Costa Rica Trip Planner and Vacation Guide
Organize your dream tropical vacation filled with all the best vibes.
Background Info On Costa Rica
Language
The main language is Spanish. Most people in tourism speak some English.
Currency
Costa Rican colones. US dollars are also widely accepted.
Outlets
110 volt (same as the US)
International Airports
- Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose
- Liberia International Airport (LIR) in Liberia.
Popular Places to Visit
Manuel Antonio | Tamarindo | Monteverde | La Fortuna
Must Do Activities
zip lining | exploring national parks | surfing | relax on beaches
Hi! We’re Thomas (the German) and Sarah (the US-er)
We met in Virginia, moved to Germany, and since 2016 we have lived in sunny Costa Rica.
Now we spend our days roaming the country to bring you the very best in Costa Rica travel here on Costa Rica Vibes.
Want the whole crazy story?
How to Get to Costa Rica
Costa Rica is home to two international airports with several international flights arriving and departing daily. Getting here is easier than you might think!
Is It Your First Time Planning a Trip to Costa Rica? Read These Posts First!
- Transportation in Costa Rica: How to Get Around
- The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
- The Weather by Month and When to Visit
- The Perfect Costa Rican Itineraries for 1, 2, and 3 Weeks
- Costa Rican Currency and How to Pay
- Is Speaking Spanish Necessary? Language Tips
- How to Stay Safe in Costa Rica
- 90 Must-Know Costa Rica Travel Tips
- How to Stay Connected While Traveling
Custom Trip Plans
Don’t want to handle the details? Our in-country travel planner can design a custom trip for you. From private transportation to curated hotels and hidden gems, they’ve got your covered!
How to Get around
We think the best way to get around is by rental car. However, there are also several other convenient options including shared shuttle, private shuttle, and public bus.
Have Some Questions? We’ve Answered Them Below
Guided Vacation Packages
Take all the stress of vacation planning with these packaged tours
- Take a wildlife night walk through the Monteverde
- Admire the impressive Arenal Volcano from a hot spring
- Swim in turquoise waters and relax on white-sand beaches
- Take a snorkel day trip and see marine life off the coast of Samara
- Visit wildlife-filled Tortuguero National Park
- Go on a thrilling white water adventure through the lush jungle
- Explore the beautiful scenery at Manuel Antonio National Park
- Swim under the majestic La Fortuna waterfall
- Experience the captivating Monteverde cloud forest
A Few Costa Rica Vacation Must Know Tips
- There are no street addresses in Costa Rica. You will need to depend on putting the name of places into your GPS.
- Despite what some people seem to think, Costa Rica is not an island. It is sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama plus, there is a beautiful Pacific and Caribbean coast.
- The name for Costa Rican people is ticos (for men) and tica (for women).
- Pura Vida is the motto for life here. Directly translated it means “pure life.” Here it is used as a greeting and to say “all is good.”
- The lifestyle here is extremely relaxed. Just note that most likely some of your Costa Rica vacation plans won’t go as planned. Try to roll with it and adapt this chilled-out outlook on life for a bit. You can read our guide to Costa Rican culture for more info
Are you overwhelmed with planning the perfect vacation to Costa Rica?
Have no fear! We are here to help. Check out our FREE Ultimate Costa Rica Planning E-Book that is jam-packed with must know travel info
Hi,
This website has been fantastic. My family is hoping to come to CR in Feb. After two weeks of site seeing my husband will have to return to the USA for work. I am thinking of staying another week with our 4 young children. Do you think this is a safe idea? I would have to navigate on my own to get groceries, drive to parks and get us to the airport..
Hi Jessica. I’m so happy to hear our site has been helpful for you! I think you will be completely fine. Which area are you thinking of staying for the last week alone with the kids? I’m happy to give you tips for activities that you can do with them and easy grocery stores and stuff.
Hello! Thanks for all the information! I have a question about alcohol…if we bring up to the 5 liters, does it really save us money? For example, are the vodka prices in the US cheaper than CR?
Alcohol is definitely cheaper in the US because of the high import tax here, but they actually just opened a duty free shop after you go through Customs to enter at the San Jose airport. I didnt pay too much attention to the prices last time I went through there but if you dont want to lug stuff with you the prices at the duty free shop are probably pretty good. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions as you plan your trip. 🙂
Hello!!!!!!!!!!!
My name is Aubrey and I will be moving to Playa Samara in Costa Rica in May. I am a type 1 diabetic and I am worried about the insulin and the shipping of supplies. I love this blog and I have learned a lot to help myself prepare. Do you have any insights on meds?
Thank you!
Aubrey
Hi Aubrey!
You’ll love living in Samara!
I think you might have a difficult time shipping things in. First off, it’s hard to know if things will actually come on a normal schedule. For example, we have had my family ship us things from the US and sometimes it takes two weeks, sometimes two months, sometimes it never comes at all. Plus, with medicine, even if you have a prescription, you never know if it will get stopped because sending medicine is technically not legal.
Your best bet is probably to find a pharmacy here that can supply you. Pharmacies here are great and carry most medicine you would have in the states. Often you dont even need a prescription.
If you rather get things from your home country because of insurance purposes, I’d say your best bet is to see if you can get an extended supply.
Sorry I can’t be more helpful on this topic. I dont know a lot about it, but I will say avoid trying to ship anything into Costa Rica. It’ll just be way too much of a headache.
Let me know if you have more questions as you plan your move!