Costa Rica - How to get there ?

By Plane

It takes between 3 and 7 hours to fly to Costa Rica from most U.S. cities, and as Costa Rica becomes more popular with North American travelers, more flights are available into San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport. In addition, Delta, American, U.S. Airways, United, and Continental all have regular nonstop commercial flights to the International Airpot in Liberia from their hubs in Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston, respectively. Liberia is the gateway to the beaches of the Guanacaste region and the Nicoya Peninsula, and a direct flight here eliminates the need for a separate commuter flight in a small aircraft or roughly 5 hours in a car or bus.

The Major Airlines--There are numerous airlines flying into Costa Rica. Be warned that the smaller Latin American carriers tend to make several stops (sometimes unscheduled) en route to San José, thus increasing flying time.

The following airlines currently serve Costa Rica from the United States, using the gateway cities listed. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. and Canada or tel. 248-9010 in Costa Rica; www.aa.com) has daily flights from Los Angeles, Miami, JFK in New York, and Dallas-Fort Worth. America West (tel. 800/363-2957; www.americawest.com) has one daily direct flight from Phoenix. Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com) offers flights daily from Houston and Newark. Delta (tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com) offers two daily flights from Atlanta. Mexicana (tel. 800/531-7921; www.mexicana.com) offers flights from numerous North American cities, most connecting through the hub in Mexico City. United Airlines (tel. 800/538-2929; www.united.com) has daily flights direct from Washington, D.C., and from Los Angeles, and biweekly flights from Chicago O'Hare to Liberia. US Airways (tel. 800/622-1015; www.usairways.com) has direct flights from Charlotte. Grupo Taca (tel. 800/535-8780; www.grupotaca.com) is a conglomeration of the Central American airlines, with direct flights or connections to and from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Miami, and Washington.

From Europe, you can take any major carrier to a hub city such as Miami or New York and then make connections to Costa Rica. Alternately, Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) from Toronto, Iberia (www.iberia.com) or Air Madrid (www.airmadrid.com) from Spain, and Martin Air (www.martinairusa.com) from Holland have established routes to San José, some direct and others with one connection.

By Bus

Bus service runs regularly from Panama City, Panama, and Managua, Nicaragua. If at all possible, it's worth the splurge for a deluxe or express bus. In terms of travel time and convenience, it's always better to get a direct bus rather than one that stops along the way -- and you've got a better chance of getting a working restroom in a direct/express or deluxe bus. Some even have television sets showing video movies.

There are several bus lines with regular daily departures connecting the major capital cities of Central America. Call Panaline (tel. 255-1205), Transnica (tel. 223-4242), or Tica Bus Company (tel. 221-8954; www.ticabus.com) for further information. All of these lines service Costa Rica directly from Panama City and Managua, with connections to the other principal cities of Central America. None of them will reserve a seat by telephone, and schedules change frequently according to season and demand, so buy your ticket in advance -- several days in advance, if you plan to travel on weekends or holidays. From Panama City, it's a 20-hour, 900km (558-mile) trip. The one-way fare is around $20. From Managua, it's 11 hours and 450km (279 miles) to San José, and the one-way fare is around $12.

By Car

It's possible to travel to Costa Rica by car, but it can be difficult, especially for U.S. citizens. After leaving Mexico, the Interamerican Highway (Carretera Interamericana, also known as the Pan-American Hwy.) passes through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua before reaching Costa Rica. All of these countries can be problematic for travelers for a variety of reasons, including internal violence, crime, corrupt border crossings, and visa formalities. If you do decide to undertake this adventure, take the Gulf Coast route from the border crossing at Brownsville, Texas, because it involves traveling the fewest miles through Mexico. Those planning to travel this route should look through Driving the Pan-Am Highway to Mexico and Central America, by Audrey and Raymond Pritchard (Costa Rica Books, 1997), or You Can Drive to Costa Rica in 8 Days!, by Dawn Rae Lessler (Harmony Gardens Publishing, 1998).

Car Documents -- You will need a current driver's license, as well as your vehicle's registration and the original title (no photocopies), to enter the country.

By Cruise Ship

More than 150 cruise ships stop each year in Costa Rica, calling at Limón on the Caribbean coast, and at Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas on the Pacific coast. Many are part of routes that cruise through the Panama Canal. Cruise lines that offer stops in Costa Rica include Crystal Cruises (tel. 800/804-1500; www.crystalcruises.com), Celebrity Cruises (tel. 800/722-5941; www.celebritycruises.com), Holland America (tel. 877/724-5425; www.hollandamerica.com), Princess Cruises (tel. 800/421-0522; www.princess.com), Royal Caribbean (tel. 800/398-9819; www.rccl.com), and Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (tel. 877/505-5370; www.rssc.com).

It might pay off to book through a travel agency that specializes in cruises; these companies buy in bulk and stay on top of the latest specials and promotions. Try the Cruise Company (tel. 800/289-5505; www.thecruisecompany.com) or World Wide Cruises (tel. 800/882-9000; www.wwcruises.com).