Rome2Rio

How to get fromIowa to Costa Ricaby plane, bus, train, car or bus (Greyhound)

Find Transport to Costa Rica

See all options

There are 9 ways to get from Iowa to Costa Rica by plane, bus, train, car, or bus (Greyhound)

Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.

  1. Fly from Des Moines

    best
    1. Fly from Des Moines (DSM) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)planeDSM - SJO
    7h 40m
    $259–1,023
  2. Fly from Quad City International Airport

    cheapest
    1. Fly from Quad City International Airport (MLI) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)planeMLI - SJO
    10h 33m
    $133–604
  3. Bus, train via Mexico City

    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to Bloomington/Normalbus
    2. Take the train from Bloomington-Normal to San Marcos Amtraktrain
    3. Take the bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Nortebus
    4. Take the bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachulabus
    5. Take the bus from Tapachula to San Salvadorbus
    6. Take the bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Nortebus
    4d 15h
    $465–970
  4. Drive 4,929.5 km

    1. Drive from Des Moines to San Josécar4,929.5 km
    2d 14h
    $661–955
  5. Fly from Waterloo Municipal Airport

    1. Fly from Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)planeALO - SJO
    12h 52m
    $160–624
  6. Fly from The Eastern Iowa Airport

    1. Fly from The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)planeCID - SJO
    9h 58m
    $163–642
  7. Bus via San Salvador

    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to Kansas Citybus
    2. Take the bus from Kansas City Bus Station to Dallas Bus Stationbus
    3. Take the bus from Dallas Bus Station to Houston Bus Stationbus
    4. Take the bus from Houston to San Salvadorbus
    5. Take the bus from San Salvador to San Josébus
    5d 1h
    $404–881
  8. Bus

    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to Kansas Citybus
    2. Take the bus from Kansas City to Texarkanabus
    3. Take the bus from Texarkana to Houston Bus Stationbus
    4. Take the bus from Houston to Managuabus
    5. Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Busbus
    5d 10h
    $428–902
  9. Bus, train

    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to Bloomington/Normalbus
    2. Take the train from Bloomington-Normal to Longviewtrain
    3. Take the bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Stationbus
    4. Take the bus from Houston to Managuabus
    5. Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Busbus
    5d 17h
    $445–977

Des Moines (DSM) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights

Calendar39Weekly Planes
Duration7h 48mAverage Duration
Ticket$240Cheapest Price
See schedules

Questions & Answers

What companies run services between Iowa, USA and Costa Rica?

United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta fly from Des Moines (DSM) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a vehicle from Des Moines to San José via Des Moines, Kansas City Bus Station, Dallas Bus Station, Houston Bus Station, Houston - Harrisburg Blvd, Houston - Hillcroft Ave, Houston, San Salvador, and San Salvador in around 5d 1h.

Airlines
Train operators
Bus operators

Want to know more about travelling around Costa Rica

Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.

Related travel guides

Need to know: Greyhound

Read the travel guideNeed to know: Greyhound