I have been reading post here for months and have finally decided exactly what I want to do during my sept trip to Costa rica. The itinerary looks like this-
arrive SJO at 1:30 pm transfer (how I don't know) to arenal Paraiso and stay there for the next three nights.
return to san jose area (stay somewhere?)for the night
Travel to Tortuguero for the next two nights and then stay in san jose again before flight out the next morning
What I am wondering is has anyone used Costa Rica Expeditions and what they might have thought of a stay at their Tortuga lodge. Also, has anyone used them to plan the rest of the trip- I haven't made reservations yet and I still don't know if I want a car or transfers in Arenal- I was hoping they could help me. also wondering if anyone had ever booked a rental car through Orbitz and if it had worked out for them. thankyou.

Montyig
Sounds like you have a great trip planned. Unfortunately, I can't offer any advice about Costa Rica Expeditions except for the fact that they come very highly recommended and I have talked with many who have had excellent experiences with them. We have thought about using them, but thought they were a little expensive and decided we could manage ourselves (we like to drive) or use a less expensive company with comparable results.

I am responding primarily because of your Orbitz question. We have rented in CR many times, and our experience has been that it is cheaper to book directly with the rental company. We prefer Dollar or Tricolor (Tricolor has lower rates), but there are many good ones. However, you will receive a lower rate for one week, and you certainly won't need a car during your Tortuguero trip! That may be a consideration for you. Otherwise, you might want to investigate this suggestion:

Check out the Hotel Don Carlos in San Jose. While there are several reasonable and interesting hotels in SJ, the Don Carlos offers services that might be helpful to you. They have a tour office (Juan Carlos manages the office) and he is very helpful in arranging tours both to Arenal and Tortuguero. He also can help you with a car rental delivered and picked up at the hotel with the cheapest rates we have found. While you are thinking about CR Expeditions, you might want to check into what is offered through this hotel. It is located in a nice part of town, 5 minutes walk to the central area and museums, etc. Service is good, rooms are very nice, breakfast (included) is good. I think you would find Juan Carlos to be very helpful in your planning.

www.hoteldoncarlos.com

Our family used Costa Rica Expeditions to book our trip in March -- stayed 3 nights at Tortuga Lodge which we quite enjoyed, 3 nights at Hotel Bougainvillea outside San Jose, and 5 nights at Bosque del Cabo on the Osa Pensinsula. At first, we were just going to use CRE to book the Tortuga portion, but we were very happy to have them handle the entire portion of the trip. This way, all of the transfers (from airport to hotel bougainvillea, internal flights etc) were looked after for us. We would definitely use CRE again. Good luck.

Thanks Shillmac and Janet for the info. I contacted Costa Rica expeditions and was surprised that they wouldn't book rental cars. Besides that though we are definately staying at Tortuga Lodge whether or not we have them help with the rest of the trip. Janet- I noticed you stayed at Hotel Bougainvillea outside san Jose, when CRE picked you up were they able to pick you up from there? They didn't want to get us from las Orquideas in Alujuela but I really would prefer not staying in the city if I can avoid it? Thanks again for all the info. This is so exciting and yet so daunting at the same time. So thank you.

Montyig:

Yes, CRE did pick us up from Hotel Bougainvillea.