freshman

I'm planning a family trip to CR for July--hopefully--I'm very late on pulling this together. Family includes my husband, two teenage daughters (13 and 15), and myself. Trip will be for a week, give or take a day, depending on flight availability. I'm thinking we'll go to Arenal and Manuel Antonio. Would it be better for us to fly into SJO or Liberia? Is there a huge difference between the two, given where we want to go in CR? We're tentatively planning to hire a driver or use one of the small bus services I've read about on a trip report. I'm hoping to get one of those 4-hour nonstop Delta flights from Atlanta to CR, but they're going fast.

Thanks so much for your advice!

shillmac

Absolutely it would make more sense to fly into San Jose. Both destinations are 2.5-3 hours from that airport, opposite directions. Between the two, it's more like 5 hours.

This is a very good plan for your first trip. It will give you a nice feel for this beautiful country and a good mix of wildlife, beach, forest, etc.

The Interbus transfers are nice and not all that expensive. A car isn't all that necessary at Manuel Antonio, but it is nice to have at Arenal, which is a bit spread out. I'd suggest renting once you arrive there, just for convenience. Should you decide to drive yourselves, just know that the roads to and from these particular destinations are in very decent condition and pretty simple. Have a great time!

freshman

Thanks, Shillmac. After reading here for many hours I knew I could count on you! So the drives from SJO to Arenal and Manuel Antonio are better than the drives from Liberia? A couple of acquaintances who've been (but only once and you've been many times it sounds like) said that we should fly into Liberia if going to Pacific coast. But it seems like most people here fly into SJO.

Is it a pretty safe thing to get airline tickets without hotel reservations? I have a few questions about hotels, but I'm worried about getting some of the last available seats on flights that work for us.

Thanks! I love these forums and all the helpful contributors!

tully

I'll ditto what shillmac said, fly into SJO. You'll have better transfer options and your drives will be shorter. I've used interbus before and they were great, easy to use and cheap, though with 4 of you it may turn out to be the same cost to get a driver. I'd get your airfare soon, hotels shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Suzie2

It just depends on what part of the Pacific Coast. If you were going to the northern part Liberia would be the best. You will be right in the middle with SJO for where you are going and that would be the easiest. I am actually flying into SJO and out of Liberia this trip.

Are you talking about in country flights or the flight to CR? If it is the international flight, get the ones you want now, you can always fill in the hotels later. Those Atlanta flights are great. We will be on one this Sat. and arrive around 12:30pm, plenty of time to get someplace. 5 weeks of Pura Vida. Most will be work while taking 2 weeks of dendrology classes and another week talking to a builder for our house but we are allowing a little vacation time.

Add the extra day if you can, you won't regret it!

freshman

Thanks, everyone, I just bought the airline tickets into SJO. I got some of the last paired seats on the flights we wanted-whew!! I've tried to read other messages to learn about hotels but still have a few question that I will post separately later.

roadadvisor

Good for you!! send us your itinerary every body in the forum will try to help you...even they will try to sell you property in Costa Rica!!

R.A Luis

100% Costarican and proud of it!!

Suzie2

Glad you got the seats. July can be a beautiful time there. Everything is so green and it is little summer so the weather should be great.

ATL4SAHoneymoon

I flew into LIB and worked my way to SJO via busses, public and private. I then went on to Jaco and MA. I used Nature Air to get from MA(quepos) back up to Tamarindo and then cabed ot to LIB for flight home. Try Nature Air.

shillmac

Liberia airport works best for the north Pacific beaches. I'm sure that is what your friend was thinking, and it makes sense. UNLESS the beach you are planning to visit is further south like Manuel Antonio.

We've never split the arrival/departure cities, but both our daughters are flying into Liberia and out of San Jose this summer to visit us while we are there. They paid exactly the same fare as us flying in and out of SJO. Worked out nicely.

Have a great time! We'll be there in July as well, but not those 2 areas this time. . .