Frommer's Costa Rica

I used this book for the 2 years I lived in Costa Rica, and it was fantastic. It had everything I needed, presented clearly, with great recommendations. You can't go wrong with Frommer's. The Lonely Planet guide occasionally gives outdated information and never really strays from the beaten path. I'd get Frommer's instead.

this is the one to buy. It is well organized. It tells you how to get where you are going and how long it will take. Costa Rica is a tough trip to plan because two towns can be 20 km away as the crow flies but there is no road. Frommers is organized and it helps you figure out how to plan a trip that makes sense. It is a bit out of date. You no longer have to wade a creek to get to Manuel antonio park,etc. Good advice and insights.

This book is everything you need to research and book your trip to Costa Rica.

I went to the bookstore and looked at Fodor's, Lonely Planet, etc and ended up buying this one. This is the most recent up to date version, but not as detailed or as well written as the LP version. Better than Fodors in my opinion. I used Fodors on my last trip to CR. Will use Frommer's this time. When travelling, I'd rather have up-to-date more so than better details.... but if you've got money, always buy two guides. The best trips come from a collaboration of opinions and perspectives.

Frommer's is generally known for producing guides that are up-to-date and reasonably comprehensive. For the most part, this one is no exception to that trend. The book follows their standard format for Frommer's with "Best of" lists detailing some of the top attractions followed by general information and suggested itineraries. After that, we get into more detail for each region of the country beginning with San Jose and working through each area of the country in turn. I was primarily interested in information regarding the natural attractions that Costa Rica has to offer and I found exactly what I was looking for. There are numerous descriptions of the beaches, rain forests, volcanoes, and hiking opportunities. The hotels listed tend to lean toward the more expensive options but that may be due partly to the cheaper ones not meeting the minimum acceptable standards that Frommer's sets. It's also fairly obvious that a guide for even a small country like Costa Rica can't possibly cover every single hotel and restaurant. Overall, the book is helpful for trip planning and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a visit to Costa Rica.