Costa Rica school trips: Rainforest and canal

▹ Visa requirements for Costa Rica school trips

There are no special visa requirements for U.S. citizens entering Panama and Costa Rica for less than 90 days. Please make sure your passport is valid for at least another 6 months and has empty pages.

▹ Health, Vaccinations

✔︎ All travelers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy our style of travel. Please note that if in the opinion of our group leader or local guide any traveller is unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group, we reserve the right to exclude them from all or part of a trip without refund. You should be able to walk at least 2-3 miles a day and be able to climb at least two sets of stairs.
✔︎ You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information or for any necessary vaccinations before departure.
✔︎ There are no major health risks associated with traveling to Costa Rica and Panama.
✔︎ At least 30 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
✔︎ If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour and any possible delays ( we recommend additional 1-2 weeks of supply).
✔︎ If you tend to get motion sickness please travel with appropriate medication. If you have a sensitive stomach consider bringing imodium as well.

Health Insurance: international health insurance, evacuation or cancelation insurance are not included. We recommend purchasing those before the trip. See the insurance box on the sidebar of this page.

▹ Electricity

Costa Rica and Panama operate on 110 volts and use the same plug as in the U.S. (Type A, with two flat pins)

▹ Connectivity, Internet

✔︎ The internet is available in all hotels although speed may vary.
✔︎ Please consult your phone plan provider for phone call and text messages, international charges and plans.

▹ Time zones
✔︎ Costa Rica is 1 hour behind Eastern Time (ET). 12pm in New York is 11am the same day in Costa Rica from November through March and 10am the same day from April through October.
✔︎ Panama is the same as Eastern Time (ET). 12pm in New York is 12pm the same day in Panama from November through March and 11am the same day from April through October.

▹ Currency, cash, credit cards

✔︎ The currency in Costa Rica is Costa Rican colón and in Panama is U.S. dollar.
✔︎ Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas.
✔︎ ATMs are available in all major towns and cities and credit cards are generally available in tourist shops and restaurants. Visa and MasterCard are better than American Express, Diners. Smaller venues accept cash only.

▹ Baggage allowance

✔︎ Our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights. Additional baggage can be a subject of extra fees. Contact your airline for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights.
✔︎ We recommend that you make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents and a set of clothes, pijamas and cosmetics (travel size) in your carry-on bag in case of baggage delays. ber of your first hotel printed out.

▹ Tipping

✔︎ It’s customary to offer your guide and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
✔︎ We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10 per day per person and giving the tips to tour leaders to distribute between drivers, guides etc.
✔︎ Tips can only be paid in cash.

▹ Itinerary

Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It is important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary seasonally to ensure our travelers have the best experience. Your tour leader will keep you up to date with any such changes once on tour.

We LOVE to talk about travel. If you have any questions please give us a call: 617 301 1237 or email us: info@colibritraveltours.com.

We are always happy to talk to our travelers and answer the questions!