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Travel Requirements		Return to Main

Passports Transportation to Costa Rica Transportation in Costa Rica Currency & Credit Cards Language & Protocols Climate & Terrain

Passports & Customs
What are the requirements......

• Passport for U.S. and Canadian Citizens. No Immunization Needed.
  
• What are you allowed in and out of the country....
  • 2 liters of liquor, chocolate, coffee, cigars

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Transportation to Costa Rica

Airlines

Serviced by Continental, American, United, Liberia, Iberia, Taca, and Lacsa.to San Jose.

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Transportation in Costa Rica

Ground Transfers to/from San Jose:

Arenal Cahuita Hotels
Coco-Ocotal Beach Hotels
Flamingo Beach Hotels
Jaco Beach Hotels
Manuel Antonio Hotels
Monteverde Hotels
Papagayo Hotels
Playa Tambor Hotels
Puntarenas Hotels
Samara-Carrillo Beach Hotels
Tamarindo Hotels

Airport Transfers:

one-way to/from San Jose Hotels

one-way to/from Mountain Hotels

one-way to/from Beach Hotels

* Private Naturalist Guide and Transportation- English speaking drivers charge extra

** Private Transportation and English-speaking Driver

Air Transfers

Travelair domestic flights:
San Jose - Tortuguero
San Jose - Quepos
San Jose - Liberia
Liberia - Tamarindo
Quepos - Palmar Sur
San Jose - Golfito
Golfito - Puerto Jiminez
San Jose - Tambor
Tambor - Jaco
Tamarindo - Tambor
Tambor - Quepos
San Jose - Punta Islita
Punta Islita - Carrillo

or charter plane within Costa Rica

Boat

Temptress Voyages and Windstar for local Cruises, Major Ships for out of Country with stops.

Car Rental

Call Adventure Dive and Travel for current rates and availability.

Taxis

Inside of San Jose, typically $2.00 to $10.00, depending upon the distance. The airport to San Jose central will be approximately $15.00. Call 30 minutes prior to the necessary departure time.

Buses

Public buses are cheap, typically less than a dollar for travel within San Jose. While a five hour trip to the beach might only cost $6.00, public buses are slow, long and bumpy outside of San Jose.

Trains

Trains are no longer available for public travel.

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Currency & Credit Cards

The national currency of Costa Rica is the Colon. The current (12/97) exchange rate is around 240 colones per U.S. dollar. Call your local bank for the current rate of exchange. If you purchase currency ahead of time at the bank or in the airport, you will typically pay a 10% to 20% premium. You can exchange currency at the airport in San Jose, but these street vendors will sometimes substitute counterfeit currency. The best place to exchange currency is at a bank in Costa Rica or at your hotel. All major credit cards that are readily acceptable in Costa Rica

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Language & Protocol

Spanish is the native language. English is the most widely spoken foreign language.

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Climate & Terrain

Costa Rica has two major seasons, the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season is the most popular for tourist travel and lasts between November and April. The rainy season last between May and October and could bring 4 hours of rain per day. During the rainy season, some days have sunshine all day long, while it may rain all day on others. Typically, the rainy season will bring about 2 to 4 hours of rain per day, staring around mid-day.

 

The terrain in Costa Rica is mountainous in the central part of the Country, with several rolling hills and small mountains as you approach the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. The northeast portion of the Country is flat and marshy, extending eastward to the Caribbean Sea.

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