Costa Rica Getting There

Getting There by Air

The national airline is Grupo Taca (TA) (website: www.taca.com), a consortium of five national Central American airlines.

Approximate Flight Times

From New York to San José is 7 hours. From London to Liberia is 11 hours 30 minutes.

Main Airports

Juan Santamaría (SJO) (website: www.alterra.co.cr) is outside Alajuela, 23km (14 miles) northwest of San José. To/from the airport: Coaches depart regularly; return pickups stop at various hotels. Buses depart to the city every 15 minutes (journey time - 20 minutes). Some hotels have shuttle services to the airport; these are 24 hours and free of charge. Taxis are also available to the city (journey time - 15 minutes). Facilities: ATM, bank, restaurants, shops and duty-free stores.

Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) is 8 km (5 miles) west of Liberia.  To/from the airport: Regular buses serve the airport, connecting Liberia with Playas del Coco and other beach resorts. Rental cars are available. Facilities: ATM, bank and restaurant.
Air Passes
The Visit Central America Pass, available from Grupo Taca, is an economical way to travel to Costa Rica from the USA and from Costa Rica to other Central American countries.
Departure Tax
US$26, payable if staying more than 24 hours.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Puntarenas is the main port in the Costa Rican Pacific coast. Puerto Limón receives cruise ships on the Caribbean side.

Getting There by Road

The Inter-American Highway runs through Costa Rica from La Cruz on the Nicaraguan border through San José to Paso Canoas on the Panamanian border.
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