costa rica travel

maravilla is right, there are many options but to be helpful we need some details. What’s an “extended stay”? And when? And where? And maybe why?

As a tourist, you will be limited to a ninety-day tourist visa. After that, you’ll have to leave the country briefly in order to qualify for another. That should figure into your plans as well.

Spirit Airlines has a plan of sorts that offers some very inexpensive rates for the basic seat from Florida to Costa Rica. The opportunities are very limited, however, and additional taxes and fees (baggage, etc) will run the bill up. I’m not certain it’s any great deal but maybe it’s worth investigating.

[quote=”jd1″]Hello,I’m retired and would like to take a extended stay but can not find airfare and a place to stay that is affordable for a single person. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,JD[/quote]

I have found that kayak.com provides the best rates on the internet. They search all ticket providers such as priceline, cheaptickets and others as well as the airlines.
http://www.kayak.com

Casa Alfi is centrally located in San Jose two blocks south of the National Theater. Rates the last I knew were around $35 per night.
Contact Alfred “Alfi” Richardson: alfrich1@yahoo.com; phone: (506) 2233-1805.

As mentioned, just keep checking. If you look at air fares to leave tomorrow, or even next week they may be in the thousands from anywhere in the U.S. But if you are planning about 3 months out there is a window where the flights are not full but the airlines want to fill them to 95%. Typical rates from the Eastern U.S. to Costa Rica round trip are about $400 from most major airports. But if you need a regional connector, add $200 to save driving 200 miles. . .

Look for Wednesday flights. The rest of the week is more expensive and weekends the highest. We use expedia.com but I think all the on-line services are about the same. Experiment, lots of trial and error.

Note that parking at some major airports can be expensive to the point that sometimes it is cheaper to rent a car one-way or take a bus than to leave the car.

I like TACA but have found them to be no cheaper than others. The same rules on timing apply to TACA.

Places to stay take lots of research. We stay with friends but when playing tourist have found the motels (some very nice) to be cheaper than in the U.S. Last we stayed in was on the beach for $55. If you can find a place to contact, ask about rates for an extended stay. Note that February through May (I think) are the “high season” and you probably will not get a deal. But the rest of the year (wet season) you could do better.

There are also bed-and-breakfasts OR as mentioned, couch surfacing or living on your wits. Some folks have the personality for it, I don’t.

Car rental is a significant cost but the best way to see the country if you want to see a LOT of it. Buses cover most of the country and taxis will take you just about anywhere for a price. We’ve paid $50 US for a 2 hour ride but on departure day it makes things a lot easier to know someone that knows where they are going will be doing the driving. Either need some ability with the language.

Hope this helps a little.

I have found Sprint to be the least expensive east of the Mississippi. If your are flying from the west, Frontier Airlines will be your best bet, $388 non-stop from Denver. I can’t help on cheap hotels. I usually like the higher priced ones. One of the things I like most about Costa Rica is how you can spend as little or as much as you want, and still get good value for your money.