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Road trip with (small) kids

Yeah, our next trip by car is going to happen soon. With kids, it can be a little bit tiring, even more, when they’re still young. Here, as in many other things in life, preparation and consideration of some tips and tricks is everything.

A 4 hours drive was what it took us on our last trip, our kids were only 4 and 2 years, Maite and Lukas. Our experience as parents showed that it doesn’t make any difference if the kids sleep or are busy doing something while on our journey by car. It only gets stressful as soon as they are starting to feel bored, even worse, are starting a concert for what you wouldn’t buy tickets for.

Keep kids in good humour

Kids want to be busy since a road trip takes its time, and mentioned time seems to be endless to little kids. Maite usually asks even before leaving town if we’re there already, and Lukas is her echo. Perhaps we should actually be happy that they didn’t already start to ask while getting in the car.

If the kids aren’t falling back to sleep again immediately, they want to be entertained. Therefore, most of the time we take some toys with us. Cow, the horse, and pig for Lukas and some puppets for Maite have to be our companions. Then, each plays with his or her toys, or, sometimes, there are funny conversations between farm animals and dolls. Furthermore, the colour pencils and the notebook cannot be forgotten, it’s perfect for the kids to be creative while having the book on their lap. We take small books with us, very much loved as well as engaging, are activity books with riddles, pictures to colour and other tasks to fulfil, or somewhere they have to paste stickers. Okay, not all stickers end up in the book, but you’ll be able to remove them easily. Caution with small kids, you don’t want the stickers to be swallowed, better give them a playbook with different materials to touch, experience and play. The goal has to be that you have something appropriate for the ages of the kids on your tour.

A small snack in route

Food also is a good way to occupy kids, normally we take dry cookies (no chocolate ones because they melt pretty fast), apples, platano chips, and small corn flakes bags with us. There has to be enough water to drink, since juices are too sticky, milk for the really small ones. In the end, things that will not make a mess and also aren’t too heavy on a small stomach. Most of all, our little one has her problems when a route has too many curves, the drive around Lake Arenal, for instance. It’s a really nice route with a panorama that will be following you all along, but also has numerous curves in it. Usually, our daughter gets a spoonful of Gravol, a remedy for nausea, that you can use with little kids, too. You’ll get it in pharmacies.

Have a break

Normally, we intend to drive non-stop on short distances, on longer ones on the other hand side, a break is a good idea. A bathroom, changing diapers if necessary, to stretch one’s legs, are all a pleasure after a certain time in the car. Our favourite rest stop is the “El Gran Parqueo” (English: the big parking). The parking, indeed, is pretty large and you’ll find your spot without a problem, getting in and out is easy and clear, too. The bathrooms are clean and there are many! Changing tables are available in front of the women’s bathrooms, diapers, wet towels, creme and further things you need, should be in your baggage. To have some underwear to change is never a bad idea, just in case.

There is a bakery, a small supermarket (mostly food and drinks), an ice cream stand, and a restaurant. This offers a wide choice, if it’s breakfast, lunch, or just a snack, you’ll find it here and the prices are fair. All the times we were stopping by, we got served plenty, there are high chairs available for kids. Most of the tables are in the shape of an animal, also the decoration of the restaurant, furthermore, you’ll find an aquarium. All this reaches that the kids will not get bored ever.

Find out more about Costa Rican Food: Top 5 dishes you must try!

El Gran Parqueo is located directly at the Panamericana and is a place to visit for routes like San José / Puntarenas / Manuel Antonio National Park etc. to Rincón de la Vieja / Monteverde / North Pacific beaches etc. Three more recommendations we could make would be Mi Finca, Restaurante Monteverde, and Donde Sandy. All of them have good food and clean bathrooms.

Pack the bathing suit…

If you’re visiting a hotel that offers a pool or is located directly at the beach, it’s recommendable to pack your swim gear in a separate bag. This because most of the time check-in to your room is in the afternoon, but you may already use the installations, normally. Therefore, if you have your swimwear ready in an extra bag, you’ll not have to look for it everywhere in your luggage, and trust us if we tell you, out of the experience, that it’s not a fun thing to do with high temperatures. Never forget the sunscreen, it’s important to use it frequently. We recommend that you take sunscreen with you from home. What, in Costa Rica, you can not get any sunscreen?? Yes, you can, but in the sunshine country Costa Rica it is a rather expensive product. Let us give you an example: You’ll get a 125ml bottle of Nivea Sun, sun protection factor 50 here for about 6’800 Colones, that’s about 9.95 Euros. In a pharmacy in Germany, for example, you’ll get a 200ml bottle of the same brand for about 7.65 Euros. The difference is obvious.

 

Child seats are mandatory

Children with a body measurement under 1.45m must be seated in a child seat in the car. There are the following guidelines that have to be met:

Group 0: Children younger than 1 year, body weight under 10 kilos, height until 75 centimetres.

Group 1: Children from 1 - 4 years, body weight in between 9 - 18 kilos, height in between 75 - 110 centimetres.

Group 2: Children from 4 - 6 years, body weight in between 15 - 25 kilos, height in between 75 - 110 centimetres.

Group 3: Children from 6 - 12 years, body weight in between 22 - 36 kilos, height in between 110 - 145 centimetres.

Conclusion

If there are monkeys jumping from tree to tree above you, you’re seeing a Toucan, or a coati appears on the side of the road, you’ll have absolutely no problem stopping while travelling in a car through this remarkable tropical paradise. If you achieve that the road trip is a pleasant and funny thing for the whole family, there is no reason to not do it. So, let’s go and enjoy discovering Costa Rica on four wheels, a fantastic, child-friendly country.

Do you have some questions about road trips with kids? Are you now in a mood to travel? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

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  • Janaina & Dieter, Brazil

    The trip was wonderful! Your help was invaluable and without your choices it would not have been so good! I am very very satisfied and very happy with the choices you made!

    Thank you very much for everything!

    Janaina & Dieter, Brazil
  • Kathrin, Ines, Matthias & Ingo, Germany

    Hello dear Aline, many thanks to you for the great compilation and organization of the trip. We were able to spend eventful, interesting and wonderful days in Costa Rica and will keep them in good memory. A thank you also goes to the ARA Tours team, which was available 24/7 for problems and questions, which were solved and answered quickly and reliably. The punctuality of the transfers offered should also be emphasized. In summary, it was a wonderful holiday.

    Kind regards

    Kathrin, Ines, Matthias & Ingo, Germany
  • Carina & Thomas, Germany

    Hello dear Aline,
    Now we have arrived back at San Jose Airport after a great trip. Everything worked out great and the tour was just perfectly planned and organized. Thank you very much. We take a lot of positive memories with us.
    Best regards.

    Carina & Thomas, Germany
  • Yvonne, Switzerland

    The Costa Rica trip together with my family is already behind us - it was wonderful!!! Everything went smoothly from A to Z, we had a wonderful time, no incidents and wonderful experiences.
    We all enjoyed it very much; the nature is enormous, but also the warm-hearted people, the cleanliness, the food - we are very enthusiastic!
    At this point I would like to thank you very much for your support in the preparation, for all the bookings, clarifications and enquiries!!!
    We visited the waterfall in La Fortuna and had a great view of the Arenal. In Monteverde we did a Hanging Bridges and Zipline tour and in Nosara a surf course. In Finca Rosa Bianca we did the coffee tour, it was all great, fun and interesting 😊. All in all, we saw lots of animals, always ate well, enjoyed the beaches....even in rainy weather 😊. Often we were even glad that it was overcast, otherwise it would have been almost toouuu hot for us.
    So THANK YOU again so much for everything!!!!

    Yvonne, Switzerland
  • Christina, Switzerland

    Many thanks for the extensive support (before, during and after the trip) and the professional handling of our concerns. With your support we had a smooth and unforgettable vacation in Costa Rica! Our favorite hotels: Hotel Plaza Yara and the Poas Volcano Lodge - a dream!
    All the best
    Christina

    Christina, Switzerland
  • Jeanne, Bernd & Bill, USA

    Yay! I´m glad we are back on track. Thank you again for helping us with all these changes.
    I´m glad we choose ARA-you are amazing! Thanks for all your help! It made it a very memorable visit!

    Jeanne, Bernd & Bill, USA
  • Janka, The Netherlands

    Hi Eli & ARA Team,
    We have spoken to the guest and they are super enthusiastic about their Costa Rica roundtrip! Everything was well organized, nice hotels, nice mix of activities & beach and they have big compliments for you guys!!
    Many thanks for all the good work!! The guest highly appreciate it!!
    They had lunch nearby in Ara Ambigua Lodge, and they loved this place. Friendly staff and good food!
    Do you work with this accommodation? If so, we would love hear 😊
    Once again, heads off for this amazing trip!
    With warm regards

    Janka, The Netherlands
  • Thomas, Deborah, Eva & Paula, Switzerland

    Dear Priska
    Happily I write some words to you in English, so you can easily forward them also to Ara Tours, please. Thank you all, we spent a magic time in Costa Rica! Baumeler's and Ara Tours organisation and logistics were perfect, everything worked out even better than we expected. The tours were brilliant, we really enjoyed everything very very much!
    All the accomodation was absolutely wonderful... the setting, the quality, the food, with happy helpful friendly staff everywhere. It was a wonderful way to experience this beautiful country the way we did, on a private tour with personal guide and drivers. We saw and learnt sooo much - it would have been impossible to do so on our own.
    Especially we praise our brilliant guide Fernando Perez, we benefited so much from his truly wide knowledge and deep love for his Country which he passed on in lovely encouraging way. We even became friends and we will meet in Switzerland coming September! Also our driver Carlos Sandi was great, not only as a driver but also as a compagnion, animal spotter and photographer. Thank you!
    So.... now we just enjoy our last day...
    Sunny greetings, pura vida

    Thomas, Deborah, Eva & Paula, Switzerland
  • Yvonne & Andrea, Switzerland

    Hello all
    Unfortunately, our wonderful trip is already over and everyday life has caught up with us again. We would like to thank you very much for everything. The trip was planned exactly according to our wishes and we have seen so many beautiful places.
    Thank you Stefanie!
    We have felt completely comfortable and top cared for by you. Via Whats App we got immediate answers to our questions, with the car everything worked out great. In all locations we were treated very warmly and nicely. It was just so indescribably beautiful, we will dream of the beautiful experiences for a long time. In any case, we will warmly recommend you and hope for a next time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
    Best regards.

    Yvonne & Andrea, Switzerland
  • Anita, Switzerland

    We have arrived safely in Switzerland and have already returned to work.
    It was a wonderful trip you put together for us.
    Your excellent service, as well as the 24 hour support service from ARA Tours, was truly outstanding.
    I have already recommended you several times and would book with you again and again. Thank you very much and keep me informed if there are any interesting offers.
    Best wishes.

    Anita, Switzerland
  • Lukas & Isabelle, Switzerland

    Hello Pedro, our time in CR is coming to an end and we wanted to say "thank you very much for organizing a phenomenal week". Everything has been well organized and we have seen many beauties of nature. Thanks!

    Lukas & Isabelle, Switzerland
  • Reinout & Yvonne, The Netherlands

    Thanks Jenny for the clear answer. We will make an appointment via the link you gave us.
    Today we visited National Parc Cabo Blanco. What an amazing park, so quiet for tourists, so full of animals, really lovely and therefore together with Monte Verde, Cahuita and Corcovado the park today, Cabo Blanco, scores high in our ranking of most beautiful parks of CR.These parks give us reason, together with the Pura Vida in CR, to come back soon. We'll keep in contact.

    Reinout & Yvonne, The Netherlands
  • Dominik, Germany

    Good day Jennifer
    As we have already told Simone, the stay at Lapa Rios is extremely enriching, thanks to the well planned planting and the untouched environment we see a lot of animals. Contrary to the plans before the stay, we do not want to visit more animals in captivity at the end. We will have a look at the few hours before we leave.
    We thank you and your team very much for the excellent advice and the permanent support! We can only recommend Ara Tours.
    Best regards.

    Dominik, Germany
  • Daniel, Jana & Theo, Germany

    A big thank to you, you saved our vacation!
    Communication already worked very well in Germany. The help from you, especially through Aline, should be mentioned here. This was fantastic from the first WhatsApp message to the last. We already know Costa Rica, so we knew what we wanted and what not. Ara Tours was an important point of contact for us. We are very grateful to Aline precisely because our actual travel agent cancelled our trip 36 hours before departure. She immediately organized everything for us. Whether the hotel in beautiful Punta Leona, the tours to the national parks, even the shuttle service with the great driver Guillerno Ortega has to be mentioned here. We are very grateful to you, dear Aline, but also to the entire Ara Tours team. You too made our almost 3-week trip to Costa Rica unforgettable again. We would love to come back and of course we will book through Ara Tours again.

    Daniel, Jana & Theo, Germany
  • Alexander & family, Switzerland

    Thank you, everything really worked out great. Super organization and at any time quick info / help / support from you!
    We liked it very much. The conclusion in Quepos was crowning. We liked the beach in the National Park Manuel Antonio very much. We would have liked to stay longer, but we take home many wonderful, unforgettable impressions. PURA VIDA!
    Many thanks to you Aline! We will gladly recommend you to others.

    Alexander & family, Switzerland
  • Neumann Family, Germany

    - The route was super planned, first on the beach time to arrive and then only from Monteverde with excursions inland etc. and at the end again beach - perfect!
    - Support from Ara Tours was VERY good!!! Through Whatsapp reachability the service was great, very quick answers / very flexible, good suggestions etc. Also with the doctor Ara Tours helped with translations by phone - that was really very, very good!
    - The home stay day was an absolute highlight - very authentic - so we got to know the locals REAL, the family was super friendly and very open and have talked about everything. Not at all touristy perceived.

    Neumann Family, Germany
  • Marine & Bruno, France

    Hello
    We would like to thank you personally for this beautiful trip that you organised for us and for the follow-up that you did throughout the stay. A big thank you also to Jennifer d'Ara tours! Thank you again and have a great week!

    Marine & Bruno, France
  • Walter, Switzerland

    We really appreciated your (almost) daily updates from Costa Rica on Covid and related issues. That was a highlight compared to other incoming agents worldwide! We thank you for your effort and wish you that you manage the coming time well and stay healthy.

    Walter, Switzerland
  • Ronald, Germany

    Our great compliments for keeping us informed every day on the developments. We wish you all the best and keep yourself and families in good health and mood during this unprecedented period!

    Ronald, Germany
  • Kathrin, Germany

    You are really super! It is impressive how you manage the crisis with your super flow of information and the great reversal. Hats off!

    Kathrin, Germany
  • Michael, Germany

    Hello, we were on a round trip in Costa Rica from 27.11., which was booked through BigXtra and organised by them. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much. The tour was simply amazing! The support by Carlos was just great. We have done many trips before, but this one was an unforgettable experience thanks to Carlos. Carlos speaks very good German and was able to sensitively introduce us to Costa Rica, its incomparable nature and its great, friendly inhabitants. Pura Vida became for us a term for the attitude towards life in Costa Rica. Please say hello to Carlos from us and once again a huge thank you to him in the name of the whole group of 8. We wish him only the best for his future.

    Michael, Germany
  • Evelyne, Switzerland

    Wie just did a 4 week trip in Costa Rica which was organised from ARA tours and we really liked it - well done Ara Tours! We also had a guide - his name is Enrique. His German is really good and he knows a lot about Costa Rica and he showed us a lot of animals. We had a wonderful time with hime - thank you so much Enrique!

    Evelyne, Switzerland
  • Tanja, Germany

    perfect tour perfect tour guide pablo, everything very well organised 👍👍👍👍🇨🇷🇨🇨🇷 were thrilled

    Tanja, Germany
  • Ines, Germany

    Many thanks and great praise to our tour guide Mauricio and our bus driver Adrian! We felt very comfortable during the 2 weeks in Costa Rica. The wide-ranging knowledge of Mauricio and the super driving skills of Adrian were particularly admirable. Thanks to the eagle eyes of both of them, we had the opportunity to observe a variety of animals in Costa Rica. Thank you for everything!

    Ines, Germany
  • Sabine, Germany

    I can only recommend ARA Tours. Thanks again to Nicole for the great planning of the tour and the support. Our tour guide Peter Käser was simply incredible (a walking encyclopaedia) and always had an answer to all my questions about the flora and fauna and the history of CR. Our driver Julio carried my father on his hands, for which I am very grateful. CR is also worth a trip for wheelchair users at any time (with ARA Tours, of course).

    Sabine, Germany
  • Thieme Family, Germany

    We would like to thank you once again for organizing our trip [...] through the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Our special thanks go to our tour guide Enrique, who with his extensive knowledge of flora and fauna about his country brought it very close to us and made us want to come even a second time. We were very glad and happy to travel with him, as he was also very committed to our problems on site, in addition to his competent function as a tour guide.

    Thieme Family, Germany
  • Antonia-Maria & Boris, Austria

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sensational effort! I do not know such a competent tour guide as with you really from nowhere else... and we have already traveled a lot... 🙏🏻🍀

    Antonia-Maria & Boris, Austria
  • Katja, Germany

    I wanted to thank you again for the great Costa Rica trip. We flew back home very happy and with many great impressions. A compliment for the super organisation. Everything worked out perfectly (except for the handover of the rental car, which was force majeure...). So thank you again and I have already recommended you to friends:-)!

    Katja, Germany
  • Denise & Alain, Switzerland

    Thank you very much for your email and the tickets. We really appreciate how quickly and efficiently you deal with our requests each time!

    Denise & Alain, Switzerland
  • Philippe, Switzerland

    Hello Christine Thank you very much for this information. The support is super👍 many thanks Gruss

    Philippe, Switzerland
  • Marianne & Stefan Gräub, Switzerland

    Otherwise, the planned trip was a complete success. Everything went well and the visits you organised were all very interesting. The visits you organised were all very interesting and gave us a great insight into the respective topics. The fact that the Ticos are very friendly and always ready to help was fully confirmed.

    Marianne & Stefan Gräub, Switzerland

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