Arenal to San Jose
 

Thanks for all of the suggestions in my other topic--CR Vacation Family of 5. To maximize our time, I'm wondering if it would be cutting it too close to drive from Arenal to San Jose in the morning to make an 11:00am flight to Puerto Jimenez. The drive times I've seen say 3 1/2 hours so I'm thnking it should be doable since I think it gets light around 5:30am. I would have to return the rental car as well. Doable or cutting it too close?

Neal

You don't say if your flight is on Sansa or NatureAir - it could make a difference.

You leave the Arenal area around 5:30 am - it will somewhat light then. Arrive Sansa around 8:30, with any luck. If you are going Nature Air, you will be driving from Alajuela to San Jose which, at that time of the morning, can be murder. However, you should be able to make it.

It really depends on how nervous you would be about this. For some people, this would be fine - no sweat - for others, it would be a nail-biter. If you feel confident, go for it.

I think it would work for you as long as you don't encounter a traffic jam/wreck. I'd probably go for it.

We did this. I thought we could get a flight from Arenal to Puerto Jimenez but it was only offered inseason and we were there the first week of May.

Could you possibly drop your car in Arenal and get a driver to take you to the airport? Or you could have a driver take you to Arenal and just rent the car while you stay in Arenal? Then you wouldn't have to worry about the car return. We were originally going to do this. Lost Iguana even said they could have the car at the hotel for us. We ended up not doing this--we used a guide when we toured the area, got picked up for zipining, and ended up just relaxing at that wonderful hotel.

We did not rent a car but had a driver take us from the airport to Lost Iguana. When we left Arenal, the driver picked us up at 7:30AM and we were at the Pavas airport at 10:40 for an 11:30AM Nature Air flight and that included a stop to use the restroom, pick up some snacks and purchase souvenirs.

Go a fair amount you are cutting it way too close.

Always head back down the nite B4 turn the car in

head out the next day.

www.thealtahotel.com

www.casabellarita.com

Actually you would save a tonne just to keep the car

and drive not fly down the coast to PJ very scenic

will save you hundreds for nice hotels with a family

and you will see a tonne more neat stuff.

How long is the drive from Arenal to the Osa? We would consider doing this next visit. We had a driver this visit and split the cost since we travelled with another couple. Driving didn't seem difficult and the roads we drove on were good--except for the last couple miles before we arrived at the Rio Celeste