Hello!<BR><BR>I would like advice from those who used chose to fly, rather than drive, around Costa Rica.<BR><BR>Specifically, once you arrive at your destinations, did you find it easy to visit all the attractions in the area by foot? Or do you have to take a bus now and then?<BR><BR>Did you miss having a car available so that you didn't have to be on a schedule?<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>Donna

My husband and I drove the first 2 years we went to CR. For the last 8 we have left the driving/flying to someone else. We never feel like we are missing anything. Taxis and buses are cheap. If we want to go off for the day on our own we just hire a taxi for the day or half day or arrange for a drop off and pick up. Many of the tours you can go on provide transportation.<BR>We do not miss having a car nor do we feel that we have missed much. Driving can be an adventure. It can be fun to stop. We do that with private drivers too.

The biggest problem with this strategy is that you will miss getting lost so often and thus there are all kinds of places and people you will never see or meet that you never planned to see or meet but will create endless tales to tell your friends about when you get home.<BR><BR>Just a thought,<BR>Berni

FLY! We took a taxi from the SJ airport to Manuel Antonio and decided to fly on the way back--so worth it (just as expensive) and you see amazing scenery while in the plane. We heard of many people getting cars broken into and found flying/taxis to be much less stressful.

I think berni makes a valid point--we've been flying from destination to destination on our trips to CR because our trips are relatively short and we like to reach several locations on each trip, each hour of transportation saved translates into an hour of being where we want to be--but we well know that we are missing the heartbeat of Costa Rican culture this way. Flying works for us, but if I had a month or two to spend in Costa Rica at one time, I'd want to be driving, using Grecia or Alajuela or the like as my home base.

I guess we have been fortunate over the years to have made many Tico friends. Many have started out as drivers/guides but became much more. We have had a lot of good times with them both on the road touring and in their homes. I have also done several weeks of homestays with different families so I have not felt like I was missing the &quot;heartbeat&quot; of CR. We are looking forward to more and more quiet visits as the years go on and hopefully before too long we will be able to stay for several months every year. At that time we will probably go back to driving or taking the bus. We still fly a good bit but not as much as before because we do like to be able to visit with our friends or guides. That for us is part of the vacation.<BR>For a person who is just there for a quick visit for the first time I think it is important for you to spend time with the costa ricans and a good way to do it is with a driver. We have learned so much from them. Most of them are very knowledgable. They are also good BS artists LOL and don't like you to know if they don't know something so will make up an answer.<BR>The Costa Ricans are part of the wonderful allure of CR. They are some of the nicest people I have met on my many travels. It would be a shame to miss what keeps many of us going back. On the other hand, there are times when getting to a destination quickly is a better choice and you will still have the opportunity to meet people once you are there. Seeing the sites without a car is really not a big problem in most areas and can be an opportunity to meet a talkative Costa Rican taxi driver!<BR>

My daughter and I started out our trip connecting via shuttle busses, but when we missed the last one out of Fortuna for the day, we headed over to Alamo to rent a car for the duration of the trip. The flexibility of having a car made our vacation SO much more enjoyable.<BR><BR>You'll find that most &quot;tourist areas&quot; - where the hotels are - tend to be 3-6 km away from town. Too inconvenient for a quick jaunt on foot, so you're always dependent on cabs.<BR><BR>Another major bonus of driving is all the incredible sightseeing, which would not be nearly as great on a plane.

Fly, Fly, Fly. We drove the first year and never again. Pot holes bigger than the kitchen sink, although it does depend on where your going. It took us 7 hours to drive 126 miles. Hire a driver, cab's or short flights(not that expensive). Much less stress!!! Just my opinion. Good Luck

Drive, drive, drive and then take tours for the out of the way places like Tortuguero or Osa....but I'd also absoltely agree with Susie2