Costa Rica

Useful information

Currency

The Costa Rican monetary unit is the colon. Note: don't be tempted to exchange money in your home country before departing, the rate you will receive is well below what you'll receive in Costa Rica.

The exchange rate is around 440 colones to US$1 (1 July 2004) and can fluctuate without notice. It is best to bring money in the form of U.S. dollar denominated traveller's checks, don't expect to cash personal cheques. In the city most businesses will accept major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Amex), however in the outlying areas cash is preferred and many establishments will add a surcharge of around 5-6% for credit card transactions. There are numerous ATM's around that work on (Cirrus, Star, and Plus) systems, don't forget your PIN. Office hours are generally from 8.00 am to 4.30-5.00 pm with an hour for lunch between 12 noon and 1 pm. Most banks are open from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on weekdays.

Visas

Visa requirements for Costa Rica change rapidly so check with your consulate before leaving. Currently citizens of the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Panama, Romania, South Korea, Uruguay, the UK, France and most other Western European countries do not need a visa for a 90-day stay. Citizens of Australia, Ireland, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Vatican City and most of Eastern Europe and Latin America can stay 30 days without a visa. If you do need a visa, it will cost approximately US$20 from the Costa Rican consulate.

How to get there

At present there are no regular charter flights to Costa Rica, but several carriers have scheduled services from London Gatwick. Depending on which carrier is used depends on where your stopover is. Please contact us for further details. Continental Airlines flights for example change at Newark (New Jersey) or Houston (Texas). Our Tours are designed to coincide with available flights. If and when you are thinking of booking a tour we will advise on suitable flight arrangements.

Airlines used also include KLM/Martinair via Amsterdam, Iberia via Madrid, American Airlines through Miami and Air France via Paris. There are no direct flights.

Depending on the season, prices vary from £490 to £650 return.