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Can anyone suggest a place that give good currency exchange from dollars to colones? If I have any money left, colones to dollars?

Any bank will give you the official rate. The Colonial Casino will give you a rate almost as good as the banks, but I've heard you can only exchange $200. Definitely do not exchange at the airport exchange booths. They are rip-offs. There is a bank at the airport, open until 8pm, that will give you the official rate. It's on the second level, departures, all the way to the left when you enter the terminal. Don't be fooled by the exchange place just before you get to the bank.

Do you remember the name of the bank?

Why make it difficult. Use your ATM card at Banco Nacional and you can withdraw up to your limit currently at 567-1 you can get out 285,000 colones. No need to go into the bank or anywhere else and worry about the exchange and waste your time. Stay away from BCR unless you are getting 200.00 or less out as they restrict your withdrawl amount. The other ATM I use is Scotia.

And remember to tell your bank you are going to CR so your ATM card works.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

Ilv4play and MM3, thanks!

I can't remember the exact limit but BN does limit you to what may be much below what your bank limits you for ATM withdrawals. I think it was 200 K colones. My limit is $1000 C and I used to be able to withdraw the equivalent colones from BCR or BN...but no longer. B Nacional was better...but I think they are all cutting their limits and maximizing their revenue by fees...both there and at home. At least they didn't have local charges last time I was there...but Scotia does, although it does allow you to withdraw more.

Can't win for losing when it comes to currency.

BCR Has limited me to 200.00 for 3+ years so I do not use them. The only time I have been limited at Banco Nacional has been around the 1st or 15th when everyone gets paid and the ATM's run out of money. As they get low on funds they will allow only lower amounts usually 70K or less. If you get the message you can only get $XX amount go to another ATM maybe the one next to you even. I have ran into that a few times and it has always been Machine based, not System based restriction. If you know you will want money on a weekend when Friday is the 15th you might want to make a trip to the ATM on the 14th so you do not have any problems.

My two cents.....last Sept. I went to the ATM on the left hand side of INS building. Took out 200K colonies on Fri and Sat am. Bank of America charged me $5 each time. It had both english/spanish language.