Planning a Trip

Costa Rica is beginning to be old hat. It seems like almost everybody's already been, or knows someone who's been. That said, most travelers will want to do some serious pretrip planning. When is the best time to go to Costa Rica? The cheapest time? Should you rent a car (or will you need 4WD), and what will it cost? Where should you go in Costa Rica? What are the hotels like? How much should you budget for your trip? These are just a few of the important questions that this section answers so that you can be prepared when you arrive in Costa Rica.