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Travel Tips
The following are useful things that you might
want to bring when traveling to Costa Rica:
*
Light jacket or sweater, can be helpful
for high altitude
places where temperature can be a little bit lower.
* Shorts for almost everywhere in Costa
Rica since casual
wear is most common.
*
Hiking shoes.
* Long
pants to protect yourself from mosquitos specially in the
rainforest.
*
Mosquito repellent.
*
Sunblock is recommended to wear always.
*
Umbrella or rain coat since rain can be strong and frequent all around
Costa Rica, specially during the rainy season.
*
Camera.
* Binoculars.
* A plastic case or bag to place your passport
and travel documents. Humidity levels are high year around and
paper documents can easily get wet even during the dry season.
*
Swimming suit.
*
Beach towel.
*
Sandals.
* A good map but please always remember that in
Costa Rica street signs or street mumbering is unfrequent so directions
can be a little bit different and complicated.
*
Passport and drivers license.
* No
visa required for US citizens. Other citizens please check with
Costa Rica's Consulate.
*
Vaccinations are not necessary.
* If
you need medication we recommend that you bring it along with your
prescription and medical records.
* Credit
cards are widely accepted. Dollars are accepted
throughout Costa Rica, so there is no real need to exchange them into
Colones (local currency). We recommend to bring $100 cash per
person in case of an emergency and to pay exit taxes at the airport the
day you depart from Costa Rica. There might also be some places
where all payments have to be done in cash. You can also get cash
at
ATM's and banks.
The following are some safety tips that you should take into
consideration
when traveling to any place around the world:
* Have a
planned route of travel. Take a map of the
area.
* If you are
lost, go to a public place to read your map or to ask for
directions. Hotels and tourist information offices
can be specially convenient.
* Stay
in touch with local news so that you know what is going on around
you.
* Do
not pull over for flashing headlights or hitch
hikers.
* Drive
with your doors locked and the windows closed.
* Do
not leave valuables inside the car where they can be
seen.
* Do
not leave keys inside the car.
* Exchange money only in banks and do
not carry too much cash with you.
* Do not wear jewelry in downtown San
Jose.
* Always hold your purse infront of you.
Costa Rica specifics:
* In
restaurants tip is included on the invoice (10%).
* Tour
guides can be tipped with $5
*
Bellhops, maids and drivers can be tipped with $1.
*
When driving you need always to carry with you the drivers license and
passport or notarized photocopy. It is advisable that you get
a notarized photocopy of your passport.
* International
drivers licenses are valid for three months from the date of entrance
to
Costa Rica.
*
Tourist permit is valid for three months for US citizens and for most
citizenships. Other countries please check with the nearest Costa
Rican consulate.
*
Exchange rate varies every business day. Make sure you ask in a
bank or hotel for the current exchange rate.
*
Travelers checks can be exchanged in banks. Some banks accept
some
kind of checks and some others don't.
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