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.
Fly from Des Moines
best- Fly from Des Moines (DSM) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)DSM - SJO
7h 40m$259–1,023Fly from Quad City International Airport
cheapest- Fly from Quad City International Airport (MLI) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)MLI - SJO
10h 33m$133–604Bus, train via Mexico City
- Take the bus from Des Moines to Bloomington/Normal
- Take the train from Bloomington-Normal to San Marcos Amtrak
- Take the bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Take the bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Take the bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Take the bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
4d 15h$465–970Drive 4,929.5 km
- Drive from Des Moines to San José4,929.5 km
2d 14h$661–955Fly from Waterloo Municipal Airport
- Fly from Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)ALO - SJO
12h 52m$160–624Fly from The Eastern Iowa Airport
- Fly from The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)CID - SJO
9h 58m$163–642Bus via San Salvador
- Take the bus from Des Moines to Kansas City
- Take the bus from Kansas City Bus Station to Dallas Bus Station
- Take the bus from Dallas Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Take the bus from Houston to San Salvador
- Take the bus from San Salvador to San José
5d 1h$404–881Bus
- Take the bus from Des Moines to Kansas City
- Take the bus from Kansas City to Texarkana
- Take the bus from Texarkana to Houston Bus Station
- Take the bus from Houston to Managua
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
5d 10h$428–902Bus, train
- Take the bus from Des Moines to Bloomington/Normal
- Take the train from Bloomington-Normal to Longview
- Take the bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Take the bus from Houston to Managua
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
5d 17h$445–977
Des Moines (DSM) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Iowa to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $130 - $650 and takes 10h 33m.
The fastest way to get from Iowa to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 7h 40m and costs $250 - $1,100.
The distance between Iowa and Costa Rica is 3642 km. The road distance is 4929.5 km.
The best way to get from Iowa to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 10h and costs $420 - $900.
It takes approximately 7h 40m to get from Iowa to Costa Rica, including transfers.
The best way to get from Iowa to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 7h 40m and costs $250 - $1,100. Alternatively, you can bus via San Salvador, which costs $400 - $900 and takes 5 days 1h.
Yes, the driving distance between Iowa to Costa Rica is 4930 km. It takes approximately 2 days 14h to drive from Iowa to Costa Rica.
There are 793+ hotels available in Costa Rica.
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.
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Des Moines to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 19m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–1,000
Flights from Des Moines to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–1,000
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 34m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 16m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 21m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 26m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 46m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 44m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Des Moines to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–1,000
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–700
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–700
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Des Moines to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 29m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–1,000
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 9m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–600
- Website
- flysansa.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare, Liberia
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–600
- Website
- worldticket.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare, Liberia
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–600
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Bloomington-Normal to San Marcos Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 27h 29m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $100–330
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Coach Seat - Advance Purchase
- $100–280
- Coach Seat short notice purchase
- $140–330
- Business - advance purchase
- $190–800
- Business Class
- $290–750
Train from Bloomington-Normal to Longview
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 28m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $65–230
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Coach Seat - Advance Purchase
- $65–180
- Coach Seat short notice purchase
- $95–230
- Business - advance purchase
- $120–550
- Business Class
- $210–550
- Phone
- +1 (319) 753-2864
- info@burlingtontrailways.com
- Website
- burlingtontrailways.com
Bus from Des Moines to Bloomington/Normal
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 15m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $55–120
- Website
- https://burlingtontrailways.com
- Saver Fares
- $55–85
- Flexible Fares
- $80–120
- Phone
- +1 800 923 1799
- contactus@omexusa.net
- Website
- omnibusexpress.com
Bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 17m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $140–220
- Schedules at
- omnibusexpress.com
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $80–170
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 19h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $90–140
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +𝟓𝟎𝟑 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟒 𝟔𝟓𝟒𝟖
- elcondorinternacional@gmail.com
- Website
- facebook.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $50
- Schedules at
- facebook.com
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- info@ticabus.com
- Website
- ticabus.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
Bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
- Phone
- +504 9919 5375
- Website
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
Bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $55–81
- Schedules at
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
- Road
- $55–75
- Phone
- +1-858-800-8898
- Website
- jeffersonlines.com
Bus from Des Moines to Kansas City
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $18–90
- Book at
- https://www.jeffersonlines.com
Bus from Kansas City to Texarkana
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 5m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $40–170
- Book at
- https://www.jeffersonlines.com
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- ifsr@greyhound.com
- Website
- greyhound.com
Bus from Kansas City Bus Station to Dallas Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 15m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $60–130
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Dallas Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 39m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $40–85
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Texarkana to Houston Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $80–170
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $40–170
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- info@boletosdebus.com
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Houston to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 3d
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $180–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Houston to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 1h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $230–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
- Phone
- +503 7841 5688
- info@transportedelsol.com
- Website
- transportedelsol.com
Bus from San Salvador to San José
- Ave. Duration
- 23h
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $80
- Schedules at
- transportedelsol.com
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.
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