<p>Are you thinking about planning a trip to Costa Rica? You&#39;ve heard about their calm sandy beaches, waterfalls in the middle of the jungle, and the many volcanos.</p>

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<p><img alt="Planning a Trip to Costa Rica" src="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/uploads/blog/planning-a-trip-to-costa-rica-900x455.jpg" style="height:455px; width:900px" /></p>

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<p>We want to help you plan your trip. These 7 tips will give you an idea of how to start planning your Costa Rica adventure.</p>

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<p>What are you waiting for? Pack your bags.</p>

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<h2>1. Decide When to Go</h2>

<p>If you&#39;re planning a trip to Costa Rica, you want to make the most of your visit. Deciding <ins><a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Costa_Rica/When_To_Visit/" target="_blank">when to go</a></ins> is key to making that happen.</p>

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<p>You&#39;ll encounter gorgeous weather, more crowds, and escalated prices if you go during the high season. The low season means fewer people, cheaper accommodations, and getting a little wet.</p>

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<p>The dry season is the most popular time to visit Costa Rica. During the months of December to April tourists from the north arrive in Costa Rica to enjoy the sunny beaches, wildlife, and the rain forests.</p>

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<p>Costa Rica&#39;s rainy season slows down on tourism during the months between May to November. This doesn&#39;t mean bad news, however, you can still enjoy the beaches.</p>

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<p>Not only will it be quieter and more affordable, but if you travel to certain parts of the country you can still find some dryer areas.</p>

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<p>Also, more rain means greener foliage and more wildlife sightings.</p>

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<h2>2. Establish a Budget</h2>

<p>It&#39;s true, Costa Rica is one of the most expensive countries in Central America and has increased in popularity. Of course, it&#39;s easy to see why.</p>

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<p>Planning a trip to Costa Rica is possible on any budget as long as you take some factors into consideration.</p>

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<p>Here&#39;s the deal, it all depends on what you want to do when you&#39;re on vacation in Costa Rica. If you want an all-inclusive resort and spa days, you might be paying a hefty price tag.</p>

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<p>If you&#39;re willing to sacrifice luxury for adventure, like staying at a hostel, you will be able to do it on a budget.</p>

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<p>The key is to take a look at how much you can spend and what activities are a must and try to fit it in your budget.</p>

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<h2>3. Decide on an Itinerary</h2>

<p>It&#39;s an unfortunate fact that when you go on vacation you can never do it all. Having realistic expectations and <ins><a href="https://www.fodors.com/world/mexico-and-central-america/costa-rica/experiences/best-of-costa-rica-7-day-itinerary-57202220" target="_blank">careful planning</a></ins> will help you make the best of it.</p>

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<p>Costa Rica is a country rich in natural beauty, so you will spend most of your time exploring national parks. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time in each place so you can make the best of it.</p>

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<p>If you&#39;re only going for a long weekend, it doesn&#39;t make sense to plan to see as many things as if you had a week.</p>

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<p>It&#39;s helpful to make a list of the activities you must do and match them up with your itinerary.</p>

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<h2>4. Book Lodging Ahead</h2>

<p>Book your hotel in advance, or book last minute, you have heard it all. The truth is there&#39;s no right or wrong way to do so as long as you get a good deal.</p>

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<p>You might have more leeway on when to book your hotel if you travel in the slow season. Waiting last minute might be a good idea since hotels might be desperate to sell unsold rooms.</p>

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<p>If you wait until the last minute during the high season, you might find overpriced or sold-out rooms. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules.</p>

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<p>When you&#39;re planning a trip to Costa Rica, decide early on where you want to stay and begin tracking prices.</p>

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<h2>5. Plan for Transportation</h2>

<p>Besides booking your flight to Costa Rica and transportation to and from the airport, you need to decide how you&#39;ll get around.</p>

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<p>It all depends on the types of activities you have planned. If you booked your trip through a booking agency, you might get away with finding transportation through them.</p>

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<p>However, there are a lot more options you can explore.</p>

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<p>If you&#39;re on a budget, you can always use public transportation to go from one town to the next.</p>

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<p>You can book <ins><a href="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/costa-rica-shuttle-services-and-tourist-bus">tour shuttle buses</a></ins> to take you to the main tourist attractions. If your sense of adventure is higher, you always have the option to <ins><a href="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/costa-rica-car-rental">rent a car</a></ins> and explore on your own time.</p>

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<h2>6. Familiarize Yourself with Safety Measures</h2>

<p>As with any country high on tourism, visitors to Costa Rica might be subjected to scams. This doesn&#39;t mean it will happen to you, but you want to familiarize yourself with safety measures to reduce your risk.</p>

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<p>Costa Rica has a high risk of pickpocketers, especially in tourist locations. To avoid this you should take basic security measures. For example, don&#39;t carry large amounts of cash, always watch your belongings, and don&#39;t attract too much attention to yourself.</p>

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<p>Taxi drivers are also known to overcharge passengers, to avoid this, try to book get taxis from reputable sources. Credit card scamming is also common, so to avoid this, remember cash is king.</p>

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<h2>7. Research Activities</h2>

<p>If you&#39;re planning a trip to Costa Rica, be ready to do lots of research because this country has a lot to offer.</p>

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<p>You will get coastlines, rainforests, volcanos, wildlife, and more all in one place. It can be overwhelming how much fun you will have while in Costa Rica.</p>

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<p>It&#39;s important for you to plan ahead if you want to make the most of it. If you&#39;re planning on laying on the beach, then you should research the best beaches in Costa Rica.</p>

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<p>Let&#39;s say adventure is your thing, then white water rafting, zip lining, or hiking might be for you. Perhaps you want to explore the jungles, national parks, and volcanos.</p>

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<p>To make the best of it, make sure you do your homework.</p>

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<h2>Ready to Start Planning a Trip to Costa Rica?</h2>

<p>Remember, a trip to Costa Rica is possible on any budget, if you know what kind of adventure you want to have.</p>

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<p>This country is rich in natural beauty and has activities for everyone. Whether you like to relax on the beach, hike, or explore a volcano, Costa Rica has it.</p>

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<p>Ready to visit Costa Rica? Let us help you, <ins><a href="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/vacation-packages">visit us</a></ins> to find a customized vacation package.</p>

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<p>If you have any questions or need help on planning your trip, contact us here --&gt;&nbsp;<ins><a href="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/contact_us">Contact Us</a></ins></p>

<p><br />
Previous: <ins><a href="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/7-best-places-to-travel-in-costa-rica">7 Best Places to Travel in Costa Rica for Any Traveler</a></ins></p>

<p><br />
Next: <ins><a href="https://www.graylinecostarica.com/7-family-friendly-tourist-attractions-in-costa-rica">7 Family Friendly Tourist Attractions in Costa Rica</a></ins></p>

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