Costa RicaTravel

Orientatio

n

Summer 2015

Your to do list: Make 3 copies of your passport (picture

page & any valid visas), credit/bank cards (front & back), and travel itinerary

Call your bank/credit card companies with the dates you will be abroad and the locations

Get official prescriptions for ANY medications you plan on taking with you and keep them in the original containers

Bring the insurance card that was e-mailed to you by the CISI (travel health insurance company)

Pre-Departure

Baggage Allowance Each person gets…

1 carry-on bag Dimension: 45 inches (including wheels

&handles) 1 personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop

bag or normal sized backpack) 1 free checked bag

Dimension: 62 inches (outside dimensions= l+w+h)

Weight: Max 50 lbs You may check up to 5 additional pieces of

baggage at an extra cost.

Luggage

The 3-1-1 for Carry-OnLuggage

Prohibited Items for Carry-On Sharp Objects

Razors, Pockets knives, scissors Sporting Goods Guns & Firearms Tools Martial Arts & Self Defense Items Explosive & Flammable Materials,

Disabling Chemicals & Other Dangerous Items

Other Items Gel shoe inserts, aerosol

Luggage

What to pack in your carry-on? Things to keep in easy reach

Airline ticket itinerary Passport Wallet

Recommended Items Jacket/sweatshirt Valuables (camera, laptops, ipods, phones,

etc.) Any form of entertainment you plan to use

during the flight A day’s worth of clothing

Luggage

What to pack? A GOOD PAIR OF WALKING SHOES Travel sized toiletries (put in separate

sandwich bags) Bug spray Water proof jacket/ rain poncho Empty water bottle A MEDICINE KIT

PACK LIGHT

Luggage

What to Pack- Medicine Kit Any prescription medications you need,

including the official prescription from the doctor

Leave medicine in prescription bottle Antiseptic, bandaids, etc.

Luggage

What to bring Costa Rica

operates on the same voltage and plug types as in the US

Only bring the electronics that you will absolutely need on the trip

Electronics

Arrival in San Jose When you arrive in San Jose you will go

through Passport Control and Customs and Immigration

You will need to show your passport and landing documents (given to you on the airplane)

In-country

Changing Money IMPORTANT: Contact your bank and/or credit card company

with the dates of travel and locations. Find out the fees associated with international usage and cash

withdrawls

You do not need to change your dollars into colones BEFORE you leave for Costa Rica The arrival airport will have ATMs/cash machines for you to use

your debit card to get money in the currency of the country

DO NOT BRING or BUY Traveler’s Checks

You can bring some money in dollars in case of emergency. Check exchange rates before you change money and fees of where your are exchanging money

Try and change larger bills for smaller bills

Money

Changing Money Know what the money looks like:

Money

Language National Language of Costa Rica is

SpanishVery, clear & very few slang terms May meet a good number of people

who are English speakers Good Rule of Thumb: greet in

Spanish and then ask if they speak in English

In-country

Time Costa Rica is one hour behind

AustinIf it is noon in Austin, then it’s

11 am in San Jose

In-country

Staying in touch Please, be sure to work out a

way to contact your loved ones at home, when you arrive Recommended: E-mail,

Facetime/Skype Mobile phones w/o international

plans will not work

In-country

Weather In San Jose, sunrise can happen between 5:26

am and 5:28 am. Sunset can be occur between 5:46 pm and 5:59 pm.

Average Temperature in Costa Rica: Average Low- 78 F Average High- 81F 84% Chance of Cloud Cover with a 75% chance of

rain

In-Country

Safety Go out in groups Carry business card of the hotel with the

address and write down the contact of on site coordinators

Make sure people know where you are going Be aware of your surroundings Tell coaches/ other SEU staff if you are

having problems or need help, especially if it has to do with you health

In-country

Important tips & information

You must be at airport 3 hours before your departure time.

Be sure that ALL of your bags have ID tags on them, including carry-on.

Food/Snacks: You may be at the airport a long time. You can bring your own snacks (non-liquid) to eat while you’re at the airport or on the flight. Bring an empty water bottle to fill up after you get passed security.

Departure Day

Customs & Immigration in the US When you return to the US you will have to

pass through passport control in Austin After passport control you must collect your

luggage and pass through customs Customs officers have the right to search you

at any time DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE Anything that happens between you and

homeland security is between you and homeland security- not the program

Upon Return

Have a safe and fun trip!

Questions