www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Is tipping...and I'm referring to restaurants..taxi's etc. pretty much the same standard as in the U.S., say 15%. What about the girls at the parlors--do you typically tip them on top of the regular price? What's the protocol there. Lastly--since I'll be driving around...is it O.K. to turn right on a red light as is the case in California? Thx.

Piroca...
Tipping.. well in restaurants or any service of that type usually 10% is added to every bill. In CR nobody expects you to tip over the service charge, but if service is exceptional a few extra colones is more than appreciated..

Turn on Red.. NOBODY STOPS AT RED LIGHTS ANYWAY why would they worry about a Turn on Red... The short of it DONT DRIVE take a TAXI

Tipping at MP's see the 400 responses on the subject with a simple search.. its has been covered in detail.

Hope that helps..

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The Boss of All Bosses!!! Hey I'm a drunk alcoholics go to meetings!

Piroca.

While driving, not on every corner you will find the oportunuty to turn right on red light, you have to look for the sign " Giro permitido en rojo" turn in red allowed.

best regards

Mente

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Tico and Panama, let me know if you need any help down here.
Panamaexplorers.com

Driving? I hate to sound mean, but, are you NUTS?????? The traffic and drivers in San Jose are totally insane. If you refuse to heed local's advice and you are renting a care be SURE you are insured to your eye teeth. And even then you may end up in trouble if there's a fender bender (IF? I should say when, unless you are the best driver in the universe).

Just a side note, I have learned from a source close to Pacheco himself that all Tico drivers must complete an OFFENSIVE driving course before being granted a license.

Bilko

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis

Well--I was in C.R. for about 9 days 3 years ago. Drove from San Jose to Monteverde, then from Monteverde to Tamarindo and then back to San Jose and didn't notice any problems that one wouldn't find here on the streets of Los Angeles.

Different here:
1. Mucho potholes to avoid.
2. Other drivers cut you off with a smile, not the finger.
3. Watch out for drivers who decided to make a left AFTER they've positioned themselves int the Right hand lane.
4. On Saturday and Sunday, all rules regarding stop signs and traffic lights are thrown out. Make a right, go thru with a cursury stop, anything.
5. Pedestrians WILL stand on the sidewalk waiting while you have red and will only step out to cross when you have the green.
6. Getting out of second gear is a rare pleasure on the streets of SAn Jose.
7. If you have an accident, you or the other driver CANNOT move an inch - even if you a blocking traffic until the investigative police arrive to make a report.

Give me time, I will think of many many more.

LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

I would recommend extreme caution on renting a car and there is really no benifit in San Jose.If traveling about the country maybe but I had an experience with budget a few years ago.The car had a mechanical failure and the car rental company charged a $600 plus fee to my credit card as they said I was negligent.With out the help of a major US travel magazine I would have never gotten the issue resolved but with thier help was able to get it resolved.Budget in the US was absolutely no help and the Costa Rica office wouldn't respond to phone calls.This was with a car rental out of Liberia but I have heard numerous outher stories.RBC100

In the last two years I have driven up and down the Pacific coast and all around San Jose. I love it. Especially the mountain road from San Jose to the Pacific coast. Growing up and learning to drive in New York City, i find the experience in CR akin to playing 'chicken" with NY cab drivers. You can't lose focus for one moment and one must drive with aggression but with a smile. The drivers in CR are not out to kill you, but rather in a hurry to get where they want to go.

All stop signs, speed limits, etc, are no more than broad guidelines for the populace. If you are not used to driving in a crowded urban environment, take a cab or hire a driver.

Piroca,

If driving here makes you confortable and even better if you enjoy the scenery go ahead. I guess up to certain point we are drivers no different from your major cities, as someone said NY and LA. Anyway driving is also about being carefull, being focus at all times.

Good Luck

Mente

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Tico and Panama, let me know if you need any help down here.
Panamaexplorers.com

Dekalb45 said it all when he said "You've got to stay focused at all times"
Thats the situation in a nutshell.
LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

Piroca, I'm a little confused:If you've already driven in CR and didn't have any problems why are you asking the question?

Attitudes about driving in CR are as diverse as RBC's and Dekalb's. Some love it, some hate it. What is right for you depends entirely on your own personal driving experience, attitudes about driving and personal priorities among the various trade-offs. Speaking as one who enjoys driving in CR, I feel most of the time the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The freedom and pleasure of driving the scenic country roads outweigh the costs and risks of rental. The traffic and road conditions are just part of the experience and can even be regarded as entertaining challenge.

However I simply don't see the advantage of driving in the city. Getting stuck in traffic on the grimy streets of SJ and breathing exhaust fumes is just not my idea of fun or challenge. The ready accessibility of cheap public transportation, whether bus or cab for the few trips I take in the course of a day in the city makes having a car seem to be a wasteful extravagance (much more so than is the case when traveling out of town). And EVEN if one doesn't mind dealing with city traffic, the real problem comes when you stop - where to park with out fear of having your car towed, ticketed, sideswiped, broken into or stolen.

In fact for that very reason, I try to book my rental to cover periods when I'm either plannning day trips ouside the city or am travelling to other parts of CR. If part of my rental period falls during a stay in the city, I usually leave it secure in the hotel lot anyway and take a cab when I'm going to a downtown restaurant or nightspot or walk distances during the day that I might normally drive back home.

Thanks to Prolijo, I just remembered another one - smelling the fumes from buses and trucks - so add that to the list above. Ugh!
As to parking, I am a creature of habit and usually go to the same places so I've learned where to park - usually in a casino lot where you just tip the guy 2 or 3 hundred colones as you leave. If I go someplace I've never been before, I always use a public parking lot and pay (never more than 500 colones).
While its true that city driving is a pain, its nice to have the car should I need to go to the country or beach on a whim but Prolijo is right, sometimes its more trouble than its worth and I just leave it home and take the bus or a cab AND it its a nice day sin the threat of rain, I WALK!
LVSteve

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

Most restaurants that have an occasional tourist will add an automatic 10% gratuity to a gringo bill. Tico places, like the local cafes (called sodas) will not bother to do that.

Red lights and stop signs are mere suggestions. If there is no cross-traffic, haul-ass. Driving in San Jose can be a nightmare, but if you are from Los Angeles you can handle it. You don’t need a car in CR as you can book tours to just about anyplace, but having a car when you are in the rural areas is a great convenience.

Oh and remember, if you get in an accident, it is your fault. Whether he hit you in the back while your car was parked, it is your fault. When it comes down to it, you are a gringo with money that can afford insurance and he has the national insurance. The only way to win it is if you go with your lawyer to court, dispute by giving money to your lawyer so he can grease the judge.

Here is a story that might interest you. Me and my buddy drove from Atlanta, GA all of the way to Costa Rica in a 1999 isuzu Rodeo. No we didn't know any Spanish but that is not what my story is about.

We had the Rodeo here til got fed up with it and sold it but we were parked in the parking lot next to the Horseshoe. I dont know if you are familiar with that parking lot but you have to wait for the gate to open and then turn left into it. It is a pretty small fit in there. The road itself is a one way street, as we were going in, we made our left and once inside the parking lot, you have to slowly move in. half of the truck was in the parking lot and the other half was out in the street.

All of a sudden, bang, someone hits us. It's a motorcycle or rather a guy on a dirtbike that hits us. The dirtbike is lying on the ground and a little bit banged up. The guy is lying on the ground, his clothes all tattered and ripped.

Argh, how could this happen to us. We go to check if the guy is alright, He doesn't say anything, he gets up, picks up his bike and tells us that if we give him 20,000 colones, he'll forget the whole thing and not call the cops.

Of course, we tell him that he is nuts since it was his fault. We should have paid him cause next thing you know, he reports us and even though in the end we had to grease a few people as mentioned above but it cost us a lot in fees and greasing. The insurance company was no help and it would have been easier to just give the guy a his 20,000 colones. So next time you get in an accident and the guy asks for money, just give him the freaken money.

Oh, and when you drive in Costa Rica, you become a greater target for thieves and bandits. Especially if you are driving a rental car or have US plates on them. Oh, when I mean bandits and thieves, I'm talking about the cops so always have a 5,000 or 10,000 colonne in your passport when you drive. YOu dont have to pay if you don't want to but it will save you an hour of hassle, arguing with the cop, and just sitting around while the cop pretends to be calling in your plate numbers and checking on your drivers licnese which of course they cant since they dont have the computer technology to do it.