www.CostaRicaTicas.com

My fellow brother CRT's:

Any suggestions as to what I should do upon arriving at the airport at 6am Friday with no car?

I have forgone my car rental that I was going to pick up based on your recommendations although I believe check in to the HDR is later in the afternoon.

I figured I need to goto the Sportsmens lodge to pick up my CRT VIP Card and that should be the first order of business but where can I go that is safe to "hang out" with my bags being dragged behind me?

Considering this is my first time to San Jose I assume it probably not a good idea to walk around with my bags (it would suck anyway) until I got the hang of the streets. Safety and all.

Once again thank you all for your insights and guidance. 12 hours and counting to take off from LAX to paradise!

Can't wait!!!!

I would go ahead n go to HDR. Ask for early check in, can't hurt. If u can't, ask to leave ur bags there with them & take a pic with phone to prove they were responsible for them. Then go to bfast! Good luck! I am sure someone here will have better advice.

Get rid of the morning wood. Relax is open early and Scores has an "early-bird" special. Choice will be limited.

You can drop your bags off, head to the Del Rey, get a chica and take her across the street to one of the short time hotels, come back and eat breakfast, take a walk and by that time the room should be ready.

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I am NOT a Cien Boy!!

If your flight arrives at 6am, it will be 6:30am or so when you exit the airport. At that time of day on a Friday, you can be sure of wasting an hour to two hours getting into town because of morning rush hour. I would suggest heading over to Denny's or anywhere else close by the airport until at least 7:30-8am and 9am if you can stand it. Right across from Denny's is a Casino...not sure of their hours but think it is 24/7.

I recommend this idea because a taxi during rush hour will probably run you around $50 to get to downtown so you waste $15-$20 on the cab and at least an hour sitting in traffic.

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

If he walks outside and grabs a taxi and negotiate$30 to delrey ,isnt that a agreed price and the traffic will not change the price .....just dont understand why you would post that it could run him up to $50

If he gets a taxi with a meter like one of the orange airport taxis (which I've never heard bargaining), the meter charge could be (even over) $50 on a rush hour run from the airport to Del Rey. Being a new guy to San Jose, I sorta assumed he'd just grab an airport taxi.

You are right, if he negotiates the fare up front, then he'd be OK and that is a great suggestion. It still might take two hours though... Last rush hour pickup I did, took LADiablo and I an hour and a half just to get to his place near La Sabana.

Just glad you didn't suggest a new guy to San Jose take the rush hour bus with all his bags/money after a red-eye flight.

To the OP... Great decision not to rent a car. Rush hour is horrid here and you'd be right in the middle of it after an all-night flight. Other idea I had was go to an inexpensive motel. You could find one near the airport or in town and for $20 or so, sack out a few hours then wake up ready to go!

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

In 15 years of trips, I have never had to pay a metered fare into Centro San Jose. If the driver will not quote you a flat rate, ask another. If you feel adventurous, you can skip the multitudes standing outside of the departures area and cross the street and go up the escalator to the arrivals area. At that time of the morning, there will be a ton of taxis dropping off fares. They are not allowed to solicit fares there but approach one and make a deal. Otherwise they will usually have to deadhead back downtown. $25 is a lot better than nothing.

As the previous poster said, you are probably looking at a VERY long ride into town. I would imagine you getting to the hotel around 8:30 - 9:00 am or so. If Immigration and Customs is slow, it might even be later.

I would have them take me directly to the hotel and attempt to check in. A lot of the return flights are very early and many folks have already checked out. Also most hotels won't be at full capacity (it is the rainy season) until right around Halloween. They might just have a room ready.

If the room isn't ready, leave your bags with the bellman. As the previous poster said, taking a mobile phone photo of them, properly tagged, is a great idea.

Then take the relatively short walk over to the Sportsmens and pick up your CRT card. While you are there take your time and eat breakfast. The American Breakfast is one of my favorites in San Jose.

By the time you get back to the HDR, it will probably be after 10 or so. If the room still isn't ready, the hotel serves one of the best Café con Leches in the gulch. If coffee's not your thing, the bar will be open for business.

Just sit and enjoy the view as even at that early hour there will be more than a few ladies on the prowl. Chat a few up and get the lay of the land. If you have to pull the trigger, as a previous poster suggested, the lady will be able to point you to a nearby and relatively inexpensive short time hotel.

The key is relax. Muy tranquilo. Take you time. Don't stress or wear yourself out before you even get in your room.

Have a great trip

Gee, you are new- never would have guessed it

I'll hold my comments about the HDR, but they have the ability to hold your bags until check in - no need to drag them to the Sportsmans (where you should be staying anyway )

Check and see if the airport BANK - not the Cambio - is open and change money - buy your exit Visa. While over on that side of the airport, look for a taxi heading back to SJ - or walk to the front of the airport and take the bus (ah, maybe not - you sound a little new for that - stick with a cab but try to get one for $20 vs the meter or a flat $30).

Call it intuition, but you would likely benefit greatly from a tour - contact EsposodeBarbie via PM to take one.

Frankly, a lot of good info in this thread

PS While the selection is not much very early, the slutty cunt you choose (and probably pay $100 when she would have gone for $40 ) will know where to take you to Phuck if you absolutely can't wait - right across from the HDR - the Hotel Asia - has just what you need!

Might be a bit adventurous for a first-timer that just red-eyed into town. He should wait to find someone that knows the lay of the land before he strikes out half-asleep to try to find the Sportsmen's from HDR.

My advice (for what its worth) is (as Scuba said) go upstairs to hit the bank (and if necessary, WAIT for it to open - better there than in traffic with a pocket full of USD). At least you can get food and coffee in A/C in the Destination terminal. Then catch a ride from upstairs (as said, offer a flat rate to the HDR). Once you arrive, if your room isn't ready, hang out, or walk the home block to get a sense of the place, but unless you're wide-eyed, don't stray too far while waiting for your room.

If you really need to hit something that early, exit HDR and walk down Calle 11 (South) until you see the "IDEM" sign ... (it's one straight walk - no corners to turn) ...directly across the street is Relax, which has chicas by 10am.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

I've never paid more than $22 taxi from SJO to SL. Just walk to the parking garage 30' outside the main airport exit & there are plenty of independent drivers. I've never arrived in morning rush hour so maybe you'll have to pay $5 more. If one guy won't take my price I just go to the next one. Never taken more than 3 guys in the span of 30 seconds to get my normal $20 ride.

The CRT Consensus and State Department warnings are never to use the Independent Drivers. Please use only the official cabs (red/orange in color).

To get to the gulch, I usually have to pay only 8,000 (about $15) to a red taxi upstairs on the departure level, where the red taxis have just dropped off a fare; and they want to avoid leaving the airport empty. That should be "doable" at 6am. If one refuses your 8,000 offer, another one will soon take it.

I use a red taxi only if I have a lot of luggage. Otherwise I take the bus from the airport into town at Ave 2 and Calle 12 for $1.

The girls get all of the money that I save on transportation. They love it - - - and so do I.

Get into the gulch somehow (incoming red taxi is a god idea, offer ¢10k or $20) and check with HDR if they have a room ready. (Have you tried emailing them ahead of time to ask about early check-in?)

If they don't have a room, take you bags (i'm not a fan of leaving my bags (laptop, camera, etc) with hotel staff) and take a taxi to "Motel La Oficina" (short-term motel) a few blocks away. It's about 8,000 colones for 3 hours. Take a refresher nap.

Why do the guys just outside the Sportsman's Lodge 2x and 3x the meter fare to get from the SL to the Del Rey?

I respect the Reality Bill LIVES there and to NOT offer these rip off artists a primo spot would be mean a highjacking of either the SL itself; the payroll coming and going out; or of Bill himself, despite the HumVee.

Still sux that guys are so dumb they pay Luis (Bubba, Rockhead, or even CuzinJeb in USA speak) that extra money and actually thing Luis is his best buddy.......

transport in CR is an amusing side bet column......

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16