Costa Rica Travel Vacation
Costa Rica Travel Vacation questions and answers
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Question: Would it be cheaper to buy a Costa Rica vacation package from Hotels.com or separately?
I'm planning a short trip to Costa Rica for about 5-6 days. Would it be cheaper to buy a vacation package deal from hotels.com or buy airfare separately online and then book hotels locally when I get there? Where would be a good and cheap place to stay in San Jose and Quepos? What are the availability around this time of year? What is the best traveling method from San Jose to Quepos?
Answer: Go to
www.ilovecostarica.com for info.... or
www.truecostarica.com loads of info available.
I saw book a package deal, especially cheaper if you want to actually tour the countryside....there are some wonderful deals for just under $1,000 for 10 days including tours throughout the country, meals and hotels throughout the country. You get to see the sites, taste the foods and stay at more than one hotel/villa! I have friends in San Jose and hope to go down for a visit next spring - stay with them some, but plan to take a package tour also...Have fun!
Question: How to Travel Costa Rica?
I was thinking of taking my next vacation to Costa Rica. I've been looking at some areas and there are so many to choose from.
Can anyone offer advice as to what area would be good for:
Nightlife?
Tours?
Snorkeling - is the water clear enough?
Can anyone offer advice? Thanks.
Answer: Costa Rica is a great place to live and visit, it has lots of options and some are really inexpensive.
I don't really like nightlife, but it depends on where you do it. Downtown San Jose can be dangerous at night, so you might want to choose another option.
Tours are great, but it depends on where you go! SOme are really expensive, others aren't. For example, if you go there for a week, you might want to choose one day tours around the country, because it's a small country you can have a little bit of everything in a week. I like Monteverde, Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio, and Guanacaste.
About snorkeling, water is clear enough but it depends on where you go. Look for a travel angency and ask. I like Isla Tortuga, it's a beautiful place and you might see dolfins on the way there. There is also a camping site where you can spend a few days(if you're coming here for a week, don't camp, it would be a waste of time, though it's a wonderful experience.)
Have you considered canopy and rafting?There are a lot of inexpensive options like Monteverde for canoping and Reventazon for rafting.
Costa Rica used to be dangerous before the previous government, but if you stay in nice places, and don't go out alone at night looking for trouble, you won't get it. In fact, Guatemala is WAY more dangerous than Costa Rica. People are really nice and friendly, not like the guy above said. If you need help you will always get it here. And no, people don't charge you more if they see dollars. I'm from Costa Rica and I've taken several people from the US there and they were all thrilled wit the experience. It has very nice, clean, safe beaches and it has a balance between tourism and ecology. Don't let other people's opinions spoil yours before you go. People from Argentina and Chile don't like us costaricans because they are meaner than us.
I hope you enjoy the stay in Costa Rica
Question: Any suggestions on travel to Costa Rica??
My boyfriend and I are planning a vacation to Costa Rica. We plan on doing all the outdoors things such surfing, jungle trekking, horse back riding..etc. We think we a general idea on what and where we are going to go and do. But would appreciate any input from thos who have visited the area as well. We will be flying into san Jose and renting a car and driving to Tamarindo. We also want to visit the Arenal volcano. Any ideas on car rentals and hotel would really help. Thanks in advance!
Answer: I´ve been to Costa Rica twice, last time I stayed at the Pension de La Cuesta B&B http://www.pensiondelacuesta.com which is located in the downtown San Jose. I do recommand you this hotel, there is very safe and near to the supermarket, restaurants and banks...It´s an antique rustic house, but most of rooms are with shared bath, it´s ok,my room was very clean, the bathroom also. If you are looking for some budget or cheap accomodation, the room rate is resonable and can meet your needs. The breakfast is simple, but is suficient for the price you pay. And the staffs were helpful and interesting people.
We took 5 in 1 tour on the first day, well...it´s cool, and the buffet lunch ..yummy.....we went to volcan Poas, La Paz Waterfall, Sarapiqui river boat ride....etc. very beautiful...We were lucky, it was sunny and we could see all the volcan. Then we spent 3 days in San Jose city, not much to see, but it was fun, we went to Tobocan ( I think it´s in El Pueblo) and danced Salsa with live music..
I didnt rent a car at this time, but 2 of my friends did...they told me
the car rental company which work with the hotel we stayed was generous, they offered them one more day for free, all brand new 4x4 in good condition...
Go to arenal, my opinion is take a tour or rent a car...although La Fortuna is a Small town, but most of the hotels are not closed to these attractions, like hot springs, Arenal national park and Arenal lake...you have to take taxi. Not very convinient.
Costa Rica has many ourdoor activities to do, there are many tours your can join...as long as you get there, ask the tour desk at where you would stay, it would be useful.
Question: Travel in Costa Rica?
I am trying to plan a family vacation to Costa Rica. What is the best town/city to stay in? What weeks during June or July are the best to go? Any other advice? Do you know any websites that would be helpful? Thanks!
Answer: My husband and I just retired in Costa Rica and most of the people like to visit guanacaste but guanacaste is very dry and Costa Rica the Pacific side from Jaco to Manuel Antonio is beautiful is always green and wonderful try to visit this area . we live about 4 miles from Jaco and we love it .
Question: All inclusive resort in Costa Rica?
My boyfriend and I are trying to plan a vacation in August. A travel agent suggested Costa Rica and gave me information on some different group vacations and all inclusive resorts. I think we'd prefer an all inclusive resort. Does anybody have any experience with a resort in Guanacaste or vacationing in Costa Rica in general? How about in August? Thanks!
Answer: August is a good month to come, and the all inclusive resorts are great because you can eat and drink everything you want, you don't have to go everywhere with your wallet in case you want something, and this is good because you don't have to be worried on where to put it while you swim in the pool or in the sea.
I went once to Barcelo Playa Langosta and it's a beautiful hotel.
Hope you enjoy your stay here, CR is a great country to visit and the beaches in Guanacaste are beatiful, I think they are the best of the country.
Question: Travel to Acapulco, Costa Rica or Puerto Rico?
I'm planning to take a vacation this summer but do not know where to go - can you tell me which will be a great place to go for the summer with a group of 12 people that loves to party all night and do water activities during the daytime... Acapulco, Costa Rica or Puerto Rico? and when is a good time to go to avoid Hurricane season?
Answer: Hurricane season begins in August and ends in November, in the Caribbean. To party two places are great, Acapulco and Puerto Rico. I believe Puerto Rico is safer and more toursit friendly since almost everybody speaks English. Maybe some places in Acapulco are cheaper but I will go with Puerto Rico since they have everything, beaches, rain forests, and a zillion night clubs.
Question: Costa Rica Vacations?
My boyfriend and I decided that we are going to go to Costa Rica during my school break in March. Neither of us have ever gone, and we don't know anyone who has. Are there certain hotels, sights, websites, travel agencies, or anything else that anyone could recommend??
Answer: I would say that March is a wonderful time to visit Costa Rica. It is right in the middle of the dry season and the nights are not as cool as in December to February. Well, in Costa Rica "cool" is a relative term. Costa Ricans wear gloves, hats and scarves when it's 55 degrees out.
In any event, there are many hotel and travel agency listings in the TicosLand.com website. It is in both English and Spanish for your convenience.
Depending on your budget, I would also recommend one of the all included hotels. If you want to add sightseeing and a little adventure, they have tour offices in the hotels that can arrange everything for you.
Good luck and have a great time in Costa Rica!
Question: I need a duffle bag that can be carried on the airplane & sturdy enough to last a month in costa rica. ideas?
going on a month long vacation in costa rica.. half the time i'm staying with a local family, but the other half im traveling throughout the country and need an easy to carry bag. i'm looking for a duffle bag with backpack straps that is small enough to meet the carry on requirements. This isn't intense backpacking, the furthest distance i have to carry this bag will be 1 mile. has anybody found a light-weight, easy to carry, comfortable bag that can endure wet/dry environments and be small enough to cram into the overhead bins in the airplanes? any help on the subject would be greatly appreciated as this is my first international adventure travel trip.
Answer: Go to the Cabellas or Orvis sites and have a look at their luggage. They both have an excellent line of duffle bags. I have a 32" Cabellas duffle with a lower shell and upper soft side. I use it all the time for international travel. My wife likes the other duffle of the same type that I bought from Orvis. We do a lot of travel and have lots of luggage, but we have found that these shell type duffles are the way to go.
Question: Traveling with 8 month old to Costa Rica. What do I take?
We leave Friday afternoon. I have almost everything packed, but my husband says I should leave some unnescessary things. I just don't want to be thousands of miles away from home and in need of something that they don't have over there. I'm a first time parent and this is our first vacation/airplane trip. Please help!
Answer: I just got back from ten days in Costa Rica last week! What an incredible trip! I'm afraid I don't know anything about babies, but it's incredibly hot and humid and this is coming from someone who lives in a hot, humid place! Take plenty of baby powder for your baby because there will be some serious sweating going on! Also, this is the beginning of the rainy season so expect to be wet a lot! Pack some of those big ziplock bags to store your wet stuff inside your luggage. Take bug spray--I don't know if babies need different kinds but you will ALL need some! Also, take plenty of sunscreen. Take hats for everyone! Also, sunglasses for everyone! Even though it's hot, take some sort of lightweight jacket or sweatshirt or something like that. It sometimes gets cool inside certain places (but not often enough-ha!). Take rain ponchos--those cheap ones that fold into pouches work great! Take comfortable shoes--something that will dry quickly! Other than that, shorts, capris, maybe one pair of jeans, t-shirts--it's VERY CASUAL and you'll be too hot to worry about getting "cute." I never once had a good hair day the whole time! You'll want small binoculars if you have some and of course a camera. The flowers, plants, bugs, birds, and wildlife are amazing! We saw three kinds of monkeys, toucans, sloths, a million hummingbirds, etc.! If you forget something, don't worry--you can find it there. They take American dollars. Most of the people speak SOME English. They are very friendly. By the way, CR has the cleanest bathrooms I've seen anywhere in my travels. They have NYC beat hands down! We spent time in the rainforest, cloud forest, and at two different volcanoes. If you have options, try to hit these things as they are incredible. The scenery driving through the country was beautiful! By the way, don't judge CR by San Jose if that's where you're flying into. It's not impressive at all. Be careful where you walk. The sidewalks are in terrible shape and there are dangerous holes everywhere. Just a short drive outside of the city and you'll be in a whole different world! Have a blast!
Question: Where is the best place to travel internationally with a 6 month old baby on vacation?
We want to go somewhere exotic and fun, but safe for our baby. We used to love to travel and my husband and I want to retain our wunderlust even after baby. Places that we have enjoyed in the past include Jamaica, Spain, Italy, France, England, Montreal - Canada, Costa Rica and in the US (Miami, Santa Fe, Orlando, New York, etc..)
Answer: Mmmm...I use to travel A LOT, and now have 3 kids ( 4yrs, 18months & 18 months) and okay...I don't travel as much...but we still manage. When we had only one we went to France and Cuba...and now we are going back to Cuba with the whole gang...
What you have to concider...
For the Caribbeans you need the hepatitis A shot and that you can't give to a baby (it's 1y and up).
I would check out the shots you have to get to go to different countries, that might give you a shorter list...forget many Countries in Asia and South America...
Most of Europe should be fine...have you thought of Greece?
I would forget about big Cities like Paris ... my friend went with her 2 young kids and said it was hell...some cities are not made to travel with a stroller...
And also think about the time it takes to get there...I would tell you to go to Japan because it's probably one of the nicest place I've seen...but you have to think that it's take more than 24 hours away with airport time..etc,...to get there it will feel like double the time with a baby!
We chose Cuba because it's a 3 hour flight from were we live (Montreal) and we wanted a real vacation of doing nothing...but I guess Europe is maybe the in between but think about the weather also at this time of year...
Well...I hope I helped a bit...and not discouraged you!