Beautiful sunset during Traffic Jam
Your trip to Costa Rica is going to be wonderful and beautiful, but it will require some planning. I know that when I travel through my home country, I try to avoid high traffic times so that I don’t get stuck in traffic jams. While you are on vacation, you may not find yourself in much of a hurry, but you will be trying to see as much of Costa Rica as you can. You might have a short trip, so every minute will count. Getting stuck in traffic jams, or visiting a place at a high traffic time, might mean the difference between you checking something off your bucket list, or saving it for your next trip. I want you to be able to do as much as your heart desires during your trip, so I’m going to share my tips with you for how to avoid traffic jams in Costa Rica.
Night chaos on a Weekend
1. Choose the Best Days
Sundays are not a good day to return to San Jose. As you can imagine, Sundays are a popular time for tourists to wrap up their trips and begin their trek back home. This means that all the tourists, and locals that took a staycation, are returning at the same time and via the same route. This causes the streets and highways to get congested. However, you are a savvy insider so now you know that you should plan to return to San Jose on either Saturday or Monday.
By planning your return for one of these “off” days, you’ll avoid traffic and frustration; you won’t be stressing about whether you are going to make your next check in, whether it is a flight or just arriving at your next hotel. You’ll have a fun and easy journey instead.
The beach is a hot tourist destination, and it is also popular with the locals. This is the cost of such great beauty; it can cause some crowding. There are beaches that are more secluded, but if you are in a more popular area and looking for some sun and sand, try to go during the week as much as possible, in the morning. Friday afternoons are the most crowded if you are near San Jose, since everyone is ready to start relaxing after a long week of work. I hate to have to hide away in secluded areas just to avoid crowds, so take my advice and head the beach on Friday mornings to have a social, but not overcrowded, experience.
Rush hour in San Jose
2. Avoid Holidays
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Holidays are also an interesting time for travel. Holidays bring road and foot traffic in the form of both locals and tourist, so even during the day things can get buys; those normally at work are now out and about. The beaches and mountains are popular places for locals during holidays, so you want to try to avoid those areas.
Costa Rica holidays don’t match the holidays in the U.S.A., so make sure you research the country’s holidays before planning your trip. During some holidays, such as the celebration of the Virgen de Los Angeles in August, there is a mass pilgrimage to Cartago. Events like that might make for an unforgettable local experience, but you need to prepare yourself for the crowds, and for the road and foot traffic the crowds will bring.
The rainy season in Costa Rica can still be a great time to visit, but it can bring with it some traffic. Any time, in any place in the world, rain and bad weather can cause accidents and traffic jams. It’s true that there might be little to no crowds taking hikes and adventures, it might be an adventure just getting to your destination. I have seen many car accidents result from the rain, so you’ll want to be sure to give yourself plenty of time to travel if you are visiting in the rainy season.
Try to plan morning or evening activities, as the afternoon is the busiest travel time, and will have the most backups and traffic jams. You should check with your hotel, tour company, car rental agency, or travel agency for more tips about traveling in Costa Rica. They will be able to warn you about high traffic times and areas, and will have even more tips for you.
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Highway Traffic at 27th Route
3. Communication is the Key
There are a few things you can do before and during your travel to Costa Rica to help you avoid traffic jams. Ask your concierge, rental car associate, or travel planner for alternate routes to the destinations that you have pinned for your trip. Research maps of the areas in Costa Rica that you will be traveling too. If you have some idea of the area, it will be easier for you to travel through it, and to make accommodations in the event of heavy traffic.
Check local weather a day or two before you will arrive, to make sure that Mother Nature still agrees with your plans. If you think there is going to be heavy rain that might cancel your plans, you will have time to make new plans.
Check local traffic reports before you head out. If you see there is a traffic jam that you can’t get around, you can find a new adventure for that day. It’s better to change your plans then to waste any of your precious time in my country sitting on the road. If you rent a car, see if you can get a GPS unit that also gives live traffic updates.
Alternatively most cell phone carriers offer overseas data packages that are affordable and you can use traffic apps like Waze to give you live traffic and work around routes. If you know a traffic jam is coming up, you can change your route to avoid it. Ditch the car altogether. Try to stay in a place that is close, or on location, to the adventures that you want to have. Whether that means a hotel or camping, it will be worth it. If there is just no way for you to avoid having to travel, consider public transportation. At least if you are in traffic, you don’t have to be driving in it.
Instead, you can be reading about Costa Rica history!
Main Highway Caution Sign for drivers
