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When a family member pitched the idea of a family Costa Rica trip, we looked up the cost, and then reverted to finding points and miles solutions. This is not a cheap trip, thankfully, with points and miles we were able to fit it into our vacation budget. Here’s How we did it:
Step 1: When/Where
This was done for us. Our family gave us the week they were going to be there, and found an Airbnb for a part of our trip for us all to stay together. We were about 8 months ahead of the trip when we figured all this out.
Step 2: How Many Points Do We Need?
This step I would usually do before booking, but I ended up doing it somewhat synonymously on this trip.
We needed to get 5 people flights, so we decided to do a run for a Southwest Companion Pass. Our Companion Pass had expired during COVID and we had not yet renewed.
To do this we got the Southwest Rapid Rewards Card and The Southwest Business Card with a large signup bonus. We started spending them on January 1st, 2023 and once we hit both minimum spends, we received the Southwest Companion Pass for the remainder of 2023 and all of 2024.
In the process of meeting the points needed for the Southwest Companion Pass, we received 187,000 SW rewards points. These points, along with 1,000 points from previous flights and 22,000 of our Chase Sapphire Points were used to buy the 4 tickets we still needed, at 210,000 points – then the companion pass ticket was added on after the fact.
Next, we needed to worry about lodging. Thanks to a move and the points we acquired from a long term stay in a Marriott hotel, we had some Marriott points, and I read several positive recommendations for the Courtyard by the San Jose Airport. We booked that for 12,000pts a night for the night we landed, and the night before an early takeoff.
I then used the cash back I had received on my AMEX Blue Cash Preferred Card to pay myself back from – payments to our family member for the Airbnb, and a boutique hotel for just our immediate family for two nights in the rainforest.
Step 3: Transportation
It took me a while to figure out transportation, and several family members have made different choices. Your 3 choices in Costa Rica seem to be:
- Private Transport
- Public Transport
- Rental Car
Since we are only there for a week, I didn’t want to spend the time waiting for public buses who move on “tico time,” nor did I really want to be on a bus with children for some of the long drives we were going to have. This left public transport or a rental car. There’s some big issues with rental cars in the country charging exorbitant fees when you arrive, despite giving you a stellar deal online. However, I found a local company Adobe Rent-a-car that many expat bloggers have used and vouch for and they give you the pricing up front. They were easy to work with and honest, and that link above gives you an extra discount too!
The private transport was approximately $150 per leg of the trip – if we were going to an all-inclusive resort and staying, I would have opted for this, but we wanted to adventure around the country more.
We opted for the $900 rental car. It was a painful cost, but we also did not pay for lodging or airfare, so we felt like we could budget for this.
Step 4: Activities
We really want to soak in the nature in this beautiful country, and because of that a lot of our time will be spent just exploring beaches and waterfalls, and hanging bridges (although maybe none of the later for me! I hate heights!) and the most anticipated part of the trip……the volcano. Our big splurge will be a canopy tour zipline experience. We found a place that was highly recommended for children and we are hoping our children LOVE it. From what we have heard, you can eat fairly cheaply in the country and we are making lists of the recommended food joints in each neighborhood we will be visiting so that we have options when we arrive.
Step 5: Packing
I’m not here yet, but I’m definitely thinking about it. Summer lightweight hiking pants, sun shirts, bug spray and sunscreen are all featured prominently on the list already.
……All the bug spray and sunscreen!!
Conclusion
Cost Breakdown
Flights –
$3,500$400Hotels –
$1,300$0Rental Car – $900
Total Expected Cost – $5,700
Total Cost – $1,300
We know this is a luxury trip, and not everyone has the ability to splurge this way, but with points and miles you can make your travel more affordable for you. If we would have taken buses instead of renting a car, our cost would have been probably $600. Our savings of $4400 dollars made this trip possible for us. Maybe yours looks different, but you can still vacation together so much cheaper this way!
Let me know in the comments or via DM what other questions you have about planning a big trip like this. I would love to help you find the best solution for your family!
