The main airport (Juan Santamaría) lies 15 km northwest of San José, near the town of Alajuela. It has restaurants, duty-free shops, bureaux de change, cash distributors and car hire agencies. If you want to take a taxi to San José you have to pay at the ticket office then join the queue.

The second-largest international airport, Daniel Oduber Quirós, lies 13 km west of Liberia, in the Guanacaste, and was inaugurated in 1998. Several American airlines fly into here and it's a good alternative for visitors heading for the North Pacific coast. There are fewer facilities and you have to take a taxi to reach the car hire agency offices.

The general climate of Costa Rica is tropical, but this changes according to altitude. In San José and over most of the Meseta Central, moderate temperatures prevail throughout the year; at higher altitudes, the temperature can drop below zero. The dry season (verano) lasts on the Atlantic coast from November to April, on the Pacific (Osa peninsula) two months less. During the rainy season (invierno, May to November) it will rain mostly in the afternoon and again at night.

They are accepted almost everywhere in the country, even for small amounts. Visa and MasterCard are the most easily accepted, followed by American Express and Diner's Club. They can be used to withdraw cash from distributors.

The national unit of currency, the colón (plural colones) consists of 100 centimos. Coins: 5 to 500 colones. Notes: 1,000 to 10,000 colones. US dollars and US-dollar travellers cheques are widely accepted and can be easily exchanged for local currency. Credit cards: internationally recognized credit cards are usually accepted in hotels and in most of the bigger restaurants. The credit card companies will usually provide more detailed information.

Customs allowances

Visitors aged 18 and over may import, duty-free, 3 litres alcoholic drinks, 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500 g tobacco, and a reasonable amount of perfume for their personal use.

Like the Panamerican Highway, which crosses the country from one side to the other, the roads are in various states of repair; sometimes excellent, sometimes pot-holed. It is wise to take care. There are numerous tracks, too, and also dissimilar. During the dry season they are accessible to most vehicles, but when the rains start, only four-wheel-drive vehicles can negotiate them. You can count on an average speed of 50 kph, never more.

In cities, the speed limits are set at 40 kph. Otherwise, the limits are 60 kph on secondary roads, 80 kph on main roads and 90 kph on some sections of the Panamerican Highway. They are respected by Costarican drivers, though they have no qualms about crossing a continuous line as soon as another vehicle gets in the way. Avoid driving at night: apart from the potholes, many cars are poorly lit, and it is practically impossible to see animals, bicycles and pedestrians wandering along the roads. The signs you will see most frequently are Despacio (Slow down) and Puento angosto (single-lane bridge). Signposts are often missing

110 volts AC, 60 Hz. Plugs have two flat prongs, like those of the United States.

Only one number for every emergency: 911.

Pack light cotton clothing, but don't forget thick trousers and a long-sleeved shirt for your forays into the forest (to keep out the insects). You will also need good shoes, a sunhat and a waterproof coat or jacket—a hiking cape always comes in useful in Costa Rica. A sweater is essential for visiting volcanoes, where the wind blows constantly. You will probably need a mosquito repellent, especially if you come in winter.

Costa Rica is subject to some of the sicknesses endemic to tropical regions, especially malaria on the Caribbean coast. Besides, it is advised to be vaccinated against polio and hepatitis A. Well before your departure, ask your doctor or a vaccination centre for advice.

On the spot, drink only bottled mineral water, avoid salads and raw vegetables, and peel all fruit yourself. The worst nuisances will be insects (everywhere), the sun (aggressive) and, to a lesser extent, snakes, and strong currents along some of the most beautiful beaches.

The Costarican health service is of high quality. In towns, many doctors speak English. If you take prescribed medicines, make sure you have sufficient supplies; you are not likely to find the same makes on the spot.

Apart from the usual public holidays, there are numerous religious and regional festivals. Everything stops for Maundy Thursday and Easter Friday, and again between Christmas and New Year.

January 1, New Year's Day
April 11, Juan Santamaría Day (anniversary of the Battle of Rivas)
May 1, Labour Day
July 25, Annexation of Guanacaste Day
August 2, Feast of the Virgin of Los Angeles, patron saint of Costa Rica
August 15, Assumption and Mother's Day
September 15, Independence Day
October 12, Christopher Columbus Day (Limón only)
November 2, All Saints' Day
December 8, Immaculate Conception
December 25, Christmas Day
Moveable: Easter week (March to April)

Offices are generally open Monday to Friday 8–11.30 a.m. and 1–4 p.m. (or 6 p.m. for private businesses). Shops stay open to 6 or 7 p.m., also on Saturdays, and sometimes later in the cities. Banks have different hours, depending on whether they are State banks (8.30 a.m.–3.30 p.m. on weekdays), or private (8 a.m.–6 p.m.) Museums and archaeological sites are almost all closed on Mondays, except the Jade Museum (closed Saturday and Sunday). Most of the national parks close their gates quite early in the afternoon, as does that of the Poás volcano (3.30 p.m. on certain days).

Spanish, partly English and Creole.

Media

Most tourist hotels receive satellite TV, offering a wide choice of American and European channels. The main English-language newspapers are on sale in San José.

If you need film, video cassettes or batteries, buy sufficient supplies before leaving home, as you are not likely to find the same brands on the spot. You can have photos developed easily in San José and some beach resorts. Ask politely if you want to take a photo of someone, normally they will be pleased to oblige.

Costa Rica is probably the safest country in Central America. But it is not perfect—pickpockets practise their skills in crowded areas, and there is much petty thieving in the more tourist-ridden zones. San José's market district, the Caribbean coast and Puerto Limón in particular have a bad reputation. And don't go strolling there at night, especially not alone.

Leave all your values and a copy of your official documents in the hotel safe, leave your jewellery at home, and don't walk around with big sums of money in your wallet. Do not leave objects visible in your car, and park it on a surveyed car park. If you get a flat tire (sometimes provoked) do not stop the car but drive slowly to the next service station. In recent years, police presence has been increased in popular tourist areas.

The telephone network in Costa Rica is the most reliable in Central America, and uses German technology. There are public call boxes all over the country, even in the remotest hamlet. Some take coins, but most of them (blue) work with a phonecard, available in small shops and by street sellers. Once you get the dialling code, you have to dial 197 then the 13-figure code on the back of the card, followed by #. Your credit is announced, and then you can dial the number you want, preceded by 00 for the international line and the country code (44 for UK), and the complete number you again press #. Calls are reasonably priced, especially inland. Most hotels and tourist haunts have Internet access, as do the main post offices and Tourist Offices. European mobile phones do not function in Costa Rica because the local network is not GSM-compatible.

GMT –6 hours.

Apart from the big hotels and resort establishments used to dealing with North American clients, tipping is not very common in Costa Rica. In restaurants, the service charge (10 to 15%) is included in the bill.

There's a small ICT (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) office at San José airport. The main office, extremely efficient, is located in town, in the same building as the Museum of Pre-Colombian Gold (to the left as you enter). It is only open on weekdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2–5 p.m. Il est ouvert uniquement en semaine, de 9 h à 13 h et de 14 h à 17 h. You can obtain a good city map. A third office, open Monday to Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. is located in the main post office, Calle 2. The free magazine Naturally Costa Rica is a good introduction to the country, region by region.

There are several daily flights between San José and several small regional airports. The national company Sansa is based at Juan Santamaría airport, and Travelair at Tobias Bolaños airport near Pavas, west of the capital.

Frequent and cheap bus service links all the towns and villages of the country. The Tourist Office distributes a very useful brochure listing the timetables and place of departure for the main destinations. Interbus, a private service intended for visitors, offers door to door liaisons over a wide area. The prices are higher but there are several types of pass, valid for a month. Other companies such as Tica Bus (www.ticabus.com) have regular links with other Central American countries. The prices are very reasonable if you consider the distances covered.

If you want to drive yourself, it is easy to hire a vehicle: all the big international companies have agencies in Costa Rica, and there are many local operators, too. The former ensure better terms and vehicles that break down less frequently… A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended for most of the national parks.

Taxis can be found everywhere, even in rural localities. They are quite cheap and easily recognizable: they are all red, with red registration numbers. In San José, they normally have a meter. Elsewhere, you should agree on the price before you set off. Taxis may also be hired by the day or half-day to visit tourist sites.