Costa Rica
Costa Rica:
Costa Rica vacation:
If you are fortunate enough to land in San Jose Costa Rica during daylight hours you will see a large Central Valley surrounded by sleepy volcanoes, like silent watchmen waiting to awaken at the slightest provocation. We call this "landing in a postcard". It whets the appetite for the Costa Rica vacation to come.
Costa Rica is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places on earth to vacation in. Glide through a rainforest canopy in a floating gondola, go horseback riding on the beach, soak yourself in waters heated by an active volcano, hike through clouds in a mountaintop cloud forest, see the turquoise blue water-filled crater of a sleepy (but active) volcano, see pairs of Scarlet Macaws flying over crocodile infested rivers, watch rare sea turtles struggle to lay their eggs in protected places. All this and more await you in one of the world's last safe havens for wildlife.
Getting to Costa Rica from wherever!!!!
From North America
The American Rose Travel provides its customers direct flights to CR. we work with all airlines and that why our customers fly with the best airlines in the world. American, Continental, Delta, United, US Air, Frontier and Spirit Air all have direct flights to Costa Rica from major cities in the US to both San Jose airport and Liberia airport. Regional Airlines such as TACA also operate flights to/from various US cities such as New Orleans, New York, Los Angeles and Miami. You can begin your Costa Rica vacation from any one of these cities or by a connecting flight.
Air Canada has three flights per week direct to San Jose from Toronto. There are also several charter companies offering packages to Costa Rica.
From Europe
Major airlines operating the most direct flights to Costa Rica from Europe include Iberia and Condor. Apparently KLM will also be offering flights to Panama from Amsterdam only a short 45 minute flight away from Costa Rica. Many more options open up via connections in the US, particularly Miami, Atlanta, New York or Dallas - major cities with direct flights to Costa Rica.
Don't Over-schedule Yourself:
If you've never been to Costa Rica - it would be easy to assume the short distances between destinations would make it possible to get from one place to another quickly. Rough or curvy roads make this very unlikely. Be assured - you don't want to visit Tortuguero National Park one day and then drive to Corcovado National Park the next. These places are on opposite sides of the country and it would take more than 12 hours driving on some fairly treacherous roads to get from point A to point B. Let us help you build a travel strategy based on attraction groupings or your personal interests. For example: If you plan to visit Arenal Volcano - it might be a good idea to stop at Sarchi Village, home to many artisans, and maybe Poas Volcano on the way. An alternate route will take you through Zarcero, Costa Rica's dairy capital where you can sample home made cheeses and delicious sour cream (Natilla in Spanish). No matter what you do, be sure to stop off at one of the many beautiful Costa Rica hotels in the Arenal/La Fortuna region, many of which have natural hot springs right on the property.
Be Smart About Safety
Unfortunately crime has been on the increase, but exercise good common sense and your chances of having a problem in Costa Rica are minimal. Compared to many US and European destinations, Costa Rica is still a haven of peace and tranquility. Be sure to review our Costa Rica Safety Tips information page before your arrival.
Be Smart About Transport
Buses
If you are in good condition and have a lot of energy, riding around on the buses can be a great way to get around. Wages have gone up substantially over the past 10 years and a lot more people are buying cars, but buses and taxis are still the transportation of choice for most Ticos. For example: bus fare from our offices in Heredia to San Jose would be less than US$1 and take about 30-45 minutes. The same trip by taxi would run about $10 by taxi and take only about 15-25 minutes depending on traffic. Check out our Costa Rica bus schedule page for information on arrival and departure times to various destinations.
Taxis
You can spot an official Costa Rica taxi by it's red color and a yellow triangle on the door. There are many "Pirata’s" or pirate taxis floating around the streets. The fact they don't have a permit to operate keeps their costs lower and in most cases they charge lower fares. We recommend you stay away from pirate taxis. If they are not willing to spend the money to get a permit it's likely because either their car won't pass the standards (have fun stopping) or they may have some other stain on their record (say several accidents?) that might prohibit them from obtaining the necessary permissions.
Rental Cars
In our humble opinion, the best Costa Rica vacation includes a sense of adventure. Renting a car and driving around is certainly an adventure. Expect to get lost - there are few street signs and almost no street addresses. This author arrived in Costa Rica in the early 1990’s. I was looking for some place in San Jose and a local told me it was a few hundred meters west of the "Coca Cola". Like an idiot I assumed he must mean the gigantic Coca Cola sign I had seen near the National Theater and I set off on my quest, only to find he was referring to an area of town where there used to be a huge Coca Cola bottling plant decades ago. I've had many interesting journeys based on these types of directions since. Costa Rica is so beautiful no matter where you drive there will be something great to see. Rent a car in Costa Rica and get lost - you'll be glad you did.
* for further information or in order to receive additional detail about our offers and any other dream locations and vacations that you want to take part of , please call the American Rose Travel company at 718-265-9797 / 718-265-9795 or email us at travel@amrosetravel.com. We are also available on FB and TWITTER as well YOUTUBE.