Author: Julia Baikalova
Source: ezinearticles.com
Costa Rica is as abutting to paradise as it gets: the acclimate is absolute and the assortment of flora and fauna is astounding. No admiration it’s acceptable the top destination in the apple for eco-tourism.
Please yield into application some of the admonition accustomed beneath and you will acquire the time of your life. Enjoy your trip!
Avoid San Jose (the basic of Costa Rica)
1) Abstain blockage in San Jose. Abnormally abstain active there. Abounding tourists acquire been targeted. A lot of of the “horror stories” you apprehend about happened in San Jose. Why yield the risk? A auto to SJ will bulk you the aforementioned as to Grecia or Atenas. Note: official airport taxis (“orange”) are adequately expensive. It can be as abundant as $50. If you adjudge to go this way, accomplish abiding that the quoted bulk is per trip, not per person. If you allege Spanish you should be able to accommodate a bulk about $25 just alfresco the terminal with the “red” taxi.
If you wish to appointment San Jose centermost (the alone allotment of San Jose that ability be account visiting), go by bus! Stay in the centermost (around the “pedestrian-only” street). Yield alone a baby sum of money and a camera (umbrella during rain division is a must). There are abounding policemen in the center, so it’s safe during the day time.
As you get added from San Jose, abomination ante bead dramatically. Even at the touristy coffer towns the abomination bulk is not as bad as in the capital.
2) Unless you acquire some acquaintance active in Central America, abstain active from the airport, abnormally if it’s aphotic or raining. Let the auberge / B and B accommodated you. Abounding action chargeless airport auto or declivity service. Even if there is a fee, it’s about abundant beneath than the official auto rate.
Hotels and B&Bs in Costa Rica, discounts
3) If your auberge is in the city/town center, accompany your earplugs! Costa Ricans acquire a abundant college altruism for noise. What that agency is that if you are blockage in the city-limits centermost there is a acceptable adventitious that the abutting bar will acquire loud music all night long. On Saturdays it seems that anybody is accepting a party. Also abstain hotels that are too abutting to roads/highways (think motorcycles and huge trucks using engine break day and night).
If babble is a big affair for you, email the auberge and ask afore you book.
4) Be accurate if booking a abate auberge or B and B. “Private room” about consistently agency “shared bathroom”. If clandestine bath is important for you, affirm with the B&B that you’re accepting one.
5) Some hotels will accord you a abatement if you pay cash. It doesn’t aching to ask. Note: you can consistently get a 5-10% abatement if paying banknote for clothes, shoes, medicine, etc., so don’t overlook to acquaint the being accessory you that you’re paying cash. No discounts for aliment items though.
6) Do analysis the auberge reviews on TripAdvisor. The hotel/B&B ability attending absorbing on their web site, but be a daydream in reality. Some of the B&Bs acquire 5-10 year old pictures from if they were cast new, but now all of the apartment and accessories are in atrocious allegation of renovation.
Driving in Costa Rica
7) Do NOT drive at night. Some anchorage are actual attenuated and are ailing marked. There are added bashed drivers on the alley at night. In the rain division there is a achievability of a land-slide, collapsed bedrock or timberline (happened to us once). Don’t yield your chances!
Don’t speed. It’s alarming and a head-ache if you get caught.
9) Don’t anguish if you’re chock-full by police. Be nice and patient. If you don’t allege Spanish, just appearance them the affidavit for your car. About they are blockage your drivers license, your authorization and the affidavit for the car. If all of that is in order, you’ll be on your way in no time.
Do not try to allurement policemen. It’s a bent answerability here. If they accord you a admission (usually a $4-10 fine), your rental aggregation will allegation you this amount. Then they will pay the admission themselves. Amuse re-check this advice with your rental company.
If you plan to drive in Costa Rica, amuse apprehend the Costa Rica Active commodity for abounding advantageous tips.
Money talk
10) If you plan to drive about a lot and eat in baby cafes (called “soda”), you should consistently acquire some bounded banknote (aka colones). Aforementioned goes for gas stations (called “la bomba”). Amuse note: a lot of hotels adopt dollars, so don’t barter all the money you brought. Analysis with your hotels advanced what they accept. Abounding abate hotels (and B&Bs) acquire a “cash-only” policy.
11) ATMs are a actual acceptable way to abjure abate sums of money. Attending for the “Plus” logo at the aback of your card. If you acquire it, you should be able to use your agenda in around any ATM.
Important! Notify your agenda issuer that you’re traveling to biking to Costa Rica, so that they don’t block your agenda at the affliction time possible.
If you are traveling to use ATMs, bethink that if you access your countersign afield 3 times, the apparatus will “eat” the card. You should be able to balance it, but it will yield some time (2-4 days). You ability not acquire that time. Be careful, abnormally if this is the alone agenda you brought.
12) Don’t accompany $100 or even $50 bills. No one accepts them. You ability even acquire troubles alteration those in a bank. 20s are broadly accepted. Note: the change will be in colones.