There are so many amazing things to see and places to visit right here in the United States, many of us have not come close to seeing it all! However, it can still be nice to make an occasional trip to another country and see other parts of the world in between domestic trips. But traveling internationally with kids?! It is a daunting thought for sure.
With a little preparation (much of it mental) and these tips, though, it can make memories that will last a lifetime – not to mention equip your children to be even better travelers on their own one day!
Costa Rica is a nice option, especially for a child’s first international excursion, as there are direct flight options from Denver and the flight is less than five hours – win win! (Part of the year, between March and November, because they do not participate in daylight savings, they are also on Mountain time, so you don’t even have to factor in a time change – win win WIN!!)
Before You Go
When traveling internationally, there are a few things you’re going to need to do that you wouldn’t for domestic trips. These tips apply no matter which country you choose.
Passports
All travelers must have a passport if you leave the country, including young children. Thankfully, the State Department website makes it very easy to understand what you need to do to apply for a new passport, renew an old one, or get a child a passport. There are options to rush the process if you’re in a hurry, but to help alleviate unnecessary stress and avoid extra cost, if you are planning your trip well in advance, make this the first thing you do so you can rest easy.
Sometimes the longest step is getting an appointment at an application acceptance facility (often times a post office) to submit your application, so be sure to look into that as soon as you know you’re traveling. The good news is that once you’re at your appointment, the process is quick and easy!.
Mom Tip: If you are in a blended family or divorce situation, be aware that both parents must agree for a child to have a passport. If both parents cannot be at the application appointment, there is extra paperwork that must be submitted. Again, these details are very nicely laid out on the State Department website.
Visit the State Department Website
One aspect of the State Department’s website is reviewing details of International Travel to each of the various countries in the world. You can enter the country you are traveling to and find any advisories or precautions our government currently has for that particular country at the time. It explains the scale from 1-4 and helps you understand why your country of choice is at the level of precaution it is (from exercising normal precautions to do not travel). Not that you need to worry, but it’s just a good idea to be an informed traveler. Additionally, they have all kinds of information about embassies where you will be and what to do in case of emergency in each country. Taking note of the embassy closest to where you will be and their phone number will help you travel with peace of mind.
Visit the CDC Website
Something to consider with international travel is any potential health advisories in place in your country of choice. Many countries wouldn’t have anything different than here in the US and you won’t have to worry about doing anything medical. However, some countries have strongly recommended (or required) vaccines to be able to enter. Checking the CDC’s website to see what is recommended for your destination can help you talk with your doctor about what is right for you and your children. Again, many times this will be nothing, but it’s worth a look for more peace of mind.
Airport Experience
Once you have chosen your destination, taken care of all the passports, prep and packing, it is totally normal to feel a mixture of excitement yet still some anxiety, especially if this is your first international trip. Rest assured, as with any vacation, oftentimes the anticipation is the hardest part, but once you get to traveling, it all falls into place and the stress can melt away.
The departing experience of an international trip is largely the same as domestic. If you’ve traveled in and out of DIA before, then you will park/arrive however you usually prefer and find your airline to check in and check bags exactly as always. You will go through the same security whether you do regular or TSA Precheck, and then ride the train to your assigned terminal. The main difference is making sure you have your passports. At boarding, your children will be required to hold their own passports even if they are a toddler in a stroller. Have it open to their picture page just so the gate agent sees it. (Passports must be signed, no matter how old the child is.)
The main difference in the airport experience internationally is upon arrival to your destination (which is DIA when coming home). When traveling internationally, upon arrival you do not enter airports in their terminals where restaurants and food are – you are shuffled straight to immigration and customs where you then end up exiting the airport. And food on flights is becoming less and less of a thing (even 4 and half hours to Costa Rica, and we only got one snack). So be prepared if you might be (will be) hungry!
Sometimes there might be a small snack/convenience shop near the airport exit but sometimes there will be nothing until you are headed on your way to where you’re staying. To protect against potential hangriness (we all know it’s a real thing!) as well as not knowing what you’ll find since you’re in another country, be prepared with snacks! Always have snacks in your backpack while traveling in case hunger strikes and it is a while before you can find something you are comfortable eating.
Mom Tip: Customs in most countries (even Hawaii, though still domestic) will not allow you to bring in fresh produce. Be sure to consume any fruits or veggies on the plane and keep things like crackers and protein bars for when you are going through immigration lines and exiting the airports.
The other important factor to consider when arriving at your destination – bathrooms, of course! At your destination as well as back home in Denver, you will wait in an immigration line to have your passport stamped and checked. Some places will also have baggage inspection. No one wants to worry about kids having emergencies once you’re in line!
Returning home to DIA, you also take a very long walk to get to immigration, so pack your patience. In DIA, there are bathrooms at the very beginning of the walk but those get long lines quickly, so if you can last, there are more bathrooms a bit farther along. Very helpfully, there are signs for “last chance” bathrooms before the first potential stopping point (depending how busy that day is). Then, if you’re lucky enough not to stop in a first line upstairs, there is one final bathroom before the final immigration line. My motto when traveling is never pass up a potty!
Arriving in Costa Rica
As there is much to see in this beautiful Central American country, multiple cities to choose from and two different airports, it is important to note that this guide pertains to the province of Guanacaste and utilizing the Liberia airport. If this is your destination of choice, you will not regret it! Guanacaste is regarded by many locals to be the ideal region of Costa Rica and it is known to have the most to offer.
Mom Tip: When you first arrive in Liberia, if you need food as mentioned above, there is a KFC and Starbucks within minutes of leaving the airport. Sometimes it is nice to get something familiar right off the bat while you get acquainted with the area! If you’re past that before you can stop, there is a large souvenir/ice cream/restaurant combo stop 5-10 more minutes down that road. Remind your kids you are in another country and some
things might look different but can still be good (the ham on my son’s sandwich was not what he was used to – it had been cured differently – but was still good and he ate it after he watched me eat mine!)
Accommodations
The first thing you need to decide is the type of place you’d like to stay in. Do you want a homier vibe from an Airbnb? Do you prefer a hotel or resort where you feel surrounded by restaurants and a concierge for help? There is no right answer – whatever your style, you will find it in Guanacaste.
Resorts will typically have lots of amenities and be right on the beach with easy access for children eager to play. Additionally, they have many people who can help answer questions and will largely speak English. On the other hand, renting a house will provide you privacy and the ability to cook your own food, potentially saving money (though consider that this will mean you need to grocery shop – while it might seem intimidating, it is actually quite easy given the large amount of people who speak English and the ability to pay with credit card rather than local currency). Houses can also be a nice option for extended family vacations given the living and dining areas where everyone can gather.
A final thought on your accommodations would be about renting a car and driving. A resort with restaurant options would limit your need to drive as concierges can help arrange tour companies to take you on your outings and food is on property, but consider: would you feel stuck? Or will you be relieved not to drive? A house will almost certainly mean you need to rent a car and be willing to drive. Many of them are on the cliffs and you will need drive at least a short distance to the beach. Costa Ricans drive on the same side of the road as Americans so that is not an issue, and signage almost always has English. However, it is a smaller country with poorer roads so consider your comfort level driving in less than ideal conditions (lots of potholes, some dirt roads and sharing nearly every road with lots of motorcycles and pedestrians). Everyone is very friendly, though! I don’t remember hearing anyone honking at others!
Things To Do in Costa Rica with Kids
Costa Rica is largely rainforest full of exotic wildlife you cannot find in the US. If you are adventurous and you want to find the animals or hike the rainforest and waterfalls, you can! If you want to zipline or raft through it all, you can! If you are needing utter relaxation, laying around a beach or pool every day, you can do that, too!
Nature Adventures
Diamante Eco Adventure Park
In Playa Matapalo (most areas are referenced by the beach they’re nearest to), near the Riu Hotel, Diamante offers zip-lining (including their famous Superman zipline that is almost 1 mile long!), ATVs, an animal sanctuary and beach access. You can put together the package that suits your group. The visitor center includes a hot buffet lunch if you so choose when you are finished with your adventure. There is also a small gift shop and the opportunity to purchase professional photos of your adventures so you can keep your phones put away and live in the moment! Check out their package options and offerings here.
Tenorio Volcano National Park
In Guanacaste, you can easily spot three volcanoes lining the horizon. It is near these
volcanoes where the warm rainforest can be home to many of the wildlife visitors want to see (most notably, the adorable sloth!). You can find many tours through this national park from easy wildlife walks and hot springs mud baths suitable for a group of many abilities to ziplining, rafting and ATVing through the park. You can check out this website for one example or plug in your location to Trip Advisor and watch results abound.
Waterfalls
One breathtaking waterfall, Llanos de Cortes Waterfall, is at the bottom of a long staircase but accessible for most and worth the short trek. It has a small beach area and allows swimming in the pool below. There are many, smaller side waterfalls to enjoy while you are there as well. Other waterfalls include La Leona where you can swim, hike and repel as well as Rio Celeste Waterfall and more. Check out this website for some examples of tours to these waterfalls but there are many tours and tour groups to choose from depending where you are.
Beaches
Of course, a main attraction to Costa Rica are the beautiful beaches! Being a country surrounded by volcanoes, however, be prepared that most beaches, if natural, are not bright white sand. Playa Ocotal is a beautiful black sand beach, created by eroded lava rock, and many beaches are some shade of black to dark beige because of the lava rock present. Do not be dismayed, however – they are gorgeous! The exotic look the cliff sides, waterfalls, wildlife and black sand brings to the beach is worth traveling to see. With so many beaches to offer, it is beyond the scope of this guide to critique them all, but suffice it to say no matter where you stay, there will be a beach nearby and if you want to try to beach hop to as many as possible on your trip – it will keep you busy! Pull out a map and hop from town to town and there will be a beach there. Enjoy but don’t forget sunscreen – sunburns happen fast here!
Shopping
Tour companies like to stop by large strip center souvenir shops and restaurants with their groups, but if you’d like to support more local businesses and get better prices, enjoy shopping in each individual town. They are all full of souvenir shops and small vendors. Playas del Coco, Carrillo is one of the oldest beach communities in Guanacaste and the streets are lined with cute shops and friendly shop owners (as well as yummy ice cream!). English is widely spoken.
Kid Friendly Food Options in Costa Rica
Many American fast food options exist that you’ll surely stumble across while exploring the area. However, if you would like to sample more local fare, there are a multitude of local restaurants. If you are uncertain of what is good and likely to settle well with tourist tummies, ask someone for some recommendations. By talking to the owner of a taco shop that our group enjoyed, we discovered a delicious, reliable Mexican restaurant in the area we were staying.
Our Airbnb host gave us another reliable recommendation for a place near our house that we patroned multiple times in one week! In general, you can trust the water in Guanacaste and we drank it without issue at every meal, but if it would make you feel better, you can always drink bottled water.
Little Lucha Taqueria
Near the airport and several rental car shops if you are in need of food after you first arrive. Good tacos and friendly staff.
El Capricho Mexican Restaurant and Bar
Good Mexican food in Playas del Coco (but only black beans here, no pinto – you aren’t in the US anymore!) and extremely friendly staff. The food is very good and the prices are reasonable for vacation. It is surrounded by souvenir shops, too, if you want to shop after.
Papa Gayo or Father Rooster’s
Near Playa Ocotal and has a great variety of food to suit a diverse set of tastes in your group. It is a casual environment on the beach where you can lounge in your beachwear and enjoy appetizers, smoothies, drinks – you name it – during your daytime beach outing or you can get cleaned up and come back at dinner time where it is the same great food but a slightly nicer atmosphere. Some nights have live music which adds a really nice touch.
No matter where you are staying, the friendly people of Costa Rica will happily give you suggestions and tell you what you cannot miss. This is such a hospitable country with so much to offer, you simply cannot see it all in one trip. Ask questions, take recommendations and get out and enjoy the area you are in – no matter how you choose to do it, you won’t regret it! There is no wrong way to visit Costa Rica!
