May 5, 2004 -- June is the "green season" in Costa Rica; that means the "wet" season to most of us. You can also call it the "cheap" season. In exchange for a few hours a day of rain, travelers to Costa Rica during the low season find rock-bottom fares and negotiable hotel rates. (See "When to Go" in our online Costa Rica guide for more information.)
United Airlines, US Airways and Central American carrier TACA are all slugging it out for the lowest fares to Costa Rica right now, and the result is that you can probably now get to San Jose, CR for just a little more than a flight to San Jose, California.
United's public Costa Rica sale offers travel through June 27. You need to buy 7 days in advance, fly on Mondays-Thursdays, and stay at least three days in Costa Rica. Roundtrip fares include:
- From Washington, D.C.: $278
- From Chicago or Denver: $378
- From LA or San Francisco: $398
- From Portland or Seattle: $418
If you're interested, buy online at www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,50140,00.html.
But wait! Shop around, and you'll find even lower fares -- silly, low fares.
At TACA, they're not advertising a sale, but some of their fares are still lower than United's. The downside? You usually have to change planes somewhere odd like Guatemala City or San Salvador. Check out these roundtrip fares for May dates:
- From Washington, D.C.: $185
- From Boston: $312
- From Chicago: $352
- From New York: $370
If you're interested, book online at www.taca.com.
US Airways' current Caribbean sale also offers very low fares to Costa Rica. They're putting seats for all summer on sale -- these fares are good for trips through August 27, though you must buy them by this Friday. Most of these flights aren't nonstop, but at least you're probably connecting within the US. Their roundtrip fares to Costa Rica include:
- From Charlotte or Philadelphia: $224
- From Baltimore: $252
- From Hartford: $346
- From Indianapolis: $353
- From Boston: $375
- From New York: $384
To book these fares, go to www.usairways.com/pro/specials/carib_dreaming.htm. But go soon, as US Airways' sale ends Friday.