TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
U.S
Driving Permit required |
| Currency |
(CRC)
Costa Rican Colon |
| Electrical |
120 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 506 |
Time:
GMT - 6.
Electricity:
110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. Two-pin plugs are standard.
Telephone:
IDD is available. Country code: 506. Outgoing international code:
00. Telephone booths are available all over the country.
Climate:
In the Central Valley, where the main centres of population are
located, the average temperature is 22°C (72°F). In the
coastal areas the temperature is much hotter. The rainy season
starts in May and finishes in November. The ‘warm’
dry season is December to May, though temperature differences
between summer and winter are slight.
Required
clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens most of the
year, warmer clothes for cooler evenings. Waterproofing is necessary
during the rainy season.
Food
& Drink: Restaurants in towns and cities serve a
variety of foods including French, Italian, Mexican, North American
and Chinese. Food is good, from the most expensive to the cheapest
eating places (which are generally found west of the city centre).
Food sodas (small restaurants) serve local food. Common dishes
include casado (rice, beans, stewed beef, fried plantain, salad
and cabbage), olla de carne (soup of beef, plantain, corn, yuca,
nampi and chayote), sopa negra (black beans with a poached egg)
and picadillo (meat and vegetable stew). Snacks are popular and
include gallos (filled tortillas), tortas (containing meat and
vegetables), arreglados (bread filled with same) and pan de yuca
(speciality from stalls in San José). There are many types
of cold drink made from fresh fruit, milk or cereal flour, for
example, cebada (barley flour), pinolillo (roasted corn) and horchata
(corn meal with cinnamon). Imported alcoholic and soft drinks
are widely available. Coffee is good value and has an excellent
flavour.
Nightlife:
San José especially has many nightclubs, venues with folk
music and dance, theatres and cinemas.
Shopping:
Special purchases include wood and leather rocking chairs (which
dismantle for export) as well as a range of local crafts available
in major cities and towns. Local markets are also well worth visiting.
Prices are slightly higher than in other Latin American countries.
Best buys are wooden items, ceramics, jewellery and leather handicrafts.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800/1900. There may be variations
between areas.
Tipping:
It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers. All hotels add 10 per
cent service tax plus 3 per cent tourist tax to the bill by law.
Restaurants add a 10 per cent service charge. Tipping is expected
by hotel staff, porters and waiters.
Currency:
Costa Rican Colón (c) = 100 céntimos. Notes are
in denominations of c10,000, c5000, c2000, 1000 and 500. Coins
are in denominations of c100, 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5. US Dollars
are also widely accepted.
Currency
exchange: Visitors should consult their banks for the
current rate of exchange (there is no direct local quotation for
sterling; the cross rate with the US Dollar is used). ATMs are
available in main urban areas.
Credit
& debit cards: MasterCard, Visa and Diners Club are
all accepted; American Express slightly less so, but check with
your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability
and other services which may be available.
