www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Fellas,

Gearing up for my trip tomorrow, and I have the "CR 101" guide printed out, but wanted to clarify as to best places to exchange dollars for colones, and also to clarify WHERE I actually have to use colones, rather than dollars. Do most places not accept dollars? Cabs and chicas are my two main concerns....do ladies at the BM take dollars? Do ladies at massage parlors and strip clubs take them, or only colones (since a house cut is involved?)

Looking forward to bumping into a few CRT members this weekend!!

ksig25

Trade your money at a Bank, DR or SL. I usually pay MP's,DR and SL chicks in Cash. I use the SL to exchange my money when needed. I carry colones for shopping and eating at local places. Most people in CR know the rate and will except cash. I only been around San Jose. The receips at SL/DR have cash price and colones prices. I prefer dollars

I prefer to deal in colones.

The exchange rate for colones right now: banks buy at about 517 colones to the dollar and sell at 520 colones to the dollar.

Most folks in CR seem to round off the colones to 500 to the dollar - so if a DR chica asks for cien dolares and you countered with 50,000 colones, she would likely see the two figures as equivalent - when really 50,000 colones = $96.71. Not a huge difference but in my humble experience you will do better with chicas, taxis and others if you negotiate in colones.

Ksig;
I pay at the local restaurants in colones. I pay the girls in American dollars. I exchanage money at the casinos, which is not the best value but it is convenient and if if it costs me $20 over the weekend I look at it as a convenience charge. Hopefully I'll more than recoup it at the blackjack table.