Essential information

Family holidays take planning, especially when you’re travelling outside of Europe. While booking with Rickshaw takes the stress out of booking a great family itinerary, you’ll still want to be prepared for all those little differences and details a new country will throw your way.

Read on for our advice on what to expect in Costa Rica, as well as practical tips to make sure you’re ready for your big family holiday.

Time zone: GMT-6 (6 hours earlier than UK, 7 hours in summer)

Language: Spanish

Capital city: San José

Population: 5.2 million (2023 estimate)

Main religion: Christianity (Catholic)

Currency: Colón (CRC)

International dialling code: +506

Side of the road: Right

For the vast majority of families, a Costa Rica holiday starts with a flight into the country’s main international airport, San José Juan Santamaria (SJO). For UK families, we generally recommend British Airways since they offer the only direct flight option. At the time of writing, this service runs three times per week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) from London Gatwick.

Alternative routes will go via a hub airport in Europe (e.g. Paris or Madrid) or the United States. Be aware that if you travel via the USA you’ll need to apply for an ESTA (Electronic System Travel Authorization) in advance. This is quick and easy to apply for online and costs around $20 per person.

Unless you already have flights booked, your Rickshaw travel specialist will be happy to arrange your flight tickets on your behalf. Read more about the advantages of booking flights with Rickshaw here.

In keeping with its welcoming reputation, entry to Costa Rica is very straightforward for most nationalities, including UK citizens.

UK passport holders can enter Costa Rica without applying for a visa in advance, and you’ll be allowed to stay for up to 180 days. On arrival, each member of your family will need to present a valid passport with at least one blank page, as well as evidence of onward travel (e.g. your return flight ticket). The expiry date of your passport must be at least 1 day after your flight home.

When you leave Costa Rica, you may need to pay a departure tax of US$28 per person in cash. However, most airfares are inclusive of this tax (including British Airways) so you probably won’t need to worry about it.

You can always check the latest UK travel conditions on the FCO website. If you own a passport issued by another country, please check with your relevant embassy before travel.

The official currency of Costa Rica is the Colón (CRC), while US dollars are also widely accepted. You will also be able to pay for many things using a debit or credit card.

For more detail on money and costs, check out our Costa Rica money guide.

The most important aspect of any family holiday is ensuring that everyone stays safe and avoids illness if possible, and the good news is that safety standards are generally very good in Costa Rica. All of our tours and activities are rigorously checked and certified, with fully-trained guides and well-maintained equipment throughout. If you book a tour yourself locally then you’ll have to use your best judgement, but rules are pretty strict and cowboy operators don’t last long in Costa Rica.

Crime rates in Costa Rica are low, especially involving tourists, but you should keep your wits about you as you would anywhere else. Don’t flash your valuables around in urban areas or leave things on display in a parked car, and stick to official taxis when travelling at night.

In terms of health, the medical services in Costa Rica are of a good standard and most common medicines are available from pharmacies. Of course, it’s always a good idea to take any specialist medicine you or your children need along with you (clearly labelled in case of airport checks).  Also, be aware that the sun can be strong here and there are bugs about too, so take some good sunscreen and repellent. We’d also recommend sticking to bottle drinking water and regularly washing hands.

Vaccination advice should only be taken from a doctor or travel nurse but Costa Rica is not considered high-risk for diseases. It is sensible to consult your doctor before travel, and the NHS Fit For Travel website has lots of useful information you can refer to. You may require a yellow fever certificate if you have recently travelled to certain destinations in Latin America and Africa.

In case of emergency, you’ll have a 24/7 local telephone number for our local partners who can help and advise in almost any situation.

In more extreme cases, 911 is the national emergency services number and you can reach the British Embassy on +506 2258 2025. Make sure you have good family travel insurance to cover any costs that arise.

P.S. We’d recommend making a couple of copies of your passport photo page before travelling. This will make things much easier if something happens to your actual passport.

In general, Costa Rica has a warm and humid climate so loose clothes made from natural materials are perfect. You’ll also want light rain jackets, some sturdy trainers or walking boots, and a couple of warmer layers in case you head into the cloudforest or highlands.

Some other family packing essentials include;

Sunscreen, sunglasses, hats or caps, sandals, mosquito repellent, plug adaptors (for type A sockets), charger cables for any gadgets, reading materials, refillable water bottles, small first aid kit, any specific medicines (clearly labelled).

Also remember your bank card and any emergency helpline numbers, your driver’s license if you are going to drive, a small first aid kit, copies of important documents and a money belt to keep them in.

Costa Rica is well setup for tourists and in more popular towns you’ll find restaurants serving everything from pizza to curry, as well as delicious fresh fish. Most hotels will either serve food themselves or can recommend somewhere nearby, and even if your kids are going through a fussy eating phase, you shouldn’t have any problems finding something familiar on the menu for them.

If you want to go local then we hope you like rice and beans! This dish is known locally as “Casado” and will usually be served along with some tasty meats, salads and local veg. Rice and beans may not sound that exciting but it’s the national staple and they make it very well. There are many different variations depending where you are and what time of day it is (the breakfast version is known at “Gallo Pinto”). These Costa Rican meals are usually found in the local “soda” restaurants, and are a great budget-friendly option

If any of your family are vegetarian or vegan then we recommend downloading the Happy Cow app to locate specialist restaurants. Normal restaurants will usually have something vegetarian on offer, although it might not be all that inspiring!

In terms of snacks for the kids, you’ll find the shops and supermarkets well stocked with many of the same brands you’d see at home or in the United States, alongside some local favourites. We can recommend the local trail mix (nuts, dried fruits & chocolate bits) as a great, healthy way to keep everyone fuelled throughout the day. Fresh fruit is also widely available and absolutely delicious, just make sure you wash thoroughly or buy something with a peel.

Costa Rica operates on a 120V voltage and 60Hz. You’ll mostly find the 2-flat-pin plug type A (same as the US) as well as plug type B in some places. Pretty much all universal adaptors should work fine.

Internet is widely available and of a good standard, although it may be slower in more rural areas. Almost everywhere you go will offer Wifi and be happy for you to log on. If you choose a self-drive holiday with us, we’ll also make sure you have your own in-car Wifi.

Data roaming charges differ so you’ll need to check this with your phone provider. If needed, local SIM cards can be easily purchased at the airport and in most towns.

Spanish is Costa Rica’s national language. Knowing a few words can be helpful and endear you to the locals, so we’d recommend getting phrasebook or using Google Translate. Having said that, many Costa Ricans speak a decent level of English, especially the younger generations, so you’ll get by fine even if you’re not much of a linguist.

“Pura vida” (meaning “pure life”) is both a national catchphrase and a way of life. You’ll hear it often in greetings or thanks, and see it play out in daily life too – many businesses only stay fully open for around 5 hours per day!

The local people go by the nickname “ticos” and in general you’ll find them warm, welcoming and helpful. Costa Rica is one of Latin America’s most stable and peaceful societies, and is one of the few countries of its size with no standing army.

Although it lacks the ancient ruins and civilisations you’ll find elsewhere in Latin America, Costa Rica’s story is an interesting one. Previously inhabited by various indigenous tribes, everything changed when Columbus landed here in 1503, and he is widely credited with giving the land its name (meaning “rich coast”). The Spanish were met with some local resistance but eventually established Costa Rica as a permanent colony in 1561.

As with so many colonial stories, the local people suffered greatly, both through mistreatment and devastating imported diseases that wiped out a huge proportion of their population. Most Costa Ricans nowadays are of Spanish descent, alongside a smaller African heritage population around the Caribbean coast – a sign of the country’s place in the slave trade.

A comparative lack of gold and other minerals, as well as geographic difficulties, led to the Spanish losing some interest in their colony. Costa Rica existed for a long time in poverty before declaring independence from Spain in 1821, and slowly developed into a relatively peaceful nation heavily dependent on farming.

The 20^th century saw some periods of instability and violence – most famously the 1948 Civil War. This 44-day revolution was won by the National Liberation Army and led by one of Costa Rica’s most important and beloved figures, Jose Maria Figueres Ferrer, known as “Don Pepe”. He laid the groundwork for the peaceful, stable Costa Rica we see today, abolishing the army, improving relations with the US, and serving as president on three separate occasions.

If you want to know more about Costa Rica’s story, we can highly recommend this wonderful episode of The Rest is History (also available on Spotify, Audible, Apple, and other platforms).