Rolleratnight wrote:
Thanks, this is helpful information. When we do go back, what are the new rules and practices? Mask on all the time? Where can we go? What can we do? Where can we stay?
These are all good questions.
As far as when, you can go to Costa Rica the answer depends on your state of residence. However, everyone from the United States can travel to Costa Rica as of November 1st. The vast majority of the United States is included on October 15th.
As a general rule you need an unexpired passport, which is valid for at least six months after your date of travel. If you passport is expired or nearly expired, then you should work on that problem immediately. Renewals can take up to 12 weeks.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel ... ports.htmlAssuming your passport is up to date, and you have an idea of your travel dates, then you should start looking for flights. I recommend staying for more than a few days, considering the extra time and effort that it's going to take to travel. Also the travel insurance companies require you buy at least 3 days of coverage.
At the moment, Hotel Little Havana (HLH) is the only hotel that is open.
https://www.hotellittlehavanacostarica.com/I am talking to the owners of the other hotels, but there are no specific dates for reopening. However, if you are coming later in the year, especially after the November 1st full reopening, then I suspect there is no harm in requesting a reservation. Any hotel that reopens will be checking their email.
Based on the news and posts from people on the ground in San Jose, the biggest issues are that public transportation is not functioning, there are license plate restrictions and businesses close before 10 pm.
However, taxis are free to move around the city. So, uber may not be that convenient and the girls have to pay for a taxi to come downtown.
I recommend you stay downtown. If for some reason you stay near the airport or in the suburbs then you are going to waste time and money.
Check out the other threads in the forum. There is plenty to do in the daytime. And, I don't think anyone would feel lonely at HLH.
If all else fails, there is the Internet.
I don't think Airbnb is a good idea. It's too easy to get shut down, and they usually are not in convenient locations.
Mask it up, because you aren't going to be allowed on the plane, let alone the airport without one. I also imagine that refusing to wear a mask while going through immigration in Costa Rica would not end well.
I find that the washable microfiber masks work well for me.
https://amzn.to/3iqmp5WTwo or three days prior to you trip, you need to get a PCR Covid test. Be careful not to get tested more than 72 hours before departure. If you have a connecting flight, then perhaps best to time the test based on the depature time of the connecting flight. I would also add a few hours in case of delay. Don't wait too long or your results may not be ready in time for your flight.
Right now, I like the at home testing with letsgetchecked.com. You need to have a webcam on your computer so they can observe you while you take the test. However, webcam is now a thing if you want to see a doctor. My health plan is a large clinic and virtual visits are the only way to get seen the same day. People who don't do virtual have to wait 2 months for an appointment. So, I guess we have to get used to it.
On the day of travel, you have to fill out the health pass and buy the insurance, which is about $20/day. You can do both things online. It may be easier with a printer. Showing proof on your phone may be a pain in the ass.
Definitely install Whatsapp on your smart phone before you leave. Almost every female in Costa Rica communicates with Whatsapp and you don't need a local phone line to make it work, assuming you set up the app before you left and have a WiFi connection in your hotel. Also texting in Spanish is alot easier than speaking in Spanish.
As always post your trip reports! The world is becoming an entirely different place. Even getting back to "normal" is going to be an adjustment.