In just two years the number of airlines connecting Costa Rica to Europe went from one (Iberia) to now six.

Iberia, Air France, Condor, British Airways, Edelweiss and KLM are the companies that are now connecting Costa Rica to different European destinations.

KLM was the most recent airline to offer direct flights, this time between San José and Amsterdam. The fact that KLM is opening the doors to this market will also make the commercial contact with Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark more accessible.

These new options open the possibilities for many Costa Ricans to travel to the old continent, prices have gone down considerably and the different itineraries and destinations provide flexibility.

Another advantage direct flights have is that tourists don’t need to go through the United States, country that requires a visa for Costa Rican tourists for instance.

“The interest of the European market towards Costa Rica has convinced us to offer direct flights to San Jose, taking advantage of the fact that KLM already carried Costa Ricans through Panama”, said Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM.

During the European winter (October 31- March) the group Air France KLM will offer a total of five flights a week from Costa Rica to Europe, three of them to Paris and two to Amsterdam.

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute has emphasized the importance of the European market for the country, since visitors coming from Europe stay for longer periods of time and tend to spend more while vacationing in the country; however, having more options is also of great benefit for Costa Ricans that now have more options to visit the different areas of Europe.

Condor currently flies to Frankfurt and Munich, Germany; Iberia to Madrid, Spain; British Airways to London, UK; Air France to Paris, France; Edelweiss to Zurich, Switzerland and now KLM to Amsterdam, Netherlands.