www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I used to think booking the plane required planning ahead to get the best price. Now it seems the hotel is the hardest thing to get. Someone on here stated the Sportsmen Lodge was booked 5 months ahead of time. I don't know what anyone else thinks but that sounds crazy too me. So how far ahead to most people start booking their trip nowadays? I just decided on a whim I wanted to get down there as soon as possible. Fortunately there are a couple new monger friendly hotels to take up the slack.

2 to 3 months.

Same as Zebra. Two to three months. It give me something to plan for and to look forward to. Anticipation is half the fun.

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HatTrick,
That was me who made that statement. But it was regarding a "special" weekend. It was the exception, not the rule.

IMO, 2 or 3 months lead time should be plenty of time under normal circumstances, unless there's something special going on that particular weekend in CR, i.e., National Holiday, CRT event, etc....

In early September (Labor Day weekend) I tried to book a room at the SL for Superbowl Weekend in February, a full 5 months away, but they were already totally booked up. This is where that statement came from. I also remember - in January 2006 I tried to book the Penthouse Suite at the SL for the CRT Anniversary party in September (8 months later) and it was already booked!

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

Seriously, I usually book a trip anywhere between 12 hours before take off and 2 weeks. Not the best plan for getting the best airfares but, hey, that's my life. On occasion I can book it well in advance but usually it is less than 1 week before lift off. But, accomodations are not an issue for me. So, one less variable to deal with.

dapanz1

I'm with Dapanz1...

I generally am looking at 12-36 hours before my trip. Occasionally a week, but almost never more than that...

My birthday weekend being the exception, where I had it booked 3 weeks ahead of time...

Again, like Dapanz1, accommodations is not usually a big problem for me...

When booking at ZB, I've been VERY lucky, and Eddie has had space... on one occasion, I actually stayed in room 11, downstairs, and that was good enough for me...

I guess I'm not very picky though...

I hope you didn't pay $200/night for that.

I have been to CR 5 times this year and the ONLY time I had reservations was to stay at HZB. There is something exciting about landing in SJ with a backpack and no plan. I have tried on-line reservations a few times but they never seem to take.

I have walked into the Prez, Castillo, Hemingway, Villa Tournon, HDR, and SL and been able to get a room. Sometimes I go day-to-day but that adds to the excitement. In early Dec. I showed up at the Castillo and they had two nights so I took them. I needed one more night so I hiked over to SL and found one night there.

This might not be the best plan of action and is not for the faint of heart but I have traveled this way a lot - not just in CR and only once in 15 years did I find myself without a place to stay and that was only becuase I was young and didn't want to pay $120+/night to check into the last available suite after midnight...ironically, this was only 200 miles from my home on July 4th weekend. I found a police officer and asked him where it would be safe for me to crash in my car for a few hours and he directed me to a well-lit public lakeside park. Of course I would not do such a stunt in CR but I am optimistic and believe that there is always an option. If I got desperate I'd go to someplace like Castillo or Hemingway and offer them $50 to crash on the couch.

It seems that there is ALWAYS a room somewhere.

Sometimes in CR I get bored between phucking so having a mission to find a place to sleep gives me something to do and adds some excitment to the trip.

Regarding airfare. I booked my first trip over two months in advance and paid ovr $700 out of Detroit. My second trip I booked about a month in advance and paid about the same. Then Spirit started flying out of FLL and the rates from Detroit to CR tanked. For my last 3 trips I booked maybe 1-3 weeks in advance and got RT for under $300, including taxes.

I book my flights in bunch's. So some are booked as far as 8-9 months out.

As for hotels. Usually walk in but up to one month out.

Airfare 4-6 months prior.
Sl 6 months prior.
That's just me i don't want any surprises.

Yeah, but like me, you are going to Asia and with respect to hotels, it is so much easier since there is no such thing as a GUEST FEE or some weird guest policy. Bring 5 girls in if you want.

I don't like packing my bag over and over again - going from hotel to hotel. Given that I don't like to switch hotels, I had to book so far ahead of time to be sure I could get consecutive days. It takes time out of my day to switch hotels so I avoid it.

Dapanz1 - do you have an apt in CR these days?

Whether they have a policy or not doesnt seem to be the question. Its more that its not enforced. I know most of the hotels in AC have a 2 guests per room policy, yet I have never seen or heard of it being enforced. Ive taken 4 girls up at once, Ive had girls in the room, and they invite friends over after the bars close up. Not so much as a hesitation to let them in.

Im not so much a stickler on the quantity, as much as I am the fee. I could live with 1 girl per room, but in all reality, Id much prefer it to be two. But paying 5-10$ per girl to enter just pisses me off. Especially with the traffic my room seems to get in some of these places

I give approximate dates many months ahead and firm it up closer. If I'm obliged to cancel or skip a trip I do it as far in advance as I can. I stay for a longer period than most though so that may have an effect. I don't book flights until I know the room situation.

Umm, no.

I have a house in Cartago. That is Plan A. Plan B is a good Tico friend of mine has a place.

dapanz1