By Air
Costa Rica has two international airports. Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) outside San José handles the majority of international traffic and has direct connections from most major North American cities (Miami, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto) as well as European hubs including Madrid, London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Flight times are roughly 3 hours from Miami, 5–6 hours from New York, and 10–11 hours from Europe.
Guanacaste International Airport (LIR) near Liberia serves the northern Pacific beaches and receives direct flights from several North American cities, a useful alternative if you're heading straight to the Nicoya Peninsula or Guanacaste.
Booking two to three months ahead usually gets better fares. High season (December through April) sees peak prices and demand.
By Land
The Pan-American Highway (Interamericana) runs through Costa Rica from the Nicaraguan border at Peñas Blancas in the north to the Panamanian border at Paso Canoas in the south, a drive of roughly 550 km that passes through San José. Long-distance buses connect San José to Managua, Panama City, and other Central American capitals. Tica Bus and Transnica are the main operators; the journey from San José to Managua takes around 9–10 hours, to Panama City around 8–9 hours.
Border crossings can be slow, especially on weekends. Bring patience and more cash than you think you'll need.
By Sea
Cruise ships call at Puntarenas on the Pacific and Puerto Limón on the Caribbean. Independent travelers rarely arrive by sea.