Travel advice & practical information for travelogue:

'Costa Rica's Varied Nature'

Useful addresses

New York

Consulate General of Costa Rica,
225 West 34 Street
Penn Plaza Building, Suite 1203
New York, NY 10122
Tel.: (212) 509-3066
Tel.: (212) 509-3067
Fax: (212) 509-3068
Email: costaricaconsul@yahoo.com

London

Embassy of Costa Rica
Flat 1, 14 Lancaster Gate
London, W2 3LH
Tel.: (44 171) 706 8844
Fax: (44 171) 706 8655

Paris

Embassy of Costa Rica
78, Avenue Emile Zola
Paris 75015
Tel.: 01.45.78.96.96
Fax: 01.45.78.99.66
Email: embcr@wanadoo.fr

General Information

Outside the tourist areas it is a good idea to be able to speak at least a little Spanish. A phrase book is the minimum. In large hotels the staff speak English.

On local flights from Corcovado to San José and vice versa you can bring only a limited amount of luggage. The rest you will have to leave behind.

Money

Big hotels accept American dollars. Outside the tourist areas it's better to bring Costarican money.

If you know in advance which places you're going to visit, you can find out online if and where there are ATM's where you can use your MasterCard and Cirrus or Visa to withdraw money.

Climate and best time to travel

On the coast it's often up to 30 degrees centigrade and especially on the west coast it's often sunny. This is almost the same all year round.

It can be very cold in the mountains, and you should definitely bring a sweater. It also rains often there, so rain wear is a must as well.

Accomodation

India is the perfect place to travel without a plan. There are hotels everywhere and if you can't find one, every rickshaw rider can take you to one. A double room with clean beds, private shower, etc. in a reasonable hotel will set you back around 400 rupees (around 10 euro).

Safety and security

Traveling in some countries or regions can be dangerous. That isn't always a reason not to go there, but part of preparing well for a trip includes finding out about possible risks.

The CIA Factbook is a good place to look. As is the US Foreign Department site. Of course you always should consult your own country's Foreign Department web site.

Health

Find current information on the web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Always consult your family doctor and your country's Health Department web site.

Plan your trip to Costa Rica online

Through online reservation systems like À la Carte Vacations you can book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars and holiday houses. You can build a fly-drive itinerary with maximum flexibility, book a flight plus a hotel hotel for a night or weekend. Without the limitations of package deals from travel organisations and most times for a much better price.