CR difference & travel tips
- uber is much cheaper than taxis and they typically provide better service. even if you plan on walking and using the bus, download the app because its the best method of transport, especially after dark.
- you can’t flush toilet paper. you throw it into a trash bin because the plumbing is on the older side and can’t handle it.
- no matter what anybody says, don’t take a rain poncho. rain smells different in CR and not in a good way so your poncho will start to smell unfortunate shortly after the first few uses. it’s also inconvenient to get out of your bag and especially to put back in, not to mention it automatically flags you as a foreigner. umbrellas are the way to go.
- nobody has a/c. the capital is in the mountains and the heat is survivable even in the summer so it’s okay. the villa i stayed at by the coast where it’s insufferably humid had a/c though.
- relying on only wifi to get around is totally possible, most of my group and i did, but it doesn’t hurt to have data if you get lost or need to call an uber home from unknown areas. so if you want data, get a plan in your home country because you might end up wasting $25 on a prepaid chip in CR just to find out it wont work on your phone even if your cell provider unlocks your phone, like one of my group mates.
- bank of costa rica has the best rates, so go there instead of private banks to either exchange other currency for colones or use an atm.
- road rules are just suggestions, people will do whatever they can manage to do to get where they wanna go. four cars will drive together in a three lane road. people will run red lights when they’re tired of waiting. people will swerve around braking cars without checking who is in the next lane. you just gotta go with it.
- most people wear slippers at home and since the floors of people’s homes tend to be on the dirtier side in many cases, i recommend you “when in rome, do as the romans do” this and get a pair yourself.
- a costa rican walking distance is not the same thing as an american walking distance. i lived a “walking distance” from the school, also known as 40 minutes away. you will either have to leave home early to accommodate the walk or uber everywhere.
- bring at least two pairs of sneakers because it rains almost every single day and because of humidity your shoes wont dry fast enough to wear the next day if they got soaked the day before.
- homes are very open and in many cases people will have sitting/family areas that are actually outside but they have a roof over them. my host family’s living room (couches, tv, coffee table, wall decorations) were all in an open room that was part of the garage and opened up to the street.
- most currency exchange places wont exchange back unused CR coins for their worth but only based on the number of coins so try and use your coins as much as possible to avoid losing money when you get back to the USA.
- bring sanitizer and wash your hands often to avoid catching a cold; the pace of being abroad will only be made harder to cope with if you’ve got a cold. in case of catching something, bring all of the things you’d usually use at home with you because prescription medications can often cost more in CR, not to mention the hassle of going to a pharmacy you’re not familiar with.