Practical guide to Costa Rica
Practical information
Below is a short, practical guide to help you prepare for your trip to Costa Rica.
Entry and exit from the territory
Documents needed to travel to Costa Rica:
Ex: in the United States: your passport must be valid for at least 6 more months + ESTA Visa – See below
ESTA visa for stopover in the USA
If you are traveling to the United States from Europe, you must register on the US government website and complete your ESTA visa application, preferably 3 days before your arrival. The price is $14/person and the ESTA visa is valid for 2 years. Beware of pirate sites.
AVE Visa for stopover in CANADA
If you are traveling through Canada from Europe, you must register on the Canadian government website and complete your eTA visa application, preferably 3 days before your arrival. The price is $7/person and the eTA visa (valid for a maximum period of 10 years or up to one month before your passport expires). Beware of pirate sites.
Jet lag
To call us from France, please do so between 3:00 PM and midnight Paris time.
Vaccines
We recommend that you are up to date with your basic vaccinations: Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis, etc.
If you have recently travelled or simply transited through one of the following countries you will need to present a yellow fever vaccination certificate more than 10 days old:
Angola – Bénin – Burundi – Burkina Fasso – Cameroun – Côte d’Ivoire – Guinée équatoriale – Ethiopie – Gabon – Gambie – Ghana – Guinée – Guinée Bissau – Kenya – Liberia – Mali – Mauritanie – Niger – Nigeria – Senegal – Sierra Leone – Sud Soudan – République d’Afrique centrale – République démocratique du Congo – République du Congo – Rwanda – Soudan – Soudan du Sud – Tanzanie – Tchad – Togo – Ouganda – Zambie
Bolivie – Brésil – Colombie – Equateur – Les Guyanes – Paraguay – Pérou – Surinam – Vénézuela – Trinidad et TobagoPour plus de renseignements, cliquez ici.
Banks and bank cards
Banks are present throughout the country, as are ATMs (in colon or colon and dollar) except in Tortuguero and Drake. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are accepted everywhere.
It is advisable to arrive with a few dollars in $10 or $20 bills so as not to be short at the start of your stay.
Travelers’ checks are accepted at the country’s two main banks: Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) and Banco National, but very rarely elsewhere.
How to come ?
Below is a short, practical guide to help you prepare for your trip to Costa Rica.
Phone
Your cell phone will work anywhere if you have the International option activated. Check with your carrier to find out the additional fees for this option.
We recommend that you have your phone unlocked before leaving in order to use the local SIM card that Costa Rica Découverte gives to all its customers upon arrival. Data and local calls included.
Internet
Internet access is widespread throughout the country and most establishments provide Wi-Fi and/or a computer at your disposal.
International flights
The main companies serving Costa Rica:
The only airline offering a direct flight from Paris.
Flights every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Paris/Charles de Gaulle.
Flight time from Paris to San José: 11:20 – Direct flights with airlines serving Costa Rica:
Flights every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Paris/Charles de Gaulle.
Flight time from Paris to San José: 11:20 – Direct flights with airlines serving Costa Rica:
Daily – With a stopover in Madrid and/or Panama.
Flight time from Madrid to San José: 10:30 – Direct flight
Flight time from Madrid to San José: 10:30 – Direct flight
Clothing and accessories
Most importantly, don’t forget your camera and/or video camera. You might want to consider using dehumidifier bags for your electronics, which are very useful for preventing them from fogging up.
For your stay in Costa Rica, remember to prepare a small first aid kit, practical for minor injuries.
Why travel with us?
A flawless reputation since 2008
A single contact in English
Our presence on the ground all year round
Our expertise for a tailor-made offer
