Travel advice & practical information for travelogue:

'Bicycle tour Costa Rica'

Useful addresses

New York

Consulate General of Costa Rica,
225 West 34 Street
Penn Plaza Building, Suite 1203
New York, NY 10122
Tel.: (212) 509-3066
Tel.: (212) 509-3067
Fax: (212) 509-3068
Email: costaricaconsul@yahoo.com

London

Embassy of Costa Rica
Flat 1, 14 Lancaster Gate
London, W2 3LH
Tel.: (44 171) 706 8844
Fax: (44 171) 706 8655

Paris

Embassy of Costa Rica
78, Avenue Emile Zola
Paris 75015
Tel.: 01.45.78.96.96
Fax: 01.45.78.99.66
Email: embcr@wanadoo.fr

General information

Costa Rica is small country, but has dozens of different climates (warm but not too dry) and eco systems, hundreds of plant and animal species, four to five million friendly people, restaurants everywhere, fresh coffee and clean toilets, hotels of all kinds and sizes (and prices). Every day is completely different. There is no better country for bicycling, that is, if you're not afraid of a tough climb every now and then.

We didn't make a plan ahead of time; we were going to let our expedition depend on the circumstances: the weather, the toughness of the route, our health, the availability of accomodation, the atractiveness of the location, our ambition to go higher or farhter, the condition of our bikes, etc. We also didn't mind taking a bus, taxi or boat if that was more practical. Our flexibility made our trip a joyful experience.

Climate and best time to travel

On the coast (especially the west coast) the temperature is around 30 degrees centigrade year round.

It can be quite cold in the mountains, so take a sweater. It also rains often there, so bring rain wear.

Money

Large hotels accept American dollars. Outside the touristic areas it's wise to bring local currency.

If you know in advance which places you're going to visit, you can find out online if and where there are ATM's where you can use your MasterCard and Cirrus or Visa to withdraw money.

Safety and security

Traveling in some countries or regions can be dangerous. That isn't always a reason not to go there, but part of preparing well for a trip includes finding out about possible risks.

The CIA Factbook is a good place to look. As is the US Foreign Department site. Of course you always should consult your own country's Foreign Department web site.

Health

Find current information on the web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Always consult your family doctor and your country's Health Department web site.

Plan your trip to Costa Rica online

Through online reservation systems like À la Carte Vacations you can book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars and holiday houses. You can build a fly-drive itinerary with maximum flexibility, book a flight plus a hotel hotel for a night or weekend. Without the limitations of package deals from travel organisations and most times for a much better price.