www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hey guys-first trip to SJO and will arrive on a Sunday afternoon. Will the bank mentioned in the Newbie post be open?? Basically, what are my currency options for a Sunday afternoon coming in with dollars??

Bac San José
Phone: (506) 2295-9797 /
Web site: https://www.bac.net/

Location: Lobby (Departures)

Open: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m

BAC Rapibanco Airport, located in the Terminal’s lobby, provides banking services for travelers. Customers can cash checks; make deposits; make cash withdrawals in colones, dollars and euros; pay utility bills and credit cards; and purchase travel insurance, among other services offered.

The BAC Rapibanco Airport branch operates 365 days a year, from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Its service platform consists of four service windows, an ATM and an electronic information kiosk.

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Jaco is called little USA by all ticos

Hound.........

Please understand the previous post, which is current and accurate.

The BAC branch at the airport is on the DEPARTURE LEVEL of the airport. That is the UPPER LEVEL of the airport.

To get to the departure level, you EXIT the airport after the customs x-ray baggage belts, then walk across the street toward the parking garage. There you climb a flight of stairs (or take the elevator) to the upper level to RE-ENTER the building where people will be checking in to leave San Jose.

The TINY bank branch is at the of the departure level, near the windows.

In downtown San Jose, the Colonial Casino cashier will give you a few more colones for your dollars than will the cashier at the HDR. Both are open 24/7.

There is also an escalator if its working.

It's to the right as you re-enter the terminal at the departure level. Walk past the Departure Tax counter, change you $ to Colones, then go pay your departure tax. This may save you a few minutes or more when leaving.

Hound, I know you asked about your options coming in with dollars, but another option is to use an ATM. Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) ATM's do not charge a fee. The issuer of your ATM card may charge fees for using another bank's ATM, and also a foreign currency conversion fee. There are plenty of ATM's in San Jose. Remember, the exchange rate is approximately 500 colones to 1 USD. Before using an ATM, figure out the amount of colones you want to withdraw. Ignore the .00 that displays in the amount on the ATM's.

Thanks everyone!!

There are two ATMs in the baggage claim area at SJO. One from BAC and one from Scotia Bank. There is not much to choose between the two but I think that the Scotia Bank ATM is a little easier to use. They both charge a fee (IIRC 600 colones). One issue though is that it seems that the ATMs are now limiting the size of withdrawals to 40 mil colones.

I usually grab 40 mil at the airport and worry about getting more colones later. Wherever you go in the gulch you can use $$ and the chicas will always take $$ (or euros, pesos, bitcoin, etc.)

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Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

And while you are at the bank in the DEPARTURE area, you are right next to the desks where you can go ahead and take care of the departure tax. At the later hours of most arrivals, there is generally no line. That way you don't have to worry about having to care care of it and fight the lines when you leave.

Also, if you are taking a cab, walk outside of the departure area and try to catch a cabbie dropping someone off. They cannot "legally" solicit fares at the airport so they usually will be deadheading back to the city. You can usually negotiate a pretty good fare.

I will arrive Sunday at 9:30PM on November 22nd. Any idea how I can change dollars to Colones?
Or do I draw money from the ATM at Departures and then find a bank near Mona Lisa next day?

You can change dollars at the Colonial Casino next to the pink palace(HDR).

There are 2 ATMs, Scotia & BAC, in the baggage claim area at Arrival.

The ATM or Colonial will get you colónes for the night. Colonial will serve you if you intend to maintain a budget under $300 a day.

Otherwise, caddy-corner to the HDR (and across the street from Morazan Hotel) is a BCR branch (which also has a 24hour atm). You will need your passport to exchange inside the bank. They open at 9am, so be early to avoid the lines.

Also, budget 1 hour for immigration, customs and a taxi ride to ML. Add an additional hour if you have checked bags. If you are flying Spirit, go upstairs to get your exit tax in advance.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Don't waste time going upstairs if landing at 9:30 pm. I did and the counter was closed... just like the currency exchange.

Edit: And it appears the new Southwest flights into SJO don't include departure tax either.

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Since you arrive at night you may not wish to go to the Colonial to change money till morning so it will be best to use the ATM machine in the departure area.
At supermarket MasXMenos I think the Scotia Bank ATM was a swipe type. You insert and remove your card.
All ATMs at other banks will swallow your card and return it (hopefully) at the end of the transaction.
So if there is a Scotia Bank ATM in the departure area use it. DO NOT exchange Dollars(cash) at the exchange booths in the departure area.
Also when you go to the Colonial Casino to exchange money do not go to to the cashier in the booth right in the front near the entrance. Walk all the way to the back where there is another cashier. Change your money there. The front cashier may sometimes say change is for people playing at the Casino only.

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Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

Isra123 is on point.

You definately want swipe only ATMs. I had a card sucked in never to be seen by me again. Adding insult to injury I got no cash. On a Sunday night nothing to be done about it.

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No tourist or travel promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided compensation (monetary or otherwise) for this potentially entertaining contribution.