Nationals from United States, Canada and European Union do not need a visa to Visit Costa Rica. For other countries please check: Visa requirements to enter Costa Rica
Please don’t leave personal items unattended at the beach when you go swimming in the ocean. For lonely beaches avoid walking on the beach after sunset. Never take a Taxi in San José or any city in the Central Valley. Just take Uber or Public Buses.
Local currency is Costa Rica Colón (CRC). You can check an up to date exchange rate here. The best place to exchange money are the public banks. US dollars are widely accepted in most shops but you will get your change back in Colones with a really expensive exchange rate. Read this if you want to know what is expensive in Costa Rica.
There are many available options everywhere for hostels, hotels or Airbnb. Just try to read online reviews and check locations to see how far or near it is from all the services.
You can easily take public buses with really cheap prices to everywhere is Costa Rica. The only thing is we dont have a central bus terminal in the capital. We have quite a few bus terminal depending on where you want to go. Shuttles in Costa Rica are expensive and completely unnecessary. Renting a car is good option if you want to move faster and enjoy a bit more the scenery. Uber is available in big cities and its surrounding: San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago. Uber is the best options to leave and get to the airport and to change bus terminals in San José.
You don`t have to tip in restaurants Costa Rica. When you get the bill at a restaurant it includes the 13% tax and 10% service already. If they put a small tip jar on the table you can ignore. The best place to get local food with good prices are called Sodas. They are usually small family owned food restaurants. They are usually clean and good. Ask local people of the area for the best Soda to get a meal.