Find cheap flights to Costa Rica from £254

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 10/1. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
0 bags
Thu 4/1
Thu 11/1
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Best return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

MOST POPULARSan José
1 stop from £547
Liberia
1 stop from £537

Good to know - Cheap tickets to Costa Rica

Low season

September

High season

January

Cheapest flight

£254
Best time to beat the crowds (14% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 13% lower on average.
Flight from London Luton Airport to San José

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • Are there non-stop flights to Costa Rica?

    There are non-stop flights that you can take to Costa Rica. For example, you could fly from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) with TUI directly to Liberia Airport. You can’t fly directly to the capital San Jose though. For example, if you fly from Heathrow Airport (LHR) with Iberia, then you will need to change along the way, at an airport such as Madrid Airport (MAD).

  • What London Airport is best to fly from to Costa Rica?

    The airport you depart from in London is likely to depend on whereabouts you are travelling from. For instance, if you live to the north of London, then Stansted Airport (STN) and Luton Airport (LTN) are usually the most convenient. Conversely, if you live to the south of London, Gatwick Airport (LGW) is probably the most suitable airport. Heathrow Airport (LHR) is great for anyone in the centre or west of London, whereas London City Airport (LCY) offers easy access for those in the east of the capital.

  • Can I reduce my carbon emissions when flying?

    You can lower your carbon footprint by choosing an airline which emits less CO2. For example, KLM fly from Heathrow to San Jose Airport releasing around 39% less CO2 than the industry standard. Rather than emitting 2119 kg CO2 per passenger, this airline emits about 1291 kg CO2 per person.

  • What are popular stopover locations on flights from UK to Costa Rica?

    Common stopover locations include Charles de Gaulle Airport, if you are flying with Air France from Manchester Airport (MAN) or Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Costa Rica. Flights with KLM from the same two airports normally transfer at Amsterdam Airport (AMS), whereas a flight with Aeromexico from LHR to San Jose Airport (SJO), would normally stop at Mexico City (MEX).

  • Which UK airports have a fast-track service?

    You can speed up your journey through UK airports so that you don’t get stuck in the queues. For instance at Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Manchester Airport (MAN), you can pay about £5 for this service. Whilst at Heathrow Airport it’s about £12.50 per person.

  • Is there internet on board flights from UK to Costa Rica?

    You can stay in touch with your loved ones by flying with an airline that provides passengers with Wi-Fi. For example, Air France and British Airways have internet, but you must pay extra for this. United Airlines also offers Wi-Fi to passengers, which is free to some passengers who use specific mobile providers.

  • Can I relax at lounges ahead of my flight to Costa Rica?

    You can relax at lounges at UK airports before you fly to Costa Rica, so you’ll be all set for your flight. For instance, at Gatwick Airport there is the Club Aspire Lounge, at Manchester Airport you can use the Escape Lounge and at Heathrow Airport there is the Plaza Premium Lounge.

  • Which airports are hubs for airlines that fly to Costa Rica?

    Air France provides regular flights to Costa Rica, with all flights requiring a change at its hub Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). As a result, flying with this airline means you’re likely to benefit from lower cost fares.

  • Are flights likely to be more expensive around Fiestas Palmares?

    If you are planning to fly to Costa Rica in January, you should be aware that Fiestas Palmares takes place for two weeks during this month. It is likely that this event will increase flight tickets. This fantastic street party is highly anticipated, but if you’re not visiting for this reason, you might want to fly during a different period so that you can get cheaper tickets.

  • Are flights likely to change prices during Christmas?

    Costa Rican citizens tend to celebrate Christmas with exuberance, so it's a vibrant and fun time to visit the country. Ticket prices are likely to cost more over the festive period, therefore, if you’re not visiting for that reason, you might want to fly at an alternative time to get cheaper tickets.

  • How long is the flight to Costa Rica?

    An average direct flight from the United Kingdom to Costa Rica takes 24h 26m, covering a distance of 5366 miles. The most popular route is London - San José with an average flight time of 14h 55m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Costa Rica?

    The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from the United Kingdom found in the last 72 hours was £516. The most popular route is London Heathrow to San José Juan Santamaria Intl and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £516.

  • Which airlines fly to Costa Rica?

    British Airways flies the most frequently from the United Kingdom to Costa Rica.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Costa Rica?

    The next most popular destination is Liberia (16%).

  • How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Costa Rica

  • Looking for cheap airfare to Costa Rica? 25% of our users found tickets to Costa Rica for the following prices or less: Cheap flights to Costa Rica from London Gatwick £632 round-trip
  • Book at least 1 week before departure in order to get a below-average price for flights to Costa Rica.
  • High season is considered to be March, April and May. The cheapest month to fly from the United Kingdom is July.
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Costa Rica flight deals.
  • If you are a British citizen then you do not need to have a visa to enter Costa Rica as you can stay for up to 90-days without one. Your passport needs to have at least one-day remaining on it from the day you leave the country.
  • If you want to visit Parque Nacional Tapantí - Macizo de la Muerte - you should fly to Juan Santa Maria International Airport (SJO), which is about 70 km (43 miles) from the National Park.
  • If you plan to visit Costa Rica to celebrate Carnival, which takes place for a week in October, then you should be prepared that flights tend to cost more during this period. If you do not plan to visit the country for this reason then it’s advised that you book around these dates so that your trip costs less.
  • There are two main airports in Costa Rica. Santamaria International Airport (SJO) is near to the capital and gives you access to the south of the country. Alternatively, Liberia Airport (LIR) is in the north of the country, and is a good airport to fly to for access to a range of beaches.
  • For those that plan to hire a car at an airport in Costa Rica, then you should make sure that you’re aware of the rules of the road before you drive. For instance, everyone in the car needs to wear a seat belt and children under 12 years old, or smaller than 145cm, need to be in a suitable child seat.
  • If you are a Business Class traveller, then you can make use of the chauffeur service that’s offered by some airlines. British Airways, for example, allows you to use your Business Points to arrange for a chauffeur from your home to the terminal. This service is only available for those that live within a 100 mile radius of specific airports, such as Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
  • If you plan to visit more than one city when you’re in Costa Rica then you should consider flying to a hub airport, such as San Jose Airport (SJO). From here you can take domestic flights to places like Liberia Airport (LIR), which is about a 20min drive from Liberia in Costa Rica.
  • If you are flying from London Heathrow (LHR) and want to save on time then you can use the Reserve and Collect service in the terminal. This enables you to do your duty free shopping online and collect it once you arrive at the airport
See more tips

Top 5 airlines flying to Costa Rica

Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United Kingdom to Costa Rica? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to KAYAK reviews.
7.8
KLMOverall score based on 3878 reviews
80overall
80boarding
72entertainment
74food
85crew
76comfort
Airline reviews

The Crew have no idea about the food they're serving the passengers. The Crew MUST be instructed before each flight about the menu that will be served to the passengers, whether the food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, whether it is Halal, Kosher or not.

Read more about KLM

The Crew have no idea about the food they're serving the passengers. The Crew MUST be instructed before each flight about the menu that will be served to the passengers, whether the food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, whether it is Halal, Kosher or not.

Pros: "Seats were very comfortable. Plane interior was in new condition, including electronic window shade tinting."
Cons: "Staff was not particularly warm or attentive. Was never offered more to drink, and after asking for more wine was ignored."
Pros: "15 years ago I told myself not to fly Delta anymore. But these 2 flights Detroit to Amsterdam and back changed my mind. I enjoyed the flight very much and I'm looking forward to the next one."
Pros: "Food was great, enjoyed watching videos, staff very profession and friendly."
Cons: "Boarding was delayed and prolonged My Baggage was not transferred and was not available when I arrived in Dulles."
Pros: "economy plus seats were nice, great movie selection, especially international movies"
Cons: "crew was not friendly, i had to ask for water many times, usually water person walk the aisle. food was terrible. other carriers food were better"
Pros: "Crew was great and helpful despite oversight in my special meal."
Cons: "Special meal request was overlook. I did not mind so much as eating less does some good! It is human to err!"
Pros: "the trip was excellent and comfortable. LOved the windows that shaded out rather than the having to pull down the plastic blind. entertainment on board top notch screen huge One hostess , Helen was absolutely fantastic and the best I ve had on my many trips. I will recommend KLM whenever I can"
Cons: "the headrest is hard. Apart from that- all was fine"
Pros: "One crew member was very good but all were not very available or checking on people. I had a seat that I purchased and it was very hard to recline I only found out that it did if fact recline it the last hour to hour and a half of the trip! It was a difficult push back to get it to recline"
Cons: "If I knew how to recline my seat earlier. I did try several times"
Pros: "Crew were friendly and helpful. Moved me up front in the plane so I could make my connection."
Cons: "Not having to walk outside in Edinbur4gh to board the flight."
Pros: "Everything was good except for the entertainment consul for one of our seats."
Cons: "One of our entertainment consuls had to be rebooted 4 times and still didn’t work. We gave up asking."
Pros: "n/a"
Cons: "The entertainment system was very old with minimum selection. My entertainment system actually stopped working. The seating area was very cramped. I called for service a couple of times from my seat, but nobody came."
Pros: "Na"
Cons: "They have a terrible communication problem, they never communicated why the flight was late, they never communicated what they were doing or what was happening. Bad customer service. Bad communication with the client. They told us when I asked several times that we would not lose our connection and that everything was fine and that was not the case. We lost the connection. No one told us anything. Another problem was that the girl in the boarding process removed the suitcases tickets from the boarding pass and did not want to return them, and held it without any cause. The flight staff went looking for us. Pretty sad and disappointed by their service. I understand that they were causes outside the airline but must communicate to the client. They cannot remain silent and say nothing."
Pros: "Quick boarding, comfortable seating. Great food!"
Cons: "The seats and IFE were a bit outdated. Comfortable, but outdated. My family had issues with their screens and one had to use the remote as the touch screen was no longer functional."
Cons: "The best airline what I was flying so far !! Excellent food, drink, comfort seat, free entertainment with great selection."
Cons: "boarding groups were not adhered to and those in a lower boarding group often boarded well after those in later boarding groups."
Pros: "Food and drinks very good"
Cons: "In economy class the movies unable to listen to with ear buds. Bring my own next time."
Pros: "Red wine was excellent"
Cons: "Bright lights on throughout flight, would have been nice to dim lights for late night flight so passengers could rest"
Pros: "The cue lines per zone are a brilliant idea!"
Cons: "An explanation to passengers as to why there was a backup between the gate and the plane."
Pros: "Nice staff. Flight on time."
Cons: "Bus to plane. Long walk to terminal upon arrival. Long Liong customs line?!!??"
Pros: "The staff were very helpful and professional."
Cons: "The food was awful and the option I wanted had run out. The entertainment was faulty and had to be reset several times. The comfort was below standard and needs to be improved."

No priority boarding - all passengers used the business class lane

The rice and chicken tikka on the Finnair flight was absolutely delicious. I am lactose intolerant and couldn’t eat the ice cream. Please consider a lactose free ice cream too. Thanks

I have to depend on wheelchair and that experience was bad. At Heathrow as well as Atlanta. They said we will have to wait till last passenger since there are twelve of you. If they knew why couldn’t they make proper arrangement? Even at the baggage counter we were dropped saying someone will come and couple of us waited almost half an hour again. Felt so sad and helpless.

Cons: "I expected more from business class. I wanted more comfortable seats and better food. The food was blah."
Pros: "Nothing. The fact that I booked my ticket via British Airways, but operated by Iberia made my situation very confusing. Iberia didn't offer me a connection flight from MAD to VLC when there was a 6 hours delay from JFK to MAD."
Cons: "Partner airline should have a better process to help customers when the help is needed the most! There was neither ownership nor responsibility held accountable by Iberia to help me find a connection flight between MAD to VLC. I had to pay for a Renfe ticket on my own to get to VLC - Nightmare!"
Cons: "The people handling the boarding were rude and inefficient. Not a way to staty an 11 hour flight."
Cons: "I Couldn’t pre book a bag with BA prior to arriving at the airport. Faced an extra charge because of this. I tried to call. Apparently because I booked through a third party. So I went to the aorbitz website and tried to book an extra bag but just redirected me to BA! Disgraceful. So many other problems such as 2 hour flight delay then another 2 hours for the bags to come out."
Cons: "It was a two hour flight, we did not get the opportunity to buy a drink and food until an hour and forty minutes into the flight. This is not acceptable."
Pros: "The crew was friendly."
Cons: "The flight was over two hours late. No USB ports for electronics. Leg room and seats were dismal."
Pros: "The plane was updated. But did not have outlets on coach for charging a laptop. It did have USB ports and a lot of movies and entertainment. Also had good food."
Cons: "No charging outlets in economy class."

Entertainment was not working. No free snacks. Seats weren’t comfortable

Overall a good flight. Good food and super nice staff.

Didn’t had any great expectations. Flight was on time, that was a big relief.

flight cancelled for winter storm warning. I was unable to switch flights to a different city because I was on hold for 2.5 hours! I was able to fight for a refund. Nothing about dealing with Air Canada and Kayak was easy. The number that AC needed was at the bottom of the receipt not the booking reference number! I will avoid this combination in the future

Boarding was a breeze and the attendants at the airport were very helpful

1. Was forced by gate attendant to check my carry on bag while boarding along with person behind me. The flight was half full and there would have been plenty of room for the bag. She was rushed and must have made a mistake and both of our bags were lost and not delivered for 30 hours after landing, forcing me to wear same clothes 2 days in a row at a business conference. Baggage people for Air Canada also would not take a report of the missing bag until it had been missing for over an hour, causing me to miss soonest train into downtown. 2. The posted boarding time was 9:00 AM for the 9:30 flight but they started boarding around 8:30 to try to finish early and get us there faster. In the hurry didn't get the chance to use the restroom beforehand, but once boarded we sat on the runway waiting for takeoff for over an hour and did not actually depart until around 10:00AM. Was unable to use restroom or anything else while just sitting in a line on the runway. 3. Email communications prior to flight said there would be wi-fi available but there was most certainly no wifi to use, had planned the time to be able to catch up on work but was not able to accomplish anything

Cons: "Prefer YUL to PBI FLL is in case that there is no flight available to or from PBI"
Pros: "The on-board crew were great. Super friendly and chatty. Almost a WestJet feel instead of the serious aloofness that AC is known for"
Cons: "The entire HUGE MESS from booking til sitting on our last airplane. The “new reservation” system is a horrible joke. The right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing so you get completely wrong info and they won’t do anything about it. I’m a wheelchair assist and had to call 6 times to remind them to put it on my ticket even though each time I was shown that it had been added. They kept seating on the back row of the plain and blamed me for not calling ahead to “let them know I was wheelchair assist so they could reseat me” BUT...they won’t answer you call unless it’s 24 before your flight and then to check at the airport who then tells us it’s out fault cause we didn’t call more then 36 hrs ahead...YOU CANT CALL THAT FAR AHEAD...and ...get this “they don’t have wheelchair assist on my ticket/file”. I about lost my mind over the hours on hold and every different answer as to what what to do and in the end blamed us. ASTONISHING TO ME. THEN THEY HAVE THE NERVE ON-BOARD TO ANNOUNCE THEY ARE THE BEST AIRLINE IN NORTH AMERICA 2019...HORSE PUCKY!!!"
Pros: "Nothing. I flu form FLL to Yul and back. I have 3 hours delay each time. At the beginning they announce 1 hour and after that nothing. No explanation why."
Cons: "Continued. In my way back my seat was on the back of the plain. As soon I take my seat an urine smell hit my nose. All passengers around me complain about same issue. Soon we find out both back restroom have no water. We have to endure that smell all trip. NO MORE Air Canada. Is the 3rd bad experi"
Cons: "Unreliable flight, always late, not staff at the check in terminal"
Pros: "comfortable plane and seats, good pilot"
Cons: "the crew should have handed out sanitizing wipes as you entered and told people who were not covering their noses with their masks that it was required - Per United rules and regulations."
Pros: "NA"
Cons: "more room Im 5'5 and I felt like I was 6ft tall that how tiny the sits are...."
Cons: "United really seems to have issues with their planes. Problems on Wednesday then again today. On Wednesday we boarded late and pushed people’s flights back because the cleaners didn’t show up at boarding time and at landing time we had to go back up when the prior flight was still on the runway."
Pros: "The crew was fantastic!! Friendly and attentive!!"
Cons: "More snack options other than pretzels would’ve been nice."
Cons: "It was hot and sweaty inside the aircraft for the whole trip. Crew were not helpful when asked about it. Drinks were served much later after take off, despite making us wait a long time in the runway. TV was a pain to operate."
Pros: "I called to change my flight to an earlier time due to flooding in PA. The lady who helped me did an equal exchange for my ticket and waved the $200 fee. I was extremely pleased and appreciative. Also, excellent movie choices and food options. I will definitely continue flying with United."
Pros: "This is really a United Flight, not a Lufthansa light."
Cons: "Scheduling 4 hours late at takeoff. Missed connections, Car rental ends up being cancelled."
Pros: "Flight delayed overnight, no compensation from United as no crew available after weather delay"
Cons: "United would not give any compensation for overnight delays as a disabled person very uncomfortable trip"
Pros: "Most of the crew were friendly but some board and inattentive"
Cons: "Paying for food and movies"
Cons: "Our airplane was supposed to fly 9am but our company changed our plane for 5am"

Book Cheap Costa Rica Plane Tickets

Cheapest flights to Costa Rica from the United Kingdom found in 2023 and 2024

Recent one-way flight deals

10/1Wed
3 stops
30h 00mLTN-SJO
£321
27/1Sat
3 stops
47h 25mLTN-SJO
£327
27/1Sat
3 stops
47h 25mLTN-SJO
£328
12/1Fri
1 stopKLM
15h 56mLHR-SJO
£579
16/1Tue
1 stopKLM
15h 56mLHR-SJO
£588
31/12Sun
1 stopAir France
17h 03mLHR-SJO
£658
17/1Wed
2 stopsAir France
18h 48mLHR-SJO
£663
2/5Thu
3 stopsUnited Airlines
28h 45mLHR-LIR
£1,644
12/12Tue
directBritish Airways
11h 45mLGW-SJO
£2,000
27/1Sat
directBritish Airways
11h 45mLGW-SJO
£2,004

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Recent return flight deals

1/4Mon
1 stopKLM
32h 39mLHR-LIR
10/4Wed
1 stopKLM
14h 57mLIR-LHR
£679
3/1Wed
directTUI Airways
11h 40mLGW-LIR
10/1Wed
directTUI Airways
9h 55mLIR-LGW
£679
4/5Sat
1 stopAir France
15h 28mLHR-SJO
11/5Sat
1 stopAir France
18h 25mSJO-LHR
£692
11/5Sat
2 stopsAir Canada
33h 35mLHR-SJO
27/5Mon
2 stopsAir Canada
28h 55mSJO-LHR
£730
23/1Tue
1 stopAir Canada
13h 55mLHR-SJO
2/2Fri
1 stopAir Canada
20h 25mSJO-LHR
£735
5/5Sun
1 stopAir France
14h 55mLHR-SJO
17/5Fri
1 stopAir France
19h 25mSJO-LHR
£747
7/2Wed
2 stopsUnited Airlines
33h 38mLHR-LIR
16/2Fri
1 stopUnited Airlines
16h 25mLIR-LHR
£767
18/1Thu
2 stopsUnited Airlines
19h 03mLHR-SJO
23/2Fri
1 stopUnited Airlines
18h 55mSJO-LHR
£767
18/1Thu
directBritish Airways
11h 45mLGW-SJO
23/1Tue
directBritish Airways
10h 15mSJO-LGW
£945
4/1Thu
directBritish Airways
11h 45mLGW-SJO
18/1Thu
directBritish Airways
10h 15mSJO-LGW
£996

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Last minute flights to Costa Rica

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

6/12Wed
multi-stopKLM
14h 45mLHR-SJO
13/12Wed
multi-stopKLM
15h 25mSJO-LHR
£666
6/12Wed
multi-stop
14h 45mLHR-SJO
13/12Wed
multi-stop
19h 30mSJO-LHR
£677
6/12Wed
multi-stopKLM
15h 40mLCY-SJO
13/12Wed
multi-stopKLM
15h 00mSJO-LCY
£711
10/12Sun
multi-stopKLM
26h 56mLHR-SJO
24/12Sun
multi-stopKLM
14h 30mSJO-LHR
£711
6/12Wed
multi-stopAir Canada
36h 00mLHR-SJO
21/12Thu
multi-stopAir Canada
15h 35mSJO-LHR
£770
6/12Wed
multi-stopAir Canada
15h 00mLHR-SJO
13/12Wed
multi-stopAir Canada
19h 10mSJO-LHR
£774
9/12Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
33h 38mLHR-LIR
16/12Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
16h 42mLIR-LHR
£828
10/12Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
36h 43mLHR-SJO
24/12Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
18h 55mSJO-LHR
£832
10/12Sun
multi-stopJetBlue
19h 52mLHR-SJO
14/12Thu
multi-stopJetBlue
16h 16mSJO-LHR
£979
10/12Sun
multi-stopAir France
17h 30mLHR-SJO
14/12Thu
multi-stopAir France
19h 30mSJO-LHR
£1,929

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Flights to Costa Rica

Return flight deals:

Costa Rica - United Kingdom

Cabin classes:

First Class flights to Costa Rica
Business Class flights to Costa Rica
£1,398
£519

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