Got the Tickets

I found ticket to CR for December 22 through the 4th of January for 475 a piece. Spirit Air upped their price on me. US Airways had a great price. Its a longer flight (we have to fly up to North Carolina and then down to Costa Rica) but its still a fairly short voyage and we'll arrive in CR in the mid afternoon.

I could have waited a little longer to buy but I just don't see getting a much better airfare than that for those dates. Spirit Air increased their price $200 dollars and we would have had to come back on New Year's Eve.

Air Fare to Costa Rica

Finding cheap airfare to Costa Rica

1. look first with Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.
2. Find the cheapest flights and then see how much they are if you buy them directly from the airline.
3. Spirit Air flies for cheap out of Florida. They leave out of Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale. You may want to find a cheap flight to either of these cities and then connect with Spirit.
4. Be flexible with your travel dates. Search for flights before and after your initial selected dates. It can make a huge difference.

GPS

I have a Garmin eTrex H which I use for traveling and mountain biking. I got it over two years ago and now its starting to freeze up on occasion. It sucks but its time I bought another one since the new ones have such incredible features. I'm looking at the new Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. It comes loaded with maps for all the Americas, Europe and Asia. Simply mindblowing. It also detects altitude and has an electronic compass.

For someone who travels this technology is a Godsend. Its particularly good for me since I like to explore. With this technology I can go hiking deep into the rainforest and not worry about getting lost. Some people like guided tours but often I like to guide myself. I like to imagine what it was like for the early European explorers. Can you imagine how PonceDeLeon or Pizarro would have reacted to hand-held GPS technology? For us, it is the equivalent of a car that could fly to Mars in less than an hour.

Reasons to get GPS

1. You won't get lost. Ever.
2. If someone gets hurt you can mark the location and give the exact coordinates to the rescue team (who will most likely have GPS as well).
3. You can mark locations you may want to revisit on future trips
4. You can make maps of your favorite hiking trails, biking trails, etc
5. You can mark where you parked the car in case you have to walk several blocks to an attraction, concert, whatever.
6. You can have a record of distances and travel times which will allow you to plan future itinerary's.
7. Its just really cool to have
8. Considering what you get, its really not expensive

San Jose Costa Rica

Here's what you need to know about San Jose, Costa Rica.

1. Get out of San Jose as soon as possible. Its what all veteran Costa Rica travelers do.
2. Its traffic is bad; really, really bad. It is so freakin' bad. You gettin' my drift?
3. Some parts are really dangerous. Lotsa scary immigrants from places like Colombia and Haiti.
4. Nothing in San Jose compares to Costa Rica's natural beauty.
5. They have Hooters, Dennys and Fridays in North America and they're actually cheaper than the ones in San Jose.
6. Its more expensive than the rest of Costa Rica. Wait till you're out of there to load up on supplies.
7. Don't try to score anything in San Jose. You are messing with your life.

Cheap air fare to Costa Rica

If you live in Florida or close to it your cheapest airfare will be on Spirit Airlines. I would compare ticket prices between their website and Orbitz or Travelocity. One is not always cheaper than other. I talk more about that at my other site.

Renting a car in Costa Rica

For most visitors I recommend renting a car. You will be able to see and do much more. Its an extra expense but a car will give you easy access to cheaper lodging and eating. The more expensive establishments tend to be close to the bustops and tourist centers.

Costa Rican traffic and roads is no big deal. If you are from a large North American city you should have no problems. I would avoid driving in San Jose. The traffic is awful and you can spend hours in traffic jams. If you insist on sightseeing in the city I would take the bus or hire a taxi.

Renting a car allows you to explore the road less traveled and see some decidedly non-touristy sights. I talk more about this at my self-hosted blog here.

Things to know about Costa Rica

Here are some things you should know about Costa Rica:

1. Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948. Jose Figueres Ferrer, the founder of the modern Costa Rican state, was influenced by H.G. Wells’ “Outline of History” which he read in 1920 while studying at MIT. Figueres believed that “The future of mankind cannot include armed forces; Police, yes, because people are imperfect.” Costa Rica has no armed forces and has not had a civil war or guerilla insurgency plague its people since 1948. Costa Ricans are a people who are used to peace.
2. Costa Rican spending on its social programs is on par with those of Scandinavian countries.
3. Intel’s only microprocessor factory in latin America is located in Costa Rica. This factory accounts for 20% of Costa Rica’s exports.
4. Costa Rica is trying to become a carbon neutral nation by 2012.
5. It provides most of its own power through hydro-electric and wind technology.
6. It has only about 0.1% of the world’s landmass, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity.
7. Costa Rica has designated 25% of its land mass as protected areas and parks. This is the highest percentage in the world.