Renting a vehicle in Costa Rica is surprisingly expensive for visitors used to north American or European rates. The roads are rough and hard on vehicles. The import duties, taxes and circulation fees all add to the cost of maintaining fleets. local | shop twice | don't rent | skip days | … [Read more...]
Practical Information & Logistics
Once you know when and where you want to go and what you want to see and do it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty, make sure your budget can handle the trip, get your documents in order, find out if your phone will work (if you want it to), pack your bags, buy travel insurance and stash away the $29 bucks you may or may not need for the departure tax. This section includes all the logistical information we've accumulated over the decades.
Packing List
Cool Fun Stuff | Full Annotated List | Simple Checklist | Unpacking List | 25lb Carry-On List Packing is a personal process. I've seen people arrive with nothing but baggy shorts, flip flops, a t-shirt and sunglasses. I've also seen travelers with two huge roller suitcases bulging with who knows … [Read more...]
Biggest Mistakes Travelers Make
Mistakes seem to take on a life of their own pile up, snowball and propagate while traveling. Reading through this list can help you avoid the most common mistakes... Day Trip Delusions. Travelers frequently ask us to help them book day trips to Arenal volcano, Monteverde cloud forest, … [Read more...]
Passports & Visas
Proper documentation is the sole responsibility of each traveler. This information was accurate at the time of writing, but Costa Rican immigration is the only authoritative source for passport, visa and other entry requirements (their website migracion.go.cr has pdf documents with specifics for … [Read more...]
Useful Phone Apps for Travel in Costa Rica
Applications you can download to your phone to help with logistics, communication, and even learning a little during your Costa Rica vacation. All of these apps are free (some offer upgrades to eliminate advertising for a few bucks). All are available at the apple store or the play store for … [Read more...]
Departure Tax (Exit Tax)
For decades the Costa Rica departure or exit tax (aka "departure tax" $29 per person) was paid at a counter in the airport before check-in. The "new" system including the departure tax in tickets has been phasing in since November of 2014. See Examples & Is It Included in My Ticket? NOTE: … [Read more...]
Will My Phone Work?
Five years ago the answer to the question - will my phone work in Costa Rica? - was just a simple no. A couple of years ago the addition of new networks in Costa Rica and changes to phones in the U.S. meant the answer changed "yes it will probably work." Now the big question is "how much will … [Read more...]
Isn’t That Free?
There are a number of things that travelers incorrectly assume are going to be free. An unexpected $50 - $100 expense or two can mess with your plans so read on and budget accordingly. Trails It's easy to understand where people from the U.S. get the notion that hiking, mountain biking and … [Read more...]
Airport Check In
Please have all of your documents in order, all your i's dotted and t's crossed, because petty bureaucrats love nothing quite so much as rare, random, but rigid enforcement of seemingly arbitrary and capricious rules and regulations. TO Costa Rica >> passport | visa | return ticket | $300 | … [Read more...]
What Should I Do With My Stuff When I Go Swimming at the Beach?
Everyone will tell you "NEVER leave your stuff unattended on the beach" and the same warning applies when swimming under a waterfall or rope swinging into a river etc. What no one tells you is how to accomplish that. Bad Ideas (Skip down to Good Ideas) "Oh, there are people around, no one will … [Read more...]
Money- Get & Spend
Three main factors determine the best way to access funds while traveling in Costa Rica. Security Economy Convenience Since dollars are widely accepted the most convenient and economical way to carry and spend money might be to stick $5,000.00 U.S. in your pocket. Obviously this … [Read more...]
Exorbitant Exchange Fee Rip-Off
Can you spot what's wrong with this receipt? It's not obvious but if you look at the two totals at the bottom of the itemized receipt you'll see ¢11,153 in Costa Rican Colones and $22.31 in U.S. dollars. That works out to an applied exchange rate of five hundred colones per dollar which is … [Read more...]
Arrival, Entry or Tourism Tax
There are a total of $58.19 Costa Rica taxes and fees typically charged to international air tickets. Most people don't notice these because they are included in the advertised price of airfares. In July of 2019 Costa Rica's new value added tax (Impuesto al Valor Agregado – IVA) applies to … [Read more...]
Useful Costa Rica Websites
A directory of sources for Costa Rica information - actually useful* not paid promotions birds | docs | embassy | gov | health | hike | maps | news | public works | transport | trivia | weather Finding anything useful in the tsunami of advertising and search engine optimization garbage returned by … [Read more...]
Dollars Accepted – Changing Money in Costa Rica
Travelers frequently ask if they need to go to the bank in the U.S. to get Costa Rican colones (the local currency) before traveling. The answer is no. It's unlikely that any U.S. or other foreign bank would have so much as a single Colón in the vault and commissions on special orders are … [Read more...]
Camping
Camping in Costa Rica is a great way to get to out of the way places, and experience the fascinating night and very early morning hours in the tropical forests. Costa Rica's Best Camp Sites boondocks | national parks | RV parks | backpacking | cabinas | glamping Tips for Tropical Camping in … [Read more...]
Currency Exchange Credit Card Rip-Off Scheme
It’s called convenience exchange, dynamic currency conversion or many other names and defended by businesses as a “practice instituted for the convenience of our valued customers.” We call it a rip-off. The concept is that travelers are most comfortable paying for purchases in their home … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Questions People Also Ask
In recent years Google has been attempting to shortcut the world wide web by posting "People also ask" lists of frequently asked questions with their "machine learning omniscient artificial intelligence selected best answers" directly on search results pages so you don't have to waste time visiting … [Read more...]
First Things First – as soon as you get off the plane
There are a few things we always do upon arrival. We're usually traveling for a couple of months so some of these may not apply to you. Everyone's first stop is immigration for the required document inspection and passport stamp. Next Stop Duty Free You are allowed to purchase duty free … [Read more...]
Camera Tips & Packing List
You'll never see tougher lighting or composition challenges than those you'll face in Costa Rica. skip down to the photography packing list The interior of the rain forest is about as bright as a big room with one forty watt bulb hanging from a high ceiling. In the age of digital cameras the … [Read more...]