London to San José (Alajuela) (LHR–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

LHR Airport Page →
airlines charter/private
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 30 1-stop flights
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
MIA Miami 13h 42m AAAYBA AAAVGB Miami (MIA) to San José (Alajuela) flights
MCO Orlando 14h 6m KLVS B6F9Q6 Orlando (MCO) to San José (Alajuela) flights
YYZ Toronto 14h 25m A3ACAY AC Toronto (YYZ) to San José (Alajuela) flights
AMS Amsterdam 14h 40m 6EB6BA AFKL Amsterdam (AMS) to San José (Alajuela) flights
YUL Montréal 14h 45m A3ACAY ACTS Montréal (YUL) to San José (Alajuela) flights
ATL Atlanta 14h 48m AFAYBA DLKL Atlanta (ATL) to San José (Alajuela) flights
IAH Houston 14h 49m ACAYBA ACUA Houston (IAH) to San José (Alajuela) flights
CDG Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) 15h 5m AFAMBA AFKL Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) (CDG) to San José (Alajuela) flights
FRA Frankfurt am Main 15h 5m A3AVB6 LH Frankfurt am Main (FRA) to San José (Alajuela) flights
EWR Newark 15h 6m ACAYBA UA Newark (EWR) to San José (Alajuela) flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
London to San José (Alajuela)
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
-7h behind

While no nonstop service exists between LHR and SJO, 1-stop connecting options are available.

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for LHR to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
30
Hubs
~13h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,926
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Other ways to reach San José (Alajuela) from London

Nearby airports with service to Juan Santamaría International Airport.
Metric LHR→SJO LGW→SJO LTN→SJO
Distance from LHR 25 mi 28 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 2
Weekly flights
Airports within 200 miles of LHR with service to Juan Santamaría International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-7h
San José (Alajuela) is 7 hours behind London.
LHR: BST · SJO: CST

When it's 6:00 PM in London, it's 11:00 AM in San José (Alajuela).
Visa & Entry

British passport holders enter Costa Rica visa-free for up to 180 days. No fee, no advance application. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry with at least one blank page.

You need proof of onward travel (a return flight or bus ticket out of Costa Rica). Immigration may ask for evidence of sufficient funds ($100 per month of intended stay). Complete the Digital Health Pass (salud.go.cr) before arrival. Extensions beyond 180 days are not available; you must leave the country and re-enter. The standard border run to Panama or Nicaragua resets the clock.

No direct flights from the UK to Costa Rica exist. Common one-stop routings connect via Madrid (Iberia), Miami, or Houston, with total journey times of 13 to 16 hours. Costa Rica uses the Costa Rican colon (CRC), trading at roughly 510 CRC per $1. US dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas. No vaccination requirements for UK arrivals, but hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines are recommended. Costa Rica charges a $29 departure tax, included in the airfare since 2015.

Getting to LHR

Heathrow Express runs from London Paddington to T5 and T2/T3 in 15–21 minutes (£37 single, cheaper booked online or via the Heathrow app). Elizabeth line (Crossrail) is a lower-cost alternative; Paddington to T5 in 34 minutes from £13.50 with an Oyster/contactless cap of £14.90. The Elizabeth line also serves central London stations including Bond Street, Farringdon, and Liverpool Street.London Underground Piccadilly line serves all terminals (T2/T3/T4/T5) from central London in 40–60 minutes (£6 with Oyster). Taxis (black cabs) from central London cost £55–90 depending on traffic. Coach services from Victoria Coach Station (National Express) cost from £10 booked in advance.

LHR–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the London to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Time difference-7 hours
Airlines (nonstop)0
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: LHR
IATA / ICAOLHR / EGLL
TimezoneEurope/London
Passengers/yr83.9M
Elevation83 ft / 25 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LHR to SJO flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Miami, Orlando and Toronto Pearson.
San José (Alajuela) is 7 hours behind London.
Nearby alternatives include LGW and LTN. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Miami, Orlando and Toronto Pearson. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include London (LGW) and Luton, Luton (LTN).