Tui Costa Rica in UK summer

[TenacityWins]

Anyone know why Tui don't fly to Costa Rica in during the UK Summer anymore?

Can anyone suggest a similar package provider instead?

Maybe because it's rainy season?
We were booked to go with Tui during July but it was cancelled due to Covid. We had a full refund but since then the dates haven't worked out and the prices have shot up so it's still on my bucket list

I would assume it is because it's rainy season. Maybe they had too many complaints from people who had been at that time of year. We went in May a few years ago. First week was lovely, second week it pretty much rained the entire time and not just light showers, full on tropical downpours all day every day. It's an amazing country and we were, of course, expecting some rain but the second week was a bit of a right-off. Apparently it isn't normally as bad as it was that week, even the locals were shocked by the amount of rain, but I can see why some people wouldn't be happy with a holiday like that (we made the best of it and still had an amazing time). I hope you make it there one day, it is a truly special county.

We went (not through TUI) in August -thunder storm every day but never lasted longer than an hour and wasn’t a biggie. But agree that TUI have probably experienced fewer bookings in summer for CR as people will have thought ‘oh oh, rainy season’.
Try Intrepid, Exodus etc? Or DIY it (which we did), hire a driver and save some money!

Found article in Tico Times says operational costs but maybe a one off from way phrased. I think they stopped due to pandemic then resumed in Nov 21 but think Costa Rica maybe got hit by covid again. We went in August with tui and was fine and had great time, rained but only after 4pm each day and sunny and 27C before. I doubt its due to complaints or weather as they fly to florida and carribean in hurricane season.

You can book via BA though maybe pricier than TUI was. Could DIY via booking.com for hotels but not that well protected if something like this weeks air traffic issues.

With booking.com @Silkiebunny depending on what room rate you go on, there usually is a 24hr free cancellation option. I’ve cancelled through them many times. But agree if it’s a last minute cancellation then that’s more problematic- if you DIY a holiday, good travel insurance is always the way to go!

Yes I think its generally worth paying a bit extra for the cancel last minute option for free though obviously if there's a flight issue that may not be enough. We did DIY for 2020 and took forever to get money back though was exceptional year, had insurance but had to do all work myself.

Thanks all. @Whohashiddenthebiscuits did you find a driver via the hotel?

i would think they don’t go in summer because their planes are being used for summer destinations. Is it correct that Tui avoid flying into the capital? In my opinion the capital, San Jose and the roads from San Jose to its airport should really be avoided.

@TenacityWins no, I went on Tripadvisor and searched for Transport firms in San Jose (we flew BA into San Jose). From this list I emailed the top five rated companies based on reviews, asked them to quote me for an airport pick up to San Jose hotel, day trip to Arenal from San Jose then a return journey too and from Manuel Antonio from San Jose (we spent a week in Manuel Antonio - gorgeous place!). We ended up doing the Arenal trip through Viator as it was cheaper but for the rest we had a private mini van & driver. Didn’t cost a fortune & they were great.

I can’t remember their details but have just done a similar search for you on Tripadvisor to give you an idea of search criteria. Hope it helps! We really loved Costa Rica. Would 100% recommend Tulemar in Manuel Antonio - it wasn’t cheap (we were on a special wedding anniversary trip) but it was incredibly beautiful, has many acres of rain forest, it’s own beach and sloth institute.

Tripadvisor search

https://www.tulemarresort.com/

Yes TUI fly into Liberia in Guanacaste. I would guess wasn't commercially viable this summer.

Re San Jose, we had 2 days there. It’s not the prettiest capital for sure, hasn’t much of historical interest and there are definitely more interesting cities. It didn’t feel dangerous though. The roads in and out of the city were busy but didn’t feel mad (I didn’t have that ‘I’m going to die at any minute’ feeling I’ve had in say India or Sri Lanka!)

I would say San Jose is one of the worse places I have visited on holiday. Admittedly it was just before Christmas, but the 2.5 hour traffic jam from the centre to the airport. All the trucks giving out obnoxious fumes that wouldn’t be allowed anywhere else. We really tried hard but without success to get a nice meal. It was all fast food.

@Flossflower agree San Jose isn’t a lovely city but don’t know that it’s the worse city I’ve been too ever .. but perhaps I’ve been to some real grot holes! We were taken to a niceish area with good restaurants one day and ate perfectly fine non fast food in our hotel the next. I think maybe as you say, you were experiencing some seasonally busy traffic, it wasn’t a huge issue when we went in August years ago. I agree that Costa Rican driving can be a bit hairy though, too many drivers jabbering away on phones

It's strange that Tui isn't flying to Costa Rica during the UK summer anymore. It could be due to various reasons, like scheduling or demand. As for alternatives, consider checking out other travel providers like Thomas Cook or Jet2holidays. Another option is booking directly with airlines like British Airways or Virgin Atlantic and arranging accommodations separately. Alternatively, if you're open to exploring different travel styles, check out Costa Rica Focus for their tour packs. They offer various options to suit different preferences and budgets, from adventurous excursions to relaxing getaways. Good luck!

If you need to stay nearish the airport to recover from the flight then I'd stay in Alajuela rather than San Jose itself. We've stayed here a couple of times https://www.hotelbuenavistacr.com much nicer than the centre of town and they have an airport shuttle to pick you up. If you are staying a couple of nights you can easily visit Poas volcano or the Sarapiqui area for the day. We've always hired cars to get around.