Looking for a few travel tips from ya'll. El Salvador this July! Q1: www.ticotravel.com, can anyone vouch for the legitimacy of this website? I found airfare to El Salvador for way cheap compared to other websites. Q2: American Airlines surfboard baggage policy. As quoted from their website, "One surfboard, Kiteboard, Wakeboard, or Wave Ski....$150 charge, regardless of the number of checked bags. Exception: - Lightweight surfboards packaged in a single bag that weighs less than 50lbs will be accepted as a single surfboard for charging purposes." Anyone pack two boards with AA and only get charged $150 each way (if under 50lbs). PS....Always bring a print out of your airlines baggage policy, helps avoid excess charges at check in. Q3: If you have any El Salvador stories/experiences to share, please post! Thanks!!!
Yeah Taca has better surfboard policy than AA. But that ticotravel.com website has airfare with AA that way cheaper than Taca, making the difference in board bag fees negligible when comparing total costs (airfare + board bag fees).
Tico Travel is legit, I saved a couple hundred dollars on a car rental through them in Costa Rica (it was Adobe). They have a $30 fee they tack onto air reservations, so take that into account. All the AA fares that I found on Tico I could also find at the AA website and save the fee. But it seems they do have connections for TACA. In trying to arrange airport transportation in CR they were on the expensive side. I found my own. But they are totally legit. Nothing hidden or underhanded going on there. I will use them again.
I've used ticotravel to book car rental in CR at least 5 times. Their rates are always better than what is advertised on the rental sites. We also booked a room through them once, but have gone direct the other times. The only time I tried to get airfare through them, I found it cheaper on my own. If I was going someplace I was unfamiliar with I would use them again.
El Salvador is a great surf destination. i hope you speak spanish though. i spent a month there 2 years ago, awesome place but EXTREMELY dirty. bring antiboitics. DO NOT SURF AFTER A MAJOR RAINFALL!!!!! best place to stay is El Tunco. just take a taxi from the airport ($25) and there are tons of accom right at the break. great wave...will break for hundreds of yards. if the swell is pumping, take the bus to punta roca ($.25) its a very dangerous place if you go looking for trouble and everybody carries guns. on the flip side though, i would say they are the freindliest people i have ever met in my entire life and they actually like americans(very rare) and there currency is the US dollar its a unique place, kinda off the map for an amatuer traveler but a great experience. Sunzal(the point break at el tunco) is still an easy place to surf over 12ft. i was out there one day when it was pushing 15ft on a 6'3. enjoy!!!
Roca is a little sketchy in and around where you park, but a wave I will never forget. Pretty fun getting in and out of the water over the cobblestones cut my knee pretty good getting out Country is great lots to see and lots of breaks. Anyone been to Lips?
My Grandpa worked there for several years and always kept a sawed off shotgun in his lap while driving. Good luck.
Bring ALL surf supplies you might even think you will need .. very hard to get replacements (at least it was in 2006). Spanish is a must. Around the beach is cool... venturing too far beyond it was super sketchy. Beyond that its the basics... Generally nice people. Talent level not real high so you can score even when the boys were on it. Sunzal, La Bocanna, Zonte, K 59, K61, Mizata... AWESOME waves.
