Well, it’s that time of year again, we are in full trip planning mode! And of course, it wouldn’t be our kind of trip if it wasn’t on a budget 🙂 This one is going to be international, so it will run us a little more than our last two budget trips to the Caribbean. (Be sure check out our Puerto Rico and St. Croix posts as well! ) But it will absolutely be worth it! Read on to learn how we planned a week long trip for two, to Costa Rica, for less than $1050 USD.
Full disclosure – this ‘Trip for Two to Costa Rica for less than $1050 (USD)’ accounts for roundtrip flights from the U.S. with one checked bag, rental car for 8 days and accommodations (including breakfast!) for 7 nights, for one couple. Based on some of the trips we’ve seen advertised, this is really quite a great deal. Some tours start at $1,000 per person, without the flight!
There are always several things that can affect how, when, where and why we plan a trip. In this particular situation, we were motivated by airline miles sitting on a credit card.
Ever Heard of Spirit Airlines?
First things first. Why did we pick Costa Rica for our next trip? Complete transparency – it was the cheapest place and time we could find flights to make the most of our Spirit Miles/points. Are you familiar with Spirit airlines? They are currently one of the top budget airlines in the U.S. We always check their flight options first when planning a trip. They offer a credit card through Bank of America which gets you ‘Miles’ that you can use toward your next flight.
Phil had a card for YEARS and we finally used up all of his Miles on our trip to St. Croix last fall (part of our ‘Trip to St. Croix for Two for Less Than $600‘ post). While we were on this flight, the attendant on the loud speaker mentioned a promotion they were running. Their ‘limited time offer’ (which you can still get, by the way) gets you 30,000 Miles which can be used in various ways. We decided to maximize and head to San Jose, Costa Rica using all of the points plus a few dollars. Here’s the break down for two round trip tickets (from Myrtle Beach (MYR) to San Jose (SJO), with a layover in Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) with one checked bag (each way):
Before Spirit Miles: $821.56 (USD)
Using Spirit Miles: $466.59 (USD)
That’s a 43% savings!
Note: We did some cost comparison, and round trip flights, mid-September, from various U.S. airports run about $400 per person. Airports we researched: Charlotte (CLT), Norfolk (ORF), New York (NYC), Boston (BOS), Portland (PDX), Los Angeles (LAX) and Kansas (MCI).
If you aren’t familiar with Spirit, it’s good to know that they are a BUDGET AIRLINE! They will charge you for any and anything in addition to your ticket, so be sure to do your research when committing to them. The ONLY free bags are your personal items. They will charge you for anything over that 18″ x 14″ x 8″ item. So if you can, try to share a carry-on bag with your travel buddy (up to 62 linear inches and weighing less than 40 lbs.). Yes, there’s some math involved, but it’s worth it. Also, be sure to purchase the luggage ahead of time, when planning your trip. They could charge you more than double to check it once your arrive at the airport.
Additionally, Spirit will charge you to select your seat, as well as for any food or beverage on the plane. So be travel savvy and plan ahead! We pack snacks and bring our reusable water bottles in preparation for Spirit flights. These little tricks contribute to how we plan a trip for two, to Costa Rica, for less than $1050.
Road trippin’
We originally toyed with the idea of travelling via bus while in Costa Rica, as we have heard from several folks that the bus system is quite good. And cheap! While reasonable and relatively reliable, we’ve heard it’s a very slow method of transportation. It also limits the places you can travel to. It’s something we’d be more likely to entertain if we were staying in Costa Rica for a couple weeks. That being said, we decided we wanted to book a rental car for our trip.
Costa Rica has SO MUCH TO OFFER and we aren’t about to sit idle in one town for the whole week. That’s just not how we roll. We want the freedom to EXPLORE! We did quite a bit of research about renting a car and driving in Costa Rica, and the best advice seemed to come from MyTanFeet.com. “Costa Rica’s Leading Travel Blog and Planning Guide” was a GREAT reference for SO MANY things in planning this trip. They even offer a car rental deal that can’t be beat! Here’s just some of what their hook up includes (head to their website for more):
- Up to 20% off!
- Two FREE drivers (normally $4 per day per driver)
- 0% deductible from the Liability Protection Insurance (up to $20,000 – normally 20%)
- Road assistance
- Local cell phone rental at no extra cost with 1 hour of credit for local calls and texts (not smartphone)
- Included shuttle pick up & drop off to the airport
- Free cooler if available (small or medium size)
- $750 deposit instead of the $1000 deposit
Pretty sweet right?!?!
One of the most important things to note about Costa Rica, if you are renting a car, is the mandatory, liability insurance. You will NEED TO purchase this insurance with the rental. This is not the car protection offered by your credit card, but you’ll want to have that too. There are stories of people who booked rental cars online without considering this who were later quite taken aback by the cost of the additional insurance once they arrived at the rental car agency. As always, do your homework!
On average… accommodations are CHEAP!
Sure, there are fancy, luxury hotels, just like anywhere else. But in true Staying Afloat style, we sought out some deals! When we initially started planning the trip, we started searching the ol’, tried and true, Airbnb. After finding a couple places that looked O.K., we decided to see what kind of deals hotels had to offer. We were pleasantly surprised! There are several options, in all of the towns we plan to visit, averaging less than $45 per night. Best of all? We were able to secure all our accommodation with BREAKFAST INCLUDED!
We ended up booking most of our hotels through Booking.com (see side bar—>). They had some of the best prices, and the desktop layout is super user friendly!
Travel Tip: We would do all the research on our desktop and then make the reservations through our Ibotta app (if you don’t have it yet, be sure to use our referral code hpkyhkm for some free $$). This way, we get an extra 4% cash back on the already reasonably priced accommodations. It’s a win-win situation!
We did read in a couple spots, that if you are planning your trip in the off-peak/rain season (May to November) you may be able to negotiate a cheaper rate with some hotels. We didn’t have much luck with this, but we still made out alright! Stay tuned for details on where we stayed as we’ll break down the price of each night in another post 😉
And there you have it!
Two Roundtrip Flights: $466.59
Rental Car for 8 Days: $268.69
Lodging for 7 Nights (average per night): $44.85/nt
That’s a trip for two, to Costa Rica, for less than $1050!
We’ll be publishing a blog post about our itinerary as well as the trip itself later this year, so be sure to check back for an update. Said post will include daily costs like food, drink, and fuel. We’ll also report back on entertainment, like national park admissions, and any tours we take while we are there. Our goal, of course, is to keep expenses to a minimum.
If you aren’t yet following us on social media, be sure to do so before we leave for our trip in September. Check us out on Instagram and Facebook. This way, you’ll be able to travel along with us!
Travel Tip – If you need to call Costa Rica for any reason while planning your trip, be sure to use a calling card. Calls can run around $1.99/minute when calling from the US.
Have you ever travelled to Costa Rica? We’d love to hear your budget friendly recommendations for things to do!
I love this! I’ve always wanted to go to Costa Rica. I never knew it could be done so affordably.
Absolutely Stacey! And you could do it for even cheaper if you look at some of the less expensive accommodations and go for bus transportation. We hope you get there soon! Happy travels 🙂
Costa Rica has been on my bucket list for a few years and you have some awesome info here – thanks so much!!
Ours too! You bet Michele. Be sure to check back in for more details about the trips in the coming months.
I’ve heard countries like these have cheaper prices compared to US. Also love using accumulated mileages for my trips. Saves tons!! I can’t help myself but wanting that jeep. I love that color.
Hi Claire, thanks for stopping by. We are definitely making the most of those air miles! And we love the colour too 😉
Thanks for sharing this nice and exhaustive guide on things to do in Costa Rica. It would be extremely useful for those travelling there.
Hi Kaylan, have you been? We are still in the process of planning our itinerary and would love some suggestions!
I’ve never really considered going to Costa Rica, but you got my attention with cheap accommodations. I’m going to have to look into this for next year.
Always happy to inspire Denise! Let us know if you have any questions about the planning process, we’d be happy to help 🙂 Happy traveling!
Costa Rica has been on my list of places to visit. It looks like you all had an amazing time. Thanks for the recommendations.
Hi Jeanell, we actually haven’t been yet. This is just the planning phase. Be sure to check back for a post-trip summary.
There are so many good tips and tricks on saving on flights, transportation and accommodations. I would love to go to Costa Rica one day.
We are so excited to get there Lisa and hope you do too some day! Be sure to check back in for more tips to stretch your Costa Rica budget!
great tips! a god vacation doesnt have to be expensive
You got that right Jasmine! Always happy to share some budget travel knowledge 😉
These are some great tips! I have heard of Spirit airlines, but don’t think I’ve flown with them before.
Hi Shannon, thanks for dropping in! We are always happy to spread the budget travel knowledge. Keep in mind, they are a budget airline for a reason so it’s good to prepare yourself mentally for that first trip. Happy travels!
These are great tips for those based in the states. I’m however based in the UK. Nevertheless, I will definitely be visiting Costa Rica one day, it looks so beautiful.
Sorry to overlook you Sassy! Flight aside, you can get some really good deals on lodging and rental car no doubt. Have traveling!
A 43% savings is huge. I have been thinking of getting a credit card that racks up miles. I may look at Spirit.
Yes it is Rosey! Just be sure to get in and out before the annual fees start adding up. That’s the true trick. Good luck!
I have never been to Costa Rica but it looks so beautiful, just perfect to relax and refresh. Thanks for showing me another great place to add to my bucket list. And I like the fact the we can travel for less than $1050 USD, that was inexpensive!
Doesn’t it though?! We can’t believe how reasonable it is either. And it could be done for less at that! Be sure to check back in for more tips 🙂
I had the pleasure of visiting Costa Rica and spending a month over there! Very nice people and the country is beautiful. So happy that Spirit flies there!
That sounds amazing Myrah!! We only WISH we could spend a month there! We’ve heard many great things about the country and are very much looking forward to the trip. Any recommendations?
That’s not a bad way to budget yourself when planning a trip for two. I remember thinking about Costa Rica, but I thought it would be too expensive.
Hi Dana, it’s totally doable, and could be done for even less! If you look at even lower priced hotel options and rely on the bus system to get around, you’d save even more. So don’t rule it out 😉
Who knew you could plan a budget vacation to Costa Rica…so gorgeous! Great post!
Hi Catherine, we’re very excited to make the trip and share even more budget travel tips with everyone!
Nah, I have never heard of Spirit Airlines but seems great! I love budget travelling too! I haven’t been to Costa Rica yet so have bookmarked this post for future reference ☺
They are definitely worth checking out is you are into budget travel. We hope our post comes in handy for you in future! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
I’ve truly always wondered how people afford to go on these luxury vacations multiple times a year, and now that I’m seeing your math and all the details, I’m realizing that with some serious effort put into it, it’s 100% possible. I’ve never been off the East Coast – let alone to another country – so I’d love to finally get my feet wet (literally and figuratively) and go explore with my husband!
Hi Stephanie! We are all for enlightening folks to how affordable travel can truly be! Be sure to check out our trips to Puerto Rico and St. Croix which included flights, accommodations and a rental car for a week for two for less than $600! Might be a good starting point as they are still US based. Happy traveling!
Costa Rica is in my bucket list! This country has to much to offer and I want to visit this magic place soon! Who knew It could be inexpensive!
We were surprised as well Lina! Stay tuned for more details about our budget trip. We hope you get a chance to travel there soon!
This is so great! Costa Rica is on my bucket list, so I’m definitely saving this post for later.
Thanks for stopping by Crystal! Always happy to spread the travel tip wealth 😉 Feel free to reach out with any questions. Happy traveling!
This is such a great post and love this whole guide to having an awesome trip at an affordable price!
Kileen
cute & little
Thank Kileen! We really enjoy sharing reproduceable content and hope our readers can enjoy the same benefits as us. Happy traveling!
Costa Rica is a dream destination. I loved this post. Bookmarking it for future reference. 🙂
Hi Hina! It’s been on our too and we can’t wait to check it off! Be sure to check back for more details about the trip, coming soon!
Hi Hina! It’s been on ours too and we can’t wait to check it off! Be sure to check back in for more details about the trip. See you soon!
Awesome blog, super helpful budgeting tips!! 👍👍
Thank you Brittany! We are always happy to share 🙂
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