Central America - One-Way to Costa Rica

My wife and I will be moving to Costa Rica in early April 2012. We are looking for the cheapest way to get from LAX to SJO. Does anyone have any suggestions? Current prices for April 3rd are $301. When we flew RT in October '11 we paid $301.

Your thoughts and ideas are very much appreciated!

Bryan

Let me toss out something you should be concerned about: Costa Rica has an onward-ticket requirement. Legally, a foreigner cannot fly one-way to Costa Rica without being in possession of a ticket out. An airline might sell you a one-way ticket, but you'll never be allowed to check in for the flight if that's all you have.

Once you establish legal residency or can demonstrate that the legal process is in motion (en tramite), then you can come and go any way you please. Until then, if you're finding that one-way and round-trip tickets are the same price, I'd buy the round-trip ticket.

Leaving that issue aside, April 3 falls during Holy Week. I wouldn't expect to find any bargains that week.

I agree with SJOGuy, even if you are allowed to board,it will be your luck that you will run into the ONE immigration agent here that will enforce that rule, I know a few that got into big trouble (and one even got deported to El Salvador as that was his last leg SAL-SJO)

To get around that , I suggest you simply buy a fully refundable one way out , once you are here, call and get it refunded

Beyond that you could schedule the "return" for use to visit people back in the states around a certain holiday time in the far or near future. But SJOGuy has it right. Do a return ticket just in case to avoid problems.

We will be purchasing a refundable bus ticket out of the country to meet our exit requirement. What would be a typical price for One-Way ticket?

bus ticket cost has to be so low that refundable or not I probably wouldn't care (I dont know anything about bus ticket rules etc but make sure you have a way out of CR before you even try to board)

I've heard of cases where a bus ticket out of Costa Rica wasn't good enough at airport check-in. The check-in agent expected to see a plane ticket out of Costa Rica, or at least out of Central America. (Someone could fly to Costa Rica with plans to travel overland and return from another country.) I think you're taking a big risk of never being allowed on the flight without having an onward plane ticket in your possession.

Until you get your residency (I assume that's the plan), you have to leave Costa Rica every 90 days for at least 72 hours. If you bus it to Nicaragua, you'll face the same problem upon your return: You don't get into Costa Rica without a demonstrated way out. As others have suggested, I'd either buy a round-trip air ticket with a return date set far in the future, or a simple one-way ticket from CR to the US at some distant future date. That way, you'll have something to show at the border each time you return to CR. Whether you actually use it or not is immaterial.

One way out is to purchase a fully refundable air ticket, though that would tie up some liquidity for a while. Or, the $301 ticket with a plan to return later - you may wish to return stateside within a year. Change fees will be high, so consider it a throwaway if necessary.

Another is to purchase a Ticabus (http://www.ticabus.com/ing_rutas_horarios_costa_rica.htm)ticket - $26 to Managua, Nicaragua pr $37 to Panamá (but the purchase process is onerous from the USA and I'd not do it).

You could purchase bus all the way even - round trip usually costs twice a one way fare, and though the trip is lengthy, some Mexico busses are quite comfortable and Ticabus in Ejecutiva is not bad. $99 in Ejecutiva from Tapachula Mex to San Jose CR, stitch together with a Primera or Ejectuiva or whatever Tijuana - Mexico City and Mexico City - Tapachula. Mexico bus weblinks, etc. here (http://www.mexicoguru.com/buses-in-mexico.php).

OTOH $301 per person even if you throw away the return is still efficient and quick in comparison, with no hassles, connection issues or the like.