Costa Rica Tours and Travel

 

LANGUAGE Spanish, although many "Ticos" (native Costa Ricans) also speak English. Costa Rica has one of the world's highest literacy rates (92%).
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS U. S. citizens are required proof of citizenship, a round trip ticket and are allowed to stay for 90 days with no visa or vaccination requirements. Other nationalities are required passports, a round trip ticket and often a visa, so please check with the local consulates or the airlines.
DEPARTURE TAX Approximately USD $17.00.
CURRENCY The official currency is the colon, but dollars are accepted almost everywhere. At the time of the printing of this brochure (Nov 00) the exchange rate was close to ¢335.00 per US$1.00. Money can be exchanged legally anywhere.
CLIMATE Subtropical with average daytime temperatures between 20? and 32? C. (68? and 90? F) The "Green Season", or rainy season, normally runs from May through November, while the dry season extends from December through April. Year round, the sun rises at approximately 5:00 am and sets at approximately 6:00 PM. Costa Rica has great weather and is a fun place to visit all year round.
ELECTRICITY 110 volts AC, 60 Hz. (Compatible with most US. electrical appliances)
HEALTH Costa Rica is proud of its universalized social security system, which has hospitals and clinics all over the country.
FOOD & WATER The Costa Rican diet is very simple, based on fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, fish and poultry. There are plenty of excellent international cuisine restaurants around the country. In most of the country the water is safe to drink, but bottled water is readily available. Tourists should avoid eating meals cooked on the streets and thoroughly wash any fruits and vegetables purchased.
TIPPING All restaurants are obliged by law to include the 15% sales tax and 10% service charge in their bills, so only if service was extra good you would be expected to add additional tips. Don't forget to tip the bellboys and the chambermaids. Guides also expect to be tipped.
SHOPPING Costa Rica is well known for its handicrafts, coffee, ceramics, woodcarvings, leather goods and reproductions of Pre-Colombian gold artifacts.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION The public transportation system is generally very good. Buses are cheap, good and regular, however they usually go only to specific towns and not to the hotels. Taxis are all painted red and all have meters. However, you may want to verify the amount the driver will charge you before you get in. Taxi drivers do expect tips but you are not obliged to give them extra.
DRIVING The roads in Costa Rica are not very well marked and usually they have a lot of pot holes. Road signs are scarce, but Costa Ricans are quite friendly and willing to help provide directions. Don't let highway patrolmen intimidate you, as the law protects tourists, just let them give you a ticket and don't try to bribe them. If they persist, ask them to go to a phone with you and call us, or call the 800 number provided with your car rental contract. Please drive carefully and watch out for cattle on the back roads. See our Car Rental section for more details on this issue.
CREDIT Most major credit cards and travelers checks are accepted throughout the country at the official exchange rate. However exceptions do occur but only when you are in very rural areas that do not have easy telephone access to verify the cards and therefore only cash is accepted.
SAFETY GUIDELINES Costa Rica is a peaceful and safe country. However, you should take normal precautions to avoid becoming a victim of crime. In order to make your trip safer and more enjoyable, we suggest you take the same basic safety precautions you would anywhere else in the world. Don't open your hotel door without first finding out who it is. Don't walk around town showing off your valuable jewelry, cameras or video equipment. Don't park your rental car in the street, always use parking lots, and don't leave anything of value in the glove compartment or the trunk. Don't walk alone on dark roads at night and women should not walk alone in remote areas of national parks, etc.