My Travel Optimizer

A question I often hear is whether people should make their reservations ahead of time or book as they go. It depends on when and where you are going and what type of travel you wish to do.

The beaches in Costa Rica get very full during the Christmas and Easter holidays. Its a Costa Rican tradition to spend those days at the beach. I would make a reservation in beach areas during those times.

I reserve a hotel room near the airport when I arrive and leave. When I get to Costa Rica I just want to get to the airport and chill out and get in some good sleep so I can get up early the next day and get with it. I stay at Orchideas Inn. Its a nice looking hotel that is clean and safe. They have a gate and a 24 hour guard so you can park you car and not worry about it. The restaurant is very good and that means I don’t have to go anywhere to eat. I’ts also close to Volcan Poas which I recommend you visit.

The end and the beginning of the trip are times when I just want to get to a hotel I know and not waste time looking around for a room and/or a bargain. Once I get underway I tend to just wing it. There are exceptions. I will be in Costa Rica this december and I reserved a room for us on Christmas day. I wanted us to spend Christmas Morning in the Monteverde Cloud forest. Because I have a specific plan for that day I made preparations.

Otherwise I don’t like to have too much of a schedule. I tend to be spontaneous and I don’t want to be chained down to a list of reservations (especially in Costa Rica where a canceled reservation can cost you money). This style of travel may not be for everybody.

In most cases you will find the best deals if you book as you go. Costa Rica is full of hotels. There are many you can stay in for less than $50. Not all of them have websites. Not all of them are in the guidebooks. The vast majority are clean and relatively safe. When I say relatively I mean you need to careful with your possessions. If you’re staying at a budget hotel you need to keep your passport with you or in a safe. Don’t leave your electronics in the room either. Your money and credit cards should always be with you. If I leave a pair of shoes in the room I tend to put them under my dirty laundry with some underwear on top. I should also mention that areas that have a lot of clubs, bars, booze and drugs will inevitably attract a rougher element. I would be extra cautious in or near party towns.

I’ve stayed in plenty of budget hotels and never had a problem. I’ve only been robbed once(all they got was a new pair of jeans and some shirts) and that was not in a budget location. I keep my valuables with me and at night I bring everything in from the car. Budget accommodations also cater to locals, backpackers and budget travelers. I figure that if you’re a thief you’re probably looking for more high value targets in more expensive hotels.

Booking as you go adds some adventure to your journey. I personally like the unexpected when I travel. There’s plenty of predictability in my normal work routine so my trips are a chance to let the day take me where it will.

When you book as you go you can make some real finds. There are too many hotels in Costa Rica to fully list in a guidebook. You don’t want to make a reservation and find a better hotel for half the price across the street.

What I have found traveling is that there is always a room somewhere. Maybe it won’t be where you like or a price you like but it will be there. You have to watch out for holidays, festivals, concerts and stuff like that but otherwise you’ll be okay. Call a hotel in Costa Rica before you go and ask if there is anything going on during the dates you plan to be there so you don’t get caught by surprise.

I feel very confident traveling in Costa Rica without reservations. I’m very much into outdoor activities so a pool, spa, and cable tv are not important to me. Hotels for me are pretty much for sleeping and showering. If I do want to just lounge around for a couple of days I’ve never had trouble finding a cheap room within walking distance of an awesome beach. I’m pretty active but some days you do want to just lie in a hammock or sit in a chair and just stare into the distance.

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