www.CostaRicaTicas.com

My trips to Rio and SJ are fast approaching. I recall reading awhile back that clearing customs upon arrival at SJO was a multi-hour process. Is that still the case? My flight is on Delta and arrives SJO at 11:46 a.m.

Also: Anybody been to Rio lately? Wondering how the process is at GIG as well.

Thank You.

The last 2 times I came into SJO (both noontime landings) it was an hour+ to get through immigration. My late nite flights take less than 5 minutes.

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

In my opinion the secret is to move with a purpose. I don't dwaddle. I don't stop to pee. I'm not obnoxious (well, I don't try to be), but I go around all the clueless idiots move at a fast pace.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

BD does that jam up include noontime on Sat/Sun also, or just weekdays?
NJ

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If you see me at the bottom, please bring me my running shoes!

You'll be in for a wait at that time. Sometimes it is so fast! It's that a few flights are all arriving at the same time. Do a beeline when you exit your plane and you"ll be surprised in that it will get you ahead of a bunch of people in line coming from different directions and different arrivals.

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I am NOT a Cien Boy!!

Arriving in SJO the trip through immigration and customs can be very quick. I've been through literally at walking pace several times...of course you have to wait a normal time for your luggage, but no more than anywhere else, often faster. I've been off the plane and in a taxi in less than 15 minutes several times. If you arrive and there are a couple of planeloads of people in the line ahead of you of course it takes more time. But generally it moves quite fast. Much faster than going into the USA generally.

Agree with the above posts. It really varies with the time you arrive, at 8 Pm usually has been good for me. Don't dwaddle, try to get ahead of the clueless yoga pants tourists, and do that last drainAge of the lizard before the seat belt lights go on.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Last month I flew in to SJO on a Thursday at 11:30 AM. About 7 flights arrived at the same time. No gate was available, so we got bused from the plane to Immigration.

I was the 3rd person off the bus but it didn't matter, as the immigration line was the longest I've ever seen and, it being tico lunch time, there were only 4 agents/clerks/whatever they're called working.

1 hour and 30 minutes after I got in line I walked out of immigration/customs. Luckily PVT - stand up guy that he is - was out there, patiently waiting.

Moral? Avoid mid-day arrivals.

mh

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mh

One was a Monday, the other was a Sunday. Both were in the past 60 days.

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

I arrived last Wednesday and was in the immigration line at 12:40 pm. There were 10 - 15 people from my flight ahead of me. The line had almost filled the roped lanes. I was in that line for an hour and was still two roped lanes from the front. I moved over to the "Nationals" line and was through in about 5 minutes. When I exited the "Visitors" line, there were three agents working the Visitors line and five agents working the Nationals line. Some of the agents in booths marked Visitors were taking only people from the Nationals line. I talked to another gentleman at the SL who had arrived Tuesday at about the same time, and he said it took him a little more than an hour to get through.

It appears they have added flights arriving close to noon. I had not experienced anything near that amount of time in line except a couple of times in more than 20 trips, all arriving close to noon.

That is my experience on the last 2 trips. A large increase in noontime volume.

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