Frequently Asked Questions

Am I going to be traveling on a group tour?
No, you are not going to be traveling on a group tour. You might be with some other tourists sometimes in some of the transfers and activities but you are not going to be in a group tour since our service is completely personalized and you are not going to be with other people in the same transfers, tours and activites as group tours do.

Do I need a visa to come to Costa Rica?
If you are from a developed country, you will not need any visa to come to Costa Rica. You will only need your passport as your photo ID to be able to pass through Immigration and Customs. If you are from other country you can check here if you need a visa.

Is winter too rainy?
Costa Rica is a tropical country and in winter it does rain, normally every day. However, it does not during the whole day and rain is expected in the afternoon and mostly for two hours at the most. The rainiest month of the year is October.

What is the electrical power in Costa Rica? Would I be able to use my electrical devices, like laptops, in Costa Rica?
Electical power in Costa Rica is as in the USA (120V). You would not have any problems using your electrical devices in Costa Rica if you are from the USA. If you are from any European country or any country with EU standards, you are adviced not to bring any electrical device to Costa Rica or use a power converter to be able to use your electrical devices in Costa Rica.

How much would I spend in food in Costa Rica?
Restaurants and supermarket prices are not that different from the USA so if you are planning your food expense just plan as if you were going to have meals in the USA.

Are the drivers bilingual during our transfers?
Some of them are able to speak english but for the most part they just speak spanish but are going to be able to understand basic instructions in english. We can provide a bilingual driver but you have to tell us beforehand and we will arrange a private transportation accordingly.

How does the reservation process work?
When you contact The Costa Rican Connection by phone or filling out any of our forms, we will be e-mailing you a suggested itinerary that will show you some options of hotels, transportation and activities to do in Costa Rica. You can make changes to this itinerary to customize your vacation. After you have agreed on your customized itinerary, we will send you an e-mail where you can pay through our secure server in order to start the reservation process. Later, we will send you by e-mail an acceptance of charges form and our cancellation policies that you will need to sign or initialize and send that back to us by fax or e-mail. Once we have received it, we will send you a final itinerary for your signed approval of all the reservations of hotels, transportation and activities within Costa Rica that you have agreed to be reserved by The Costa Rican Connection for your Costa Rica trip and we will send you the vouchers that you will need to present at all the hotels, transfers and tours that you will be part of in Costa Rica.

How can I pay by phone?
Once you receive our e-mail requesting your payment, you click on the link to access our secure server and once there you fill out the form provided with your personal information and instead of choosing to pay by credit card, you have to choose to pay by phone and click continue. Afterwards, it will give you all the information on where to call and how to proceed to make your payment by phone.

Do I have to confirm all the reservations on my package?
No. When you purchase any of our packages, we take care of the confirmation of all the reservations and we take care of any problems that may arise regarding any of the reservations described in the Final Itinerary.

Do I need to bring cash to Costa Rica?
It is always a good idea to bring some cash to be used as a back up in case of, at any of the souvenir stores or restaurants, US dollars  might not be accepted. But you can always exchange some dollars at the Costa Rican airport or  withdraw colones from an ATM in Costa Rica.

What is the exchange rate in Costa Rica for USD?
It varies every day, you need to get informed at the airport or the hotel for the up-to-date exchange rate. You can also check the current exchange rate by clicking here and typing the date that you want to check for.

Who is going to pick me up at the airport? Where should I wait for someone to pick me up?
When you arrive to Juan Santamaria Intl Airport, you will have to go through the Immigration Department and once you are done, you should go to luggage claim. Over there, you will pick up your luggage and afterwards, you will need to pass through customs where they will check your luggage. Once you are done with all this, you will walk towards the airport's exit where you will see a lot of people waiting for family and/or friends. There should be one person with your name on a sign waiting for you. Do not pay attention to anyone else, there will be someone waiting for you that will take you to your hotel. Hand out your voucher and he will gladly take you to your hotel for check in.

What should I do if my flight is delayed?
If you are going to arrive the same day in Costa Rica as originally planned, you do not need to contact us. Your transfer will be waiting for you at whatever time your arrival time has been moved to. If you are going to come in a different day as originally planned, you should contact us immediately to try to make the proper changes to your itinerary. However, this will be at an extra cost for you as described in our policies.

And what if my flight number is changed?
You need to contact us immediately to let us know which is your new flight number to be able to pick you up at the airport and not have any problems.

What if I forget to bring my final itinerary or vouchers to Costa Rica? What if I lose them?
You need to contact us immediately to send you by e-mail or fax the vouchers and final itinerary to be used in Costa Rica or  we will give them to the person that is going to pick you up at the airport so that you can continue your trip without any problems.

What if I have an accident while in Costa Rica?
We encourage all of our clients to come to Costa Rica with a traveler's insurance and be able to access private medical services in Costa Rica without any problems. Costa Rica's Private Health Care System is good and reliable and you should have no problems in finding proper care in any situation you might run into while in Costa Rica.

Should I drink only bottled water in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica's water system is one of the best in Latin America and in most places, there is potable water that any foreigner can drink without any problem. Unlike other developing countries, drinking tap water in Costa Rica is safe, however, if you feel more comfortable drinking bottled water, these are available at any store in Costa Rica.

Can I make any changes to my itinerary once in Costa Rica?
You cannot make any changes and it is not adviceable to do so. All reservations have been confirmed and paid by The Costa Rican Connection and even when it is not a group tour, it is still a vacation package and you are on a time schedule that has been previously designed. The Costa Rican Connection will not be able to make any changes to the itinerary that will affect the relationship that our company has with all the hotels, transportation companies and tour operators with whom The Costa Rican Connection has agreements and partnerships.

Can I drive in Costa Rica with my driver's license?
Yes, you can drive in Costa Rica for a period of three months but we do not recommend driving in Costa Rica unless you have come before to Costa Rica and know what driving in Costa Rica really is. Roads in Costa Rica are in bad condition and badly signaled. You can rent a car and drive to nearby areas close to the hotel but it is not recommended if you are planning to drive from one location to another.