Getting There

By Plane

It takes between 3 and 7 hours to fly to Costa Rica from most U.S. cities. Most international flights still land in San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport (airport code SJO). However, more and more direct international flights are touching down in Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport (airport code LIR). Delta, American, US Airways, America West, and Continental have regular nonstop commercial flights to Liberia from their hubs in Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Houston, respectively. Liberia is the gateway to the beaches of the Guanacaste region and the Nicoya Peninsula, and a direct flight here eliminates the need for a separate commuter flight in a small aircraft or roughly 5 hours in a car or bus.

The Major Airlines -- Numerous airlines fly into Costa Rica. Be warned that the smaller Latin American carriers tend to make several stops (sometimes unscheduled) en route to San José, thus increasing flying time.

The airlines listed here currently serve Costa Rica from the U.S. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. and Canada or tel. 257-1266 in Costa Rica; www.aa.com) has flights from Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas-Fort Worth to San José and Liberia. Continental (tel. 800/231-0856 in the U.S. and Canada, or 0800/044-0005 in Costa Rica; www.continental.com) offers flights daily from Houston and Newark to San José, and a daily flight from Houston to Liberia. Delta (tel. 800/241-4141 in the U.S. and Canada, or 0800/056-2002 in Costa Rica; www.delta.com) offers two daily flights from Atlanta to San José and one daily flight from Atlanta to Liberia. Delta also has a once-weekly direct flight from Los Angeles to Liberia. Frontier (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com) is scheduled to begin nonstop service between Denver and San Jose at the end of November 2007. Mexicana (tel. 800/531-7921 in the U.S. and Canada, or 441-9377 in Costa Rica; www.mexicana.com) flies from many North American cities, most connecting through Mexico City. Spirit Air (tel. 800/772-7117; www.spiritair.com) has three weekly direct flights between Ft. Lauderdale and San José. US Airways (tel. 800/622-1015 in the U.S. and Canada or 0800/011-0793 in Costa Rica; www.usairways.com) has direct flights from Charlotte to San José and Liberia. Grupo Taca (tel. 800/400-8222 in the U.S. and Canada, or 299-8222 in Costa Rica; www.grupotaca.com) is a group of Central American airlines, with direct flights or connections to and from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Miami, and Washington.

From Europe, you can take any major carrier to a hub city such as Miami or New York and then make connections to Costa Rica. Alternatively, Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) from Toronto, Iberia (www.iberia.com) from Spain, and Martin Air (www.martinairusa.com) from Holland have established routes to San José, some direct and others with one connection.

By Car

It's possible to travel to Costa Rica by car, but it can be difficult, especially for U.S. citizens. After leaving Mexico, the Interamerican Highway (Carretera Interamericana, also known as the Pan-American Hwy.) passes through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua before reaching Costa Rica. All of these countries can be problematic for travelers for a variety of reasons, including internal violence, crime, corrupt border crossings, and visa formalities. If you do decide to undertake this adventure, take the Gulf Coast route from the border crossing at Brownsville, Texas, because it involves traveling the fewest miles through Mexico. Those planning to travel this route should purchase a copy of You Can Drive to Costa Rica in 8 Days!, by Dawn Rae Lessler (Harmony Gardens Publishing, 1998), which is available from the major online bookstores. You might also try to find a copy of Driving the Pan-Am Highway to Mexico and Central America, by Audrey and Raymond Pritchard (Costa Rica Books, 1997), which is harder to find. There is also a wealth of information online at www.sanbornsinsurance.com and www.drivemeloco.com.

Car Documents -- You will need a current driver's license, as well as your vehicle's registration and the original title (no photocopies), to enter the country.

Central American Auto Insurance -- Contact Sanborn's Insurance Company (tel. 800/222-0158 or 956/686-0711; www.sanbornsinsurance.com), which has agents at various border towns in the United States. These folks have been servicing this niche for more than 50 years. They can supply you with trip insurance for Mexico and Central America (you won't be able to buy insurance after you've left the U.S.), driving tips, and an itinerary.

Car Safety -- Be sure your car is in excellent working order. It's advisable not to drive at night because of the danger of being robbed by bandits, especially in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Also, drink only bottled beverages along the way to avoid any unpleasant microbes that might be lurking in the local tap water.