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Costa Rica: No artificial ingredients
and no stress on the budget
By Anne Banas,
SmarterTravel.com
Sixty percent of you voted for
me to head to Costa Rica for my
winter escape. And with this
Carolina-sized country working
its way up "top destination"
lists, it's no wonder. Even
though the thought of lush green
scenery, pristine beaches, and
intense biodiversity will excite
you, you'll be more pleased to
learn that doing this trip for
under $500 was no challenge at
all.
What's the deal?
Staying under budget in the
winter high season took little
more than finding a reasonable
airfare and pairing it with an
affordable activity-pumped
hotel. Luckily for me, there
were many easy-to-find options
to choose from. The best part is
knowing that had I traveled in
the low season, known as the
"green season" (from May through
November), I could have taken
the same trip for under $400.
Getting there
Despite Costa Rica's increasing
popularity as a tourist
destination, airfare still
remains relatively low, even for
high-season travel. For a
February trip, prices from
Boston (my hometown) to San Jose
hovered between $300 and $400
when I researched fares about
two months in advance. Not
wanting to spend much more than
$300, I jumped when I saw a fare
on Expedia for $301.50. In the
weeks after booking, fares
dropped as low as $268 including
taxes. (Drat, had I waited a
little longer, I would have been
able to get that massage…)
Indicative of recent trends,
here are a few fares (including
taxes) from other cities at the
time I was booking:
* $214: Miami
* $299: Houston
* $302: New York
* $304: Chicago, Los Angeles
* $330: New Orleans
* $339: Denver
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Airfare strategy for Costa
Rica is quite simple: Because most major U.S carriers
(and a few others like LACSA and TACA) fly into San
Jose, prices remain competitive, making it easy to snag
a good fare. The key is to set a benchmark and monitor
fares until you see one that hits your number or falls
below it. Don't be afraid to wait a little; the low
prices will come around.
When it comes to flying, note that the Costa Rican
government imposes a departure tax ($26) that you must
pay at the airport before you check in for your
departing flight. You'd see the same thing with many
Caribbean islands and other Latin American destinations.
The cost isn't intrinsically prohibitive, but it's good
to keep it in mind when setting a budget for your trip.
Also, it's best to set aside some cash, because the only
other way to pay is by credit card via cash advance,
which is ultimately costly.
Getting around
For many trips, I've come to regard airport
transfers as a thorny nuisance. They always add a little
stress and annoying logistical hiccups to what otherwise
would be smooth planning. In the case of flying into San
Jose, there are several air-hotel transfer options with
varying degrees of cost. And once I sorted them out,
they seemed pretty basic, and I even enjoyed the ride
through the mountainous highlands.
The first, and my favorite, is the bus. A one-way ride
to and from my resort cost only $2.33 (1,080 colones),
keeping me well within my budget. The drivers were
scrupulously on time. However, with no guaranteed seats
or air conditioning, you'd certainly be roughing it. On
the plus side, it's a good way to get a glimpse of local
color, as it's generally the transportation of the Costa
Ricans, or Ticos, rather than tourists. The bus driver
might even stop by a local grocery store for a few
minutes in case you get hungry or weary along the way. I
highly recommend contacting your hotel about bus stops
and schedules before you arrive. If you are like me and
find bus systems convoluted and generally
incomprehensible, you'll appreciate this advice.
...continue to page 2
 For
For more information on this and other tours in
Costa Rica, please write our travel desk at:
traveldesk@insidecostarica.com
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