Social Conventions
Handshaking is common and forms of address are important. Christian names are preceded by Don for a man and Doña for a woman. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home and gifts are appreciated as a token of thanks, especially if invited for a meal. For most occasions casual wear is acceptable, but beachwear should be confined to the beach.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
The national airline is Taca International Airlines (TA) (website: www.taca.com).

Air Passes
Visit Central America Pass: available from Grupo Taca and is an economical way to travel to Costa Rica from the USA and from Costa Rica to other Central American countries.

Departure Tax
US$26 (or the equivalent in Costa Rican Colon), payable if staying more than 24 hours.

Main Airports
Juan Santamaría (SJO) is 23km (14 miles) northwest of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches depart regularly; return pickups stop at various hotels. Buses depart to the city every 15 minutes (journey time – 20 minutes). Some hotels have shuttle services to the airport; these are 24 hours and free of charge. Taxis are also available to the city (journey time - 15 minutes).

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Puntarenas and Caldera are the two main ports in the Costa Rican Pacific coast. Puerto Limón receives cruise ships.

Getting There by Road
The Inter-American Highway runs through Costa Rica from La Cruz on the Nicaraguan border through San José to Progreso on the Panamanian border.

Overview
The following goods may be imported into Costa Rica without incurring customs duty:
400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500g tobacco; 3l of alcoholic beverages (people aged over 18 only); a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
SANSA (website: www.flysansa.com), a national airline, operates services between San José and provincial towns and villages. A bus is provided from the airline offices in San José to the airport. A number of smaller airlines also provide internal flights, such as Nature Air (website: www.natureair.net).

Getting Around by Rail
There is a train that goes from San José to Caldera. For more information and reservations, call 233 3300.

Getting Around by Road
The standard of the roads is generally very good. There are 35,583km (22,110 miles) of all-weather highways including 663km (412 miles) of the Inter-American Highway and highways linking San José with the other principal towns. Traffic drives on the right. Bus: Regular and inexpensive services to most towns, but buses are often crowded so pre-booking is advisable. Costa Rica offers a wide variety of sightseeing tours. Most tour companies feature bilingual guides and round-trip transportation from hotels. For full details, contact the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (see Top Things To Do). Taxi: Numerous and inexpensive in San José. The taxis are colored red (except those serving the Juan Santamaría International Airport, which are orange). Taxis are usually metered. Car hire: Major car hire companies as well as local firms have offices in San José. Distances are measured in kilometers. A speed limit of 88kph (55mph) is enforced on most highways. Documentation: Drivers must have a national license or International Driving Permit.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
San José has privately run bus services, charging fares on a two-zone system.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from San José to other major cities/towns.

Restaurants in towns and cities serve a variety of foods including Chinese, French, Italian, Mexican and North American. Food is satisfactory, from the most expensive to the cheapest eating places (which are generally found west of the city center). Food sodas (small restaurants) serve local food.
National specialties:
• 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).
• Picadillo (meat and vegetable stew).
• Gallos (filled tortillas).
• Tortas (containing meat and vegetables).
National drinks:
There are many types of cold drinks made from fresh fruit, milk or cereal flour, for example:
• Cebada (barley flour).
• Pinolillo (roasted corn).
• Horchata (corn meal with cinnamon).
Imported alcoholic and soft drinks are widely available. Coffee is good value and has an excellent flavor.
Tipping: Tipping is not necessary but is acceptable if the service was particularly outstanding. Restaurants add a 23 per cent service charge to the bill.

Nightlife
San José especially has many nightclubs, venues with folk music and dance, theaters and cinemas.

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, jewelry and leather handicrafts.

Shopping hours
Mon-Sat 0900-1800/1900. There may be variations between areas.

Currency Information:

Currency
Costa Rican Colón (CRC) = 100 céntimos. Notes are in denominations of CRC10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CRC100, 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5. US Dollars are also widely accepted.

Currency Exchange
Available at banks and bureaux de change. Some hotels may also change money.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all accepted; American Express slightly less so. Cash may be the only form of payment in more smaller towns and rural areas. ATMs usually accept foreign cards.

Traveller's Cheques
To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars.

Banking Hours
Mon-Fri 0800/0900-1500/1800.