www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I think you now have enough information to decide what is best for you.

I feel comfortable taking a genuine cab from the airport during the day.

Just remember to keep $28 to pay the exit tax at the airport when you leave.

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Softbob

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

+1

Plus, they are so 1960's!

after you clear customs go across the street up stairs back in to departures, to the right pay your departure tax, futher to the right is a little bank change some to clones you get ths officiak rate. never change down stairs right after costons thier a rip off .
go back down stairs catch your can=b ir get one dropping off.
Bobby

Best to contact your bank to give them a heads up you'll be withdrawing $$ while in CR.
I prefer to use the ATMs at the HDR. Keep your receipts.
Take a taxi at night.

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GO Winnipeg JETS!

Open a Charles Schwab High Yield Banking account, no min. deposit, you get free checks, and a Visa Debit card. (Can do online). The great point is that they refund ALL domestic and foreign ATM/foreign transaction fees at the end of the month. What you can do is use your primary bank account, set up CS as a "bill payee" and you can transfer monies over to it as you desire. Takes a couple days to settle. Inform CS beforehand that you will be in CR using the card so they will not block it thinking it is fraud.

David

DON"T go back down stairs! Just go out to departures (upper area) and grab a red cab that just dropped someone off. Tell the guy $15 or $20 to downtown San Jose. no meter. If he balks, just say "OK, gracias" and wait for the next cab (trust, he'll take the fare since he is not allowed to pick up at airport only orange airport cabs are allowed to pick up at arrivals).

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as my father says "better to be lucky than good"

DavidB...........I called Schwab today and asked about the fees as you describe them........ATM fees and "foreign transaction fees."

The dude said that the ATM fees are refunded in the following month, but that the "foreign transaction fee" is NOT refunded.

My experience with my non-Schwab ATM transactions in CR is that both the CR bank and my "home" bank charge a buck or two each for "ATM" fees; and that there is also an "ISA" fee of 1% or 2% of the transaction amount on top of the ATM fees for the privilege of conducting business across international borders.

Is it your experience that ALL fees are refunded by Schwab, or are just the ATM fees refunded?

These Schwab guys could be earning less per hour than what I pay the chicas, and they could be more confused than the chicas, too. Even though I'm not asking about a high-dollar issue, I'm a curious type.

So what say you David?

RAC

Thanks Bone your right I go back downstairs as I arrange with a driver i have used last 3years to pick me up and he is downstairs. I did mean just go out side and catch a cab dropping off as you said . Sorry for MY confusion.

Bobby

Bring more then you would need, it doesnt exactly go bad!
Cash is king, so I would bring as much as your comfortable with spending, and just put it in a safe once here and carry around minimal amounts. Seen guys have their ATM cards gobbled up, or bank put a hold on their account and have to spend hours trying to sort that out - not something I wanna do on vacay.

As for daily expenses. I'd say $250 a day for non hotel expenses would be a wise budget and you could very well end up going home spending less then that. But thats a fun budget, that lets you pretty much go steady the entire day.

I recently returned from an 8 day stay. I spent $1700 not including hotel or drinks. I did not skimp on the girls and did 20 sessions from 6th street to cien but mostly on the higher end. If you do a couple of sessions early in the day on the cheap it really helps the overall cost. This is pretty typical for me.

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Play Safe