Need help planning trip
 

I've read 3 guidebooks, and I just can't decide on where to go and for how long. My boyfriend and I are going to CR from Dec. 28-Jan. 10. We want to go to Arenal, Monteverde, and a beach town. We just aren't sure on how to do this on a budget (not too tight, mabye $70/day per person). Is it necessary to rent a car? How much is a car rental? Where is a good beach town? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Well, there are <i>lots</i> of beach towns so it would probably help if you provided a little bit of info regarding your interests. Are you wanting to surf? Looking to stay off-the-beaten-track in a sleepy small town, or would you prefer to be where there are lots of hotels, restaurants and activities to choose from?

That info will help people start to make suggestions.

Manuel Antonio is always a popular beach destination, with lots to do and a nice little national park, but it will be busy there at that time of year. It's a good choice for first time visitors but there are many others as well...

Costa Rica does have quite a bit to offer in the way of hotels and dining that can fit a wide range of budgets, so you should be able to make that aspect work okay.

Renting a car provides nice flexibility, but there are other ways to travel. Tourist buses like Interbus will get you to your various destinations economically. You can also take public buses, although it won't be as efficient or comfortable way to travel. Arenal is pretty spread out, so you may rack up a bit of expense for taxi fares, but getting around without a car is possible.

If you rent a car, you'll want to choose a 4WD for the clearance as CR roads are rather notorious for potholes, and the drive to Monteverde is steep and bumpy. I don't remember what we paid per day, but it's more expensive than a regular car. We were happy to have the freedom to get around on our own, however. You can probably get some ball park estimates from travelocity or expedia and then start looking for a good deal if you decide to rent...

Thanks for the help. Sorry I was so vague originally.

We don't want to go to a very crowded, touristy beach. I'm thinking either Montezuma or Dominical. Are those good places to visit?

Also, I think we'll be in Arenal for New Years. Does anyone know of a good (but not more than $100) hotel that would be a good place to enjoy the holiday? Maybe a good restaurant there? I was thinking of splurging on Las Lagos.

Also, how many days is recommended in Arenal and Monte Verde? I was thinking two days in each, giving us time to get some good hikes in.

One more questions, is there a particular car rental agency that is recommended? We decided we will rent a car.

You will need at least two nights each in Arenal and Monteverde. There is so much to do in each place that you should stay longer if you can. The drive from Arenal to MV will take you at least 3 1/2 - 4 hours, so that's half of one day right there.

We stayed in a cabin at Arco Iris in Santa Elena/Monteverde and loved it. $70 per night, but breakfast was extra. Large cabin up on a hill overlooking the town and the hills, beautiful landscaping, next door to the Orchid Garden, lots of tours will pick you up here. You are going during holiday season, so expect rates to be higher. Some Arenal hotels will also require you to have New Years Eve dinner at their hotel and charge you accordingly, so check when you make reservations.

You should start booking now as that is a very busy time for tourists and for locals to travel.

Tricolor is an excellent car rental agency, highly recommended by many on this forum. We reserved out of Libera, no problems, great rates. They also have an office in San Jose.

Montezuma is very nice, though the main beach has its share of folks there (I think some literally live there).

It's a short hike to a much less busy one, however.

$70/person/night seems pretty tight, especially if you rent a car, in which case you'll be looking at about $40/day minimum (Tricolor is the best bet for this--but get an Internet quote). Tack on another $50-$60/night lodging minimum and you're up to $50/person before you've eaten a bite or gained admission to any site or activity.

I second the recommendation of Arco Iris for Monteverde.

You can get a standard room for $90 at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, and it includes dinner. I think La Casona rooms are even cheaper, but their view isn't nearly as nice. AOL isn't a luxury splurge, but it is a location splurge. You can watch and hear the eruptions to mark the new year.

Hi mhoops,

Colibri makes a good point about the brevity of your planned stay in Monteverde and Arenal. Since you've got a couple of weeks, I would definitely recommend you extend your stay in each location. I have not yet been to Monteverde, but absolutely loved Arenal. We spent 3 nights there and really could have used one more. There is a lot to do in that area!

I haven't been to either of the beach towns you're considering, but have heard good things about both. I've seen several recommendations for both Hacienda Baru and Pacific Edge as places to stay in Dominical. They might both be in your price range (I <i>think</i> they both run in the ~60$-ish range). Hacienda Baru sits on land that's been designated a wildlife refuge, and I've got it on my wish list for a future visit. I'm not as familiar with the options in Montezuma although I know that lots of people really enjoy that area.

Lot's of people seem to really like Tricolor for car rentals. They would probably be good to look into. We've used Europcar and Payless on our 2 visits and were perfectly happy with both of those companies...

As colibri recommends, get started on making your arrangments. You'll be traveling during the very peak of tourist season!

Thanks for everyone's help.

I think we'll do three nights in Arenal (including new year's eve), 2 or 3 nights in Monteverde, 4 nights in Dominical, and our last night in San Jose.

I looked into Tricolor, and they quoted me $720 for the whole trip. That sounds good, but it ruins the rest of our budget, giving us $40 a day per person, which I think is completely impossible. Can we just rent a car for a portion of this trip?

I liked the Arco Iris hotel in Santa Elena, but am still looking into Arenal locations. I think we'll stay at Pacific Edge in Dominical. This is stressful having to plan it all so well 6 months early!

Thanks for all the help.

What kind of vehicle did you get for your trip and did you get it over the phone or via Internet?
If you want to do away with the need for a car, you could do Monteverde instead of Arenal. You can stay in Santa Elena and take taxis wherever you want to go for under $10/day. Arenal has more majestic scenery, but you also have to remember that the volcano itself isn't visible a lot of the time. Especially if you're on a budget, in which case staying in a place with a volcano view becomes very tough. Also, while there's a lot to do in Arenal, it's also expensive to do it--you're looking at anywhere from $30-$60 a person to do guided tours or rafting or zip lines. In Monteverde, you have all kinds of amazing hiking opportunities right there, as well as the Ranario and butterfly farm.

Instead of focusing on destinations, perhaps you could tell us what kind of activities or experiences you're looking for. There may be some locations, like Manuel Antonio, the Central Valley, or the Sarapiqui area, that might provide more bang for your buck and time.

Also, you may want to consider shortening the trip so you can afford to get more out of your days there. Especially in a place like Arenal, where you have to be active and thus shell out some $$ to fully appreciate the opportunities.

I looked up a 4wd budget SUV online. But i didn't get a chance to do much research on that.

As for what we are looking for...hiking, hot springs, zip lines, and relaxing at the beach.

Thanks for great advice!

Hi mhoops,

Well, Arenal is wonderful and offers most of the things you'd like to do (hiking, hot springs, ziplines), but it <i>is</i> quite spread out and taxi fares will add up. You could look at renting a car for your days there and use taxis for your other destinations to save some $$. RAC makes a good point in mentioning that most of the popular activities in the area are not particularly inexpensive.

Dominical is a bit more off-the-beaten-track. It has some tourist infrastructure, but probably not as much as a place like Arenal or MA. You might want to ask a few questions when you inquire about hotel arrangements regarding transportation to make sure taxis are readily available, or that there's a decent public bus schedule...

You can get info on traveling between your destations at www.interbusonline.com. I have not used interbus, but you'll find positive reports on them if you do a search here.

You are unfortunately traveling during the most expensive time of the year for CR. Most hotels charge a premium for the Christmas week. Have you checked out the Lonely Planet guidebook? They usually recommend a variety of options including budget-conscious alternatives.

Stick with hotels that include a breakfast buffet in the room price, and eat at the local sodas for inexpensive (but filling and tasty meals). This will help keep food costs in check.

Another suggestion - Puntarenas is midway between MA and Arenal and could serve as a base for trips. Taxi fare from San Jose airport is approximately $80, restaurants, stores, etc are within walking distance of B&amp;B's, small hotels in the western part of town. You should be able to find lodging with breakfast for $75 per night double occupancy, not per person. There's a Thrifty Car Rental agency at Doubletree Resort on the edge of town. Puntarenas is not a North American tourist town so prices are lower and it's not as crowded. It's built on a sand bar so nothing is more than about 2 blocks from the beach. The ferries to the beaches in Nicoya - Montezuma, Mal Pais, etc leave from a dock in the western part of town. If you want more details, let me know.

bookmarking

If you end up in Dominical, check out Hotel Diuwak. I stayed there for 5 nights in November 2005 as part of a surf package through Green Iguana and it was no frills, but clean and the staff was very friendly. They also run an even better bargain at Tortilla Flats- my friend stayed here and said it was even lower on the frill side, and a bit louder since it was closer to the beach and the bars, but still very clean and suitable for what she was looking for. The surfing was decent at the local beach you could walk to, though it wasn't very scenic. The other beaches were 10-15 minutes by drive and were all much more scenic and better for surfing- you could probably catch a taxi or a ride with surf school, or make friends- it's a VERY laid back area with tourists from around the world, majority in their mid-20s but we met people of all ages. There's a good party vibe at the local hang outs. Food was great- there were local sodas, beach bars, and a couple of fantastic Italian, sushi, and specialty restaurants that were more expensive for Costa Rica, but unbelievable bargains for the caliber you would get in the States. One of my favorite parts of the trip was taking a horseback ride to the nearby waterfalls- absolutely breathtaking.

Have fun!

So we've made a couple decisions. First, we're going to spend our first two nights at Orqueidas Inn, so we can go to Poas and La Paz.

Then we'll head to Arenal for 3 nights. I'm having a hard time finding something there, especially for New Years. Has anyone heard of Hotel Dorothy in La Fortuna? It's website mentions that it offers tour packages that seem like they are a good deal. Any other good recommendations in Arenal or La Fortuna that are less than $80 a night?

Then we'll head to Monteverde for two nights (arco iris), and then Manuel Antonio for 4 nights. Any good suggestions for MA hotels that aren't too expensive? Less than $80 a night?

I still haven't figured out the car rental situtation. I'm still thinking we'll only rent one for the first 5 days, then jeep-boat-jeep it to Monteverde and take a bus to MA. Is a car needed in MA?

thanks!

You definitely don't need a car in Manuel Antonio; things are easy to walk to, and there's also a public bus. We took a cab to a restaurant that was pretty far away, and it was only five bucks!

Hi mhoops,

I agree with VG that you won't need the car in MA. It's a fairly compact area. I think your plan to spend a few days at Orquideas up front sounds great! Get to Poas early for your best chance to see the crater. It's very cool! I absolutely love La Paz. It's a bit pricey to get in, but those waterfalls are truly spectacular (and the grounds are wonderful).

You might want to consider contacting Pat Hewitt to help you nail down your accommodations. Pat posts here on the forum fairly frequently. He's a travel specialist that focuses primarily on setting up Costa Rica trips for people. I had him make many of our arrangements for our trip last year beacause my job was out of control and I just didn't have time to do it myself. Pat was very easy to work with and quickly got everything organized for me. Several other people on the forum have also worked with him and recommend him. You can reach him through his website:

http://www.lovecostarica.com/

He might actually be in Costa Rica right now. He posted from down there recently. I bet he'll be able to help you find something for that busy New Years timeframe. He doesn't charge anything for his services and works with lots of different hotels. Just a suggestion...

mhoops:

My wife and I were in Costa Rica for two months this past winter.

We used Swiss Travel who are headquartered just out of San Jose Costa Rica.

They were recommended to us and we found them to be excellent.

Because they live there, they are within easy reach once you are there as well as being knowledgeable of the local advantages. They specialize in tailored individual travel so will be very able to give you what you want at a price you can afford - if that is possible.

I am sure that if you contact them with your specific requirement, you too will find satisfaction.

Although all of our trip was invoiced as a single sum, I do believe that we got very good prices for each of the individual items. These included internal air, transfers, inter city bus, boat transfers, tours, jungle stays, national park entrance fees, hotels and many meals as well as a two bed room apartment in San Jose.

We did not rent a vehicle this trip [we did on our first trip]. With the roads poorly signed and major routes appearing as simple local roads, I'm not sorry to have been driven around. Besides, that way I got to see more.

Find Swiss Travel on the web, it worth be worth your while.

What ever you decide, you will have a great time in Costa Rica.

Woodie