Tips for traveling to Costa Rica (or anywhere) in rainy season

by Katie Hammel on

When I heard that flights from Chicago to San Jose, Costa Rica were going for just $260 per person this Fall, I immediately called my husband and asked if we could go for Labor Day weekend. Despite the fact that neither of us has ever expressed a burning desire to go to Costa Rica, he agreed. What can I say – we’re suckers for a deal.

We knew that prices were so low for a reason. May to November is rainy season in the country, but we figured “rainy season” just meant a few showers each day. We also assumed it would mean not just cheap flights, but also cheaper accommodations, deals on tours, and fewer tourists. In some ways, our assumptions were right on. And in others, we couldn’t have been more wrong.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t consider a trip to Costa Rica, or anywhere for that matter, in rainy season. Just take into account these tips to make the most of your time during wet weather.

Know That It’s a Crap Shoot
You could be there during one of the weeks when the rain is unseasonably light or perfectly predictable, with light showers covering the area each day in the afternoon like clockwork. The week before our trip (and, as this video shows, the week after), we were told, the area we stayed in (the small town of La Fortuna, at the base of Arenal volcano) enjoyed near-constant clear skies, warm temps and low humidity. For the three days that we were there however, it rained several times each day. It rained in the morning, it rained in the afternoon, it rained at night. Just when we thought the clouds would clear completely, they would descend again and obscure any traces of sun. One day, powerful thunder storms shook our hotel and we watched lighting illuminate the darkness through our skylight for hours before the rain finally reduced to a slight drizzle that lasted until 10pm. You might be there for a week of perfect weather, or you may wind up getting soaked like we did. More likely, you’ll experience a bit of both on your trip.

Rent a Car
With such a short amount of time in the country, we couldn’t rely on public buses or shuttles (though they are normally a great budget option). And since we’ve given up our credit cards (a move we only regret one the very rare occasion when we want to rent a car outside of the US), our options were to hire a private driver as we did, or to fly from San Jose to Fortuna. Given the torrential rainstorms we saw, I was very glad that we didn’t opt to fly on Nature Air. We would have spent hours waiting for the weather to clear for our flights or, even worse, had to fly through the downpour.The small prop planes are scary enough to me. Renting a car is the best option, especially if you choose to stay in a small town like Fortuna. There’s not a whole lot to do in town and if you don’t have a car, you’ll need to book organized tours to do most activities, many of which may be a bust due to the weather. Which brings me to my next point. . .

Don’t Book Activities in Advance
We only had three days in Costa Rica, and we wanted to make the most of it, so we opted to book some of our tours in advance. We really shouldn’t have bothered. By my rough count, there are at least three tour operators for every house in Fortuna. There was a tour agency on every corner, in every hotel, at every restaurant. And most offered the exact same services or trips to the exact same places at the exact same prices. And every single one wants your business. Waiting to book activities until we had arrived might have given us the chance to negotiate prices, and it would have allowed us to change plans when the weather didn’t cooperate.

One night, we’d booked an evening tour to Arenal, our chance to see the lava flowing against the darkened sky. As we hadn’t seen the top of the volcano for more than five minutes (on our first afternoon in town) in three days, we should have known the tour would be a bust and tried to cancel. Instead we held out hope. Maybe the sky was clear on the other side of the volcano, where the lava flowed. Maybe the clouds would part just in time. Maybe the tour guides knew more than we did, and knew that every night at 7pm the clouds did lift and Arenal was visible from the one place we’d be. As it turns out, the guides did know better than us. They knew that there was no chance in hell we’d see lava but that we didn’t know that, and would still pony up $30 each to go look at a volcano shrouded in gray. After standing there for 40 minutes among a crowd of 50 people, looking at a solid wall of clouds, my husband and I were pretty annoyed. We realized that we should have just canceled the tour when we had the chance, and that if we’d had a rental car, we could have driven out there on our own.

Choose Your Hotel Wisely
My husband and I attempted to tough it out during much of the rain. We wandered around the town during even heavy precipitation, but when pouring rain combined with booming thunder, we retreated to our hotel, the lovely Las Colinas. I’d debated between booking a more expensive place with a pool or going for an ultra-basic hostel with little more than a bed. In the end, I’m so glad we settled on the $70 per night honeymoon suite at Las Colinas. Though we never saw the whole volcano from our deck (as the website promised), when we were stuck in our room for hours due to storms, we were so grateful for the extra amenities. We popped a few Imperial beers in the mini-fridge, pointed the TV towards the giant jacuzzi tub, and sipped and soaked while catching up on Spanish MTV and English-language episodes of “Keeping up with the Kardashians” as the storm raged outside. Had we booked the fancy hotel, the pool would’ve been wasted on us; had we gone the cheap route, we’d have been bored cooped up in our room with nothing to do. So, choose your hotel knowing that you may be spending more time in your room than you would have liked.

Pack Appropriately
I’ll be the first to admit that, while I have my city-trip packing down to a science, when it comes to packing for less urban destinations, I kind of suck. This is how I’ve ended up caving in Iceland in skinny jeans and knee-high boots, and how I found myself hiking a muddy trail in Costa Rica in 90 degrees temps with smothering humidity in jeans and running shoes. Rainy season means rain. It means mud. And it means you will get wet. Pack a rain parka, lightweight and waterproof or quick-drying pants, sturdy boots with good traction for hiking, and sandals with a bit more structure than my Old Navy flip flops. Ladies, definitely bring a dress or skirt for hot nights, but leave the heels at home. Don’t bother with a blow-dryer or make-up (your hair will frizz no matter what and make-up will just run off your face), but don’t forget extra hair ties, a hat, and an umbrella.

Do Your Restaurant Research
My tried and true method for finding a good restaurant on a whim is to look for one that is busy (and not just full of tourists). It’s a strategy that has worked well everywhere I have gone, but in Costa Rica, it failed. Not because we went to a busy restaurant that wasn’t good. But because no restaurants were busy. Every place we walked by, from the center of town to the outskirts, was dead. We never saw more than 2-3 groups in any given place at once. When we talked to the owner of Lava Lounge, our favorite bar, he said that we were there in the few weeks when the town was totally empty of tourists. He said things would pick up a little in the next few weeks, but not much. So, if you are looking for nightlife, look elsewhere. We also found that, as we’d heard, the food in Costa Rica wasn’t much to rave about. We had a few good meals, but nothing stood out as mind-blowing. One waitress we talked to said she preferred to eat at home; the food her family made was much better than anything served in a restaurant. We should have asked to come over for dinner.

Accept that You Will Get Wet
The first night, my husband and I tried to wait out the rain. We quickly realized we’d be spending our entire trip inside if we did that. Bring good rain gear and resign yourself to the fact that you will get wet. We got rained on while walking around town. We got rained on while horseback riding. And we got rained on while zip-lining. And…we survived. Actually, we had a great time. The sooner you accept the fact that you are going to get wet, the more fun you’ll have.

Resolve to Make the Most of It
This goes for a trip to Costa Rica or a trip anywhere around the world. Sometimes, trips are perfect. Most plans go smoothly, and the ones that don’t end up adding a new, and often better, dimension to your experience. But sometimes things just don’t work out the way you’d dreamed. In those times and on those trips, try to make the most of it. Sure, I would have preferred a little less on rain on my trip to Costa Rica, but zip-lining through the canopy as fat rain drops plop-plopped on the leaves around me was an unforgettable experience. And over the course of three wet days, I learned a lot of valuable lessons about traveling (anywhere) in rainy season.

The Accidental Chef Travels: St. Martin on a budget

by Kendra Bailey Morris on


It was just a few months ago that I found myself, once again, with itchy feet. I needed to go somewhere warm and tropical, and I needed to get there as soon as possible. I ran the idea by the hubby, who is always up for a last-minute jaunt, especially when we’re talking the Caribbean, and started the proverbial search for where and when.

This is where things started to get tricky, and to complicate things, we were on a major budget. While flights to just about anywhere were at an all-time low, itineraries to the Caribbean islands were all over the map from my hub, Richmond, Virginia, with several boasting multiple stops with exceptionally long layovers, some in excess of 24 hours. One itinerary, Richmond to Nevis, offered a whopping thirty-one hours travel time, which essentially negated the fact that I actually live on the east coast of the United States.
Islands were quickly narrowed down because of this, and it wasn’t long before I discovered the beauty of Charlotte Douglas Airport which serves as major hub to many Caribbean islands. Connecting through CLT was showing uber-cheap flights ($350 round trip on US Airways including taxes and fees from Richmond to St. Maarten. Toss in flexible travel days (a Saturday to Thursday stay, which offered the lowest fare) and I was sold. Estimated money saved, thanks to CLT, travel flexibility and banging low rates on US Airways, roughly $200 per ticket.

Yet, the budget challenge continued as we needed a week’s worth of accommodations, and of course, plenty of cash money for eats and drinks. Luckily, we were traveling during the off-season, which I highly recommend for a couple of reasons– it’s way cheaper and the beaches are less crowded. Traveling from mid-April through early December is a great way to take advantage of some crazy reduced hotel rates. Whether it’s a 7th night free offer, complimentary spa treatments, meal vouchers or just super-low rates in general, if you can swing traveling during this time (and don’t mind the heat or fear hurricanes) you can manage to score some amazing deals.

For example, we discovered a total gem of a hotel in Grand Case, French St. Martin, the Grand Case Beach Club, an oasis of calm, azure swimming holes, impeccable service on all fronts, oceanfront rooms with views of Anguilla, and incredible food and drinks to be enjoyed at the hotel’s waterfront Sunset Café. Our one bedroom oceanfront room came with a fully equipped kitchen, separate living area and a king size bedroom, where sliding glass doors opened to take in the breezes from off the bay.

Like all guests, we arrived to a complimentary bottle of wine, soft music playing from a rotating CD player in our room, and hibiscus flowers scattered about the bed and bath. A complimentary continental breakfast in true French St. Martin style (croissants, yogurt, French butter and dark roast coffee) was offered oceanfront every morning, all non-motorized water sports were free, and on Wednesday, a hosted manager’s reception was held hillside complete with hors d’oeuvres, rum punch and great conversation with the staff . The price for all this luxury? $200 bucks a night including a 5th night free offer. By comparison, in-season rates for February 2010 for the same exact room are showing $435 per night.

The lesson? Visit the Caribbean in the off-season, look for package deals such as free night offers, and try to go for hotels/resorts that offer guests more than simply a room. As a result, our total estimated savings was roughly $1,375 in accommodations alone with the little extras serving as priceless additions.

Now, the food part was easy. We were in French St. Martin, after all, home to some of the finest cuisine in the Caribbean. Yet, many of the restaurants in Grand Case, while amazingly good, didn’t come cheap and would have totally thrown us off budget. We managed to find financial solace in the many lolos that dot the streets of town, but we still wanted to have at least one “nice” meal out. In order to do this, we needed to cut costs in other areas. This is where our in-room kitchen came into play.

I figured, along with the continental breakfast, which was quite generous, we could cook our own lunches in the room. Within walking distance of the hotel was a fantastic local grocery store, the U.S. Supermarche, brimming with delicious French specialties (think tins of imported foie gras, local vegetables, homemade pizzas, freshly baked baquettes, gobs of gooey French cheeses and $3 bottles of wine). With delights like this, who would want to eat out?

Nearly every day, we packed our picnic lunch of French delights and enjoyed them either on the beach or overlooking the bay from our patio. Estimating that the average breakfast for two would cost $20/day with tax and tip, and lunches would hover around $40/day with tax a tip, we saved approximately $300 more dollars sans the small amount we spent on groceries, and we ate a whole heck of a lot better.

I can’t talk about budgeting a Caribbean vacation without mentioning booze. This stuff will bite you in the butt when traveling (and I’m not talking hangovers). Partaking of wine, beer or cocktails can throw your entire budget off in a matter of days, so be careful when hitting restaurants and bars, or when it comes to the Caribbean beaches, calling over the cabana boy a few too many times while lying face up in the sand. Don’t worry, I’m not going to recommend abstinence while on vacation, but I will recommend watching where those hooch dollars go.

One way to save big is by stocking up in your room. It’s the Caribbean for god’s sake, so go get a bottle of top quality rum, a few mixers and have at it beach side instead of tossing out fivers at the tiki bar all day. Lastly, while it may be tempting, step away from the mini bar. Mini bars are the red button you never want to press. I don’t care how much fun you’re still having at one in the morning. Grab a big bottle of water and go to bed.

We were lucky during our trip to St. Martin since we were surrounded by fine French wines as well as fantastic locally made rum, so drinks on the beach consisted of a quick trip upstairs to the room to fire up the blender. We also saved by having a pre-game cocktail before heading out to dinner, which was one less drink we paid top dollar for. Estimated booze savings by drinking in, roughly $150 for our entire trip.

The bottom line, is that with careful planning, you can have a great Caribbean vacation just about anywhere without breaking the bank, but it will probably involve some minor sacrifices, such as carefully researched off-season flights/hotel, a good amount of flexibility, along with less eating out and more eating in. Yet, there’s one constant that I will bequeath you from firsthand experience, and that’s when you’re actually in the Caribbean sipping rum jumbies poolside, the last thing you’ll be contemplating is sacrifice.

Got a great Caribbean budget travel tip to share? We’d love to hear it.

–Kendra

Budget and Avis ban smoking in rental cars

by Katie Hammel on

First you couldn’t smoke on planes. Then trains banned smoking. Now, you can’t smoke in rental cars, at least, not if you rent from Avis or Budget. As of October 1, all cars in both rental companies’ fleets will be non-smoking.

Avis and Budget say the policy came about in response to the needs of renters, citing a non-smoking car as the most-popular rental request. Cars that have been smoked in also require additional cleaning and are out of service longer, costing the companies more money. A spokesman for the Avis Budget Group says they expect some smokers to be upset with the new rules and to take their business elsewhere, but that they think overall the new plan will attract more customers than it will lose.

Avis and Budget will be the first major rental car companies to ban smoking entirely (others offer “non-smoking” cars but many don’t guarantee them), though they are only instituting the ban among their North American fleet, not worldwide. Each car will undergo an inspection upon return and renters who have smoked in the vehicle will be charged a cleaning fee of up to $250.

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Megabus $1 fares still available for this fall

by Katie Hammel on

In August, we announced that Megabus would be releasing an extra 50,000 $1 fares for travel between September 14 and November 19. If you weren’t able to jump on the deal then, you aren’t out of luck. The low-cost bus service has just announced that is still has plenty of $1 fares available for travel this fall on select dates and routes.

Even if you can’t score a $1 seat for your trip, you may still end up paying far less for a seat on the bus than you would for a plane ticket. For dates I searched in November, a ticket from Chicago to Detroit was $20 per person, round trip. I’d say that beats the average $160 round trip flight ticket. To book the deal, use the promo code HOTDEAL at checkout.

Madrid’s Reina Sofia museum is now free every day

by Katie Hammel on

Here’s some good news for budget travelers in Madrid. Following the lead of the Museo Nacional del Prado (which has been offering free hours each day it is open since 2007), the Reina Sofia will now offer a few hours of free admission every day as well.

Previously, the museum had charged €6 admission, except for Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, when the fee was waived. But now it will offer free admission for a portion of each day that it is open, which is every day except Tuesday. Free hours will be from 7pm to close (9pm) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 2:30pm to 9pm on Saturday, and from 10am until the 2:30pm closing time on Sunday. If you’re looking for just a small sampling of the modern and contemporary art housed at the Reina Sofia, swing by for a few free hours of browsing. If you’re a dedicated art-lover, spread your visit out over a several evenings to get your art fix without spending a single euro. Either way, you’ll get more art for less money, almost any day of the week.

Travel to Spain is down this year, except in Madrid, where it actually increased by about 6%. With cheaper opportunities for viewing art, Madrid’s tourism numbers may continue to increase, especially among travelers on a smaller budget.