Which CA airport to fly into?

Hi,
(first time poster, be gentle!)
I´ve just begun planning a trip to CA for six weeks in Jan/Feb. Yep, only six weeks, I know, but unfortunately that is all the time I have I´ve spent the past few days trying to find the cheapest possible flight (I´ll be flying to and from Spain) and I´ve figured out what seems to be an average price (approx 1,500euros for two roundtrip) and I don´t think I'll find any cheaper than that (unless anyone knows better) but my question is this - I´ve been basing this on flying in and out of San Jose, it seems to work out cheaper for some reason to book a roundtrip to the same airport rather than booking two seperate one way flights. Is San Jose a good place to start from, or would there be a better or even cheaper place to fly into? Will it be a pain in the ass to have to backtrack to the starting point at the end of our trip? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I´m a complete newbie at this sort of thing!

Well, it tends to cycle, LSM. I used to fly into BZE because it was way cheaper...The GUA was cheaper...Then Managua. San Jose is a well travelled route and so there are many flights there, so it MAY be cheaper, but it's changeable.

I would NOT back track! If you're flying into San Jose....then you should start looking at flights out of GUA, or BZE, or, if you go the other way, PTY....don't loop if you really don't have to.

My only other suggestion, if you have the sand, is to book the flight out on the fly, in-country. That way you can see where you'll end up and book from the nearest hub to you. CA does not normally demand a flight out, and it gives you a lot more flexibility. I haven't booked a return flight from CA in over ten years. However, when I go, I have a really open ended time table, so perhaps that thinking doesn't work for you.


And, also....Welcome to the board, LemonSliceMoon. We're glad to have you. Let us know how your plans progress.

GLOT
D

Given the crazy airline pricing these days, that price looks good & while backtracking is a pain sometimes it's inevitable. that said there is often local options.

For example Tica bus uses CA-1 from San Salvador to Guatemala City where there's a $10 shuttle to Antigua, where there's a $25 shuttle back to La Libertad El Salvador via CA-2, a scenic route along the coast, it's then only a 90 cent chicken bus ride back to San Salvador. Am sure other areas will have similar options.

However you do it 6 weeks will give a good overview of CA & there is really no need to go to Belize anyway IMHO.

Have an enjoyable trip.

Belize is nice. Belize City, maybe not so much.

San Jose sucks. There is another city in the region that starts with "S" that sucks far more.
But, Busman is correct...The prices are crazy,these days.

Phnom Penh to Honolulu was $718 Thursday afternoon, went to book it Friday afternoon was $1084

Both places nowhere near Central America. What are we talking about, again?

Piecar wrote:Both places nowhere near Central America. What are we talking about, again?

Oh yeah, how there are only 2 decent capitol cities in CA, San Salvador & Panama City!

Happy now?

A wasted bait, my pot stirring friend.


That prices fluctuate wildly can be viewed as an enticement to book on the fly. That crappy price could change drastically while away. If I knew I was coming to the end of a trip, I'd be looking at the sites for a screaming deal...8 times out of ten I'd score....but, to be sure, there'd be those other two times.

To get back to the OP's question, at that price a return ticket to San José is likely your best bet. After all you're only using it as a gateway, so whether it sucks or not is irrelevant + it's as near the midpoint of CA as your going to get.

Yes, San Jose is one of the most plied routes and pretty central, AND a great hub to hop a bus pretty much anywhere. There is no other place that covers all of these bases.

I'm pretty sure Guatemala City is the busiest airport in Central America.

I have no data on this...But I have to believe it's SJO or PTY>...GUA certainly is upgrading for more volume...but I say no. My experience in the airport, and it's environs never indicated it was packed What makes you think that, Hat?

Felix the Hat wrote:I'm pretty sure Guatemala City is the busiest airport in Central America.

According to Wikipedia, as of 2008 the 5 busiest airports in CA were; 1) PTY 2) SJO 3) SAL 4)GUA 5) MGA

Not sure what this has to do with the OP's`query though?

I already posted that.

It's relevant in that coming from Spain, the OP will have the best luck with fares flying into busier, major airports.