to the Monteverde rain forest reserve.
The road passing from the town's heart to the reserve ( Monteverde Rain Forest ) is agglomerated with attractions including the serpentarium, the butterfly garden, a cheese plant, a number of art galleries, canopy tours, hotels, and crafts. Interesting though these attractions are, they are simply the warm-up acts for the principal activity.
Costa Rica Tours
With TicoTraveler.com you will see an attractive paradise full of nature, you've come to the perfect place and we invite you to navigate our unique site.
It includes Costa Rica Tours, Costa Rica hotels directory, Costa Rica Vacation packages , all inclusive vacations, adventure tours, sightseeing tours across the country, self drive tours , Car Rentals, Local Flights, Adventures, Beach & Local Travel, canopy tours, Costa Rica one day tours for example Tortuguero San Jose City tour, banana plantation, Arenal Volcano, Barulio Carrillo, Tortuga Island travel, Rivers tour, Irazu Volcano, Poas Volcano, Biking, Aerial Tram, Lankaster Gardens, white water rafting Reventazon, Pacuare, Sarapiqui, hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, biking , hiking, snake waching, bird watching, hiking, horseback riding. National Parks.Costa Rica Tours More Information.
Car Rental Agencies in Costa Rica
Costa Rica Offers for the adventurer traveler, renting a car is one of the safest manners to get to know Costa Rica . It can also be one of the most challenging facets of a vacation here. Roads are frequently in poor situation or congested, in Costa Rica can be violent drivers, mainly taxis and buses. If you will principally be travelling on cemented road in and around the Central Valley or going to important beach destinations , a car is possibly a fine selection. If you will be travelling outside of important destination routes, we propose renting a 4 wheel drive vehicle
Costa Rica Diving
Costa Rica's undersea marvels variety from coastal coral reefs to offshore islands. Those diverse dive spots include diverse and beautiful marine life that includes giant sea turtles, gigantic manta rays, intricate coral formations, colorful angel fish, psychedelic sea slugs, delicate sea fans, spiny puffer fish, dolphins and, on rare times, whales.
Costa Rica Rafting
The first exciting activity disciplines that captured the public's taste, and that today enjoys great popularity is Rafting in Costa Rica . It's a sports modality that consists of descending a river of fast waters, where the current waves the ship. It's directed by a Rafting guide, while the rest of the crew assist from the lateral seats with their oars.
Costa Rica Kayaking
Confronting strong masses of fast water with skill, without fear and speed, are element of the necessary factors that kayaking lovers ought to have. Canoe or kayak, are two different words that make reference to a same sport, that offers excitement to those persons who enjoy the sensation of water splashing on their bodies and faces.
White water kayaking is a preferred action extreme sport and Costa Rica has hosted numerous worldwide tournaments.
Kayaking in Costa Rica is also quickly gaining fanatics because just about anyone can handle it after a small number of lessons. When the waves are rolling and easy, it offers a perfect manner to travel quietly to mangroves and estuaries for up close and personal viewing of flora and fauna; and when the waves commence to pound, it provides exciting extreme sport for those with a taste for wet fun.Costa Rica Kayaking
Costa Rica Local Flights
Costa Rica Local Flights, the fastest method to travel throughout the country is absolutely via local transport flights operated by our contacts. Local Flights depart out of San Jose, or any of the destinations on the schedule, however, be aware that there are not local flights in between coastal destinations and that you must travel back to San Jose first in order to reach another destination. It is also significant to note that there are baggage limitations including surfboards , oversized baggage, etc. Below is a list of the prices, planned local flights and destinations.Costa Rica Local Flights
