Definitely. If you do not already have one, you should apply for a passport immediately. The requirements are somewhat strict, and once you have everything they require, it can still take well over a month to get your passport. U.S. passports are good for ten years; once you have one, you’ll be set for international travel for a long time. If you already have a passport, make certain that it is valid until 6 months beyond your return date. When arriving in San José, citizens of the U.S., Canada and most Latin American and European countries may stay in Costa Rica for 90 days.

For more information please look at http://www.costarica-embassy.org.

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Costa Rica is one of the safest destinations in the developing world, from a health point of view. This is largely due to high health standards in our country. There are no required immunizations for entering Costa Rica. However, it is always wise to keep up your basic shots such as tetanus and diphtheria. Risk of contracting malaria is minimal, but for itineraries that include the Caribbean lowlands, travelers might wish to take the extra precaution of a prophylactic medicine such as chloroquine. Decisions about immunizations and anti-malarial medications should be made on a personal basis after consultation with your personal physician.

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YES! Health care in Costa Rica is excellent and there are several ultra-modern hospitals with English speaking Doctors (some are North Americans) in the greater San José area. Below are some phone numbers. For emergency assistance in Costa Rica, dial 911.

For emergency assistance in Costa Rica

» Clinica Catolica (225-5055) in Guadalupe

» Clinica Americana (222-1010) in downtown San José

» Clinica Biblica (257-5252, 257-0466) also in downtown San José

» KOP Medical Clinic (228-4119) in San Rafael de Escazu

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The water in San José is safe to drink in most areas. The best way to know is to ask your family they will tell you whether it is safe to drink it straight from the tap. We recommend however that if you are in remote areas you bring bottled water, as it may not be potable.

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A traditional Costa Rican breakfast consists of "gallo pinto" (black beans and rice), eggs, tortillas and sour cream, with coffee and fresh fruit juice. A typical Costa Rica lunch known as "casado", includes: rice and beans, one choice of meat (beef, chicken, pork, or fish), salad, fried plantains (a type of banana, very sweet and very tasty).Dinner is pretty much whatever you like, and fish and seafood here is excellent, well priced, and fresh, as are the fruits and vegetables. Of course Costa Rica produces some of the finest coffee in the world.

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At the ILASO office computers will be available for Internet use, there are also a large number of Internet cafes around San José some open 24 hours where you pay $1-2 for a half-hour or hour of use. Keep in mind that the Internet connection might not be as efficient as the one you accustomed to at home. You can also use phone cards at your host family’s house or one of the readily available public phones.

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In Costa Rica most people use phone cards at public phones. Phone cards can be bought in increments ranging from the smallest at 300 colones which can be used only to call within Costa Rica, to the largest at 3000 colones ($6.50) which will give you about 15 minutes for calls to the U.S. The ILASO office will have phone cards available for you to buy. You can also buy international phone cards, which are available in increments of $5, $10, and $20 to make a direct call to the United States.

This is the most convenient and economical way to make an international call. Even with the phone cards it is considerably cheaper to call Costa Rica from the U.S. so we recommend that you and your family or friends prearrange a time in which they can call you at your host family’s house.

» Check with your long distance carrier in the U.S. before you leave to see if they include a plan to Costa Rica this could help prevent you from paying more than a dollar a minute for international calls.

» To call the U.S. from Costa Rica you will need to dial country code 001+ the area code + the number for example, 001-307-331-8723. To call Costa Rica from the U.S. you will need to dial 011-506 (area code for all of Costa Rica) + the number.

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The national currency is the colon, its value against the dollar changes frequently but at current writing (1/3/2006) it is $1=521colones. This amount usually fluctuates at about 4 colones per month. In order to see the most recent exchange rate before you arrive visit the website www.oanda.com.

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ATMs are found everywhere in the greater San José area, and in most areas outside of the capital. The more remote areas may not have one so it is a good idea to get out enough money before you go. In most hotels and restaurants they accept credit cards but it is not a guarantee, make sure to ask before you stay or eat. In the smaller restaurants it is more likely that they only accept cash.

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This depends on the person and what kind of lifestyle they want to live while in Costa Rica. The most common amount of money spent per week is between 50-200 dollars. This may seem like a lot of money and there are ways to cut down on spending.

» Less traveling, spending a weekend in San José is a great way to see a different part of the city and to visit the many museums and other cultural opportunities available.

» If you do travel on the weekends that ILASO has not planned an excursion, there are options for you to be able to see all Costa Rica has to offer while saving money. A few examples are, riding the public buses instead of renting a car or staying in the many very simple cabins called cabinas instead of more expensive hotels.

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Exchange - When you arrive, you may exchange your money at any local bank or hotel but you will get a better exchange rate at banks. You may also get foreign currency by using your ATM card. However, it's important that you know the exchange rate before you do this. In a pinch, dollars are pretty widely accepted, but you'll probably receive your change in colones.

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A representative of ILASO will be waiting to pick you up at the airport after you go through customs and immigration. There will be many people outside the airport so it is important that you look for the person holding the ILASO sign. In order to arrange the airport pickup it is imperative that you send your flight information, including flight number, time of arrival and airline to ILASO. It will also be necessary that you send any changes that are made to your flight plans. If you are not arriving on the date that the program starts it will be your responsibility to find transportation from the airport.

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San José has a very good bus system serving all areas, they may be a little difficult to figure out at first but bus drivers are very helpful and will be able to tell you where to wait for a particular bus. This option is much cheaper with most bus rides only taking about 50 cents.

Taxis are also available in San José, it is very important that you take only legal taxis. Legal taxis are red and have a yellow triangle on the door or window. Except for the taxis at the airport those are orange. Many taxi drivers may try to overcharge tourists that do not speak Spanish by not turning on the meter (la maría).

Before getting into a taxi ask the driver if he has a meter, ¿tiene maría? or ask him to turn it on, ¿puede poner la maría? por favor. A short ride should cost around $1-2 while a longer ride can cost about $4-5. For longer destinations you will need to arrange a set amount before getting into the taxi. » Close information

The weather in Costa Rica varies more depending on elevation than on seasons, however the rainy season in almost all parts lasts from approximately May to December. Since this is the case we want to break this section down to beach, mountain travel, San José and general. Of course many things can be used for all locations and you will not have to take all these things. Take this list as a suggestion and adjust it according to your trip length, activities, personal style, and taste.

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The excursion to Manuel Antonio will be a beach trip so you can plan ahead this is what you will need.

» A sturdy internal frame backpack is convenient for this form of travel.

» Sunblock with at least 30 SPF the sun is very strong here, and a sunburn will ruin any trip.

» Hat and Sunglasses

» Bug spray 75% DEET. Long sleeves and pants are also recommended for insect protection

»A swimsuit or swim trunks of course!

»Flip Flops

»Sandals sturdier than flip-flops or shoes you don't mind being wet in to do some hiking in the rainforest by the beaches.

»Umbrella, poncho or raincoat, especially if you are traveling in the wet season (April-November) and sometimes even in the dry season

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Two excursions will be in this area, Monteverde and Volcán Arenal. The mountain rainforests tend to be wet and muddy all year round this also includes the area around many volcanoes therefore it is a good idea to bring,

» Shoes you don’t mind getting repeatedly wet and muddy

» A raincoat or umbrella

» Pants and long sleeves, shorts or skirts do not work well in the rainforest.

» Once again dark clothes

» Swimsuit, swim trunks

» Lightweight hiking boots with a good tread suggested for hikes

» Walking or athletic shoe with a good tread suggested for walks

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In general Costa Ricans are very proper people who dress up despite the hot climate. They do not dress like they are going to the beach unless they are going to the beach. Men usually wear nice slacks and shirts while women wear nice pants or skirts. may not be potable.

» A few nice outfits for going out, young Costa Ricans get dressed up to go out.

» Good shoes for walking in the city with that you don’t mind getting dirty from city dust, but not all sneakers.

» Versatile clothing that can be worn on many different occasions.

» Light, water-resistant jacket that will keep you warm on a cool evening or during a sudden downpour, yet can be stuffed away or worn loosely on a warm day

» Clothes that can be layered

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