BANKING / CURRENCY

You can get local money when you arrive at San José's Juan Santamaria international airport. But not to worry if you aren't able to do this. There are numerous state and private institutions that offer both local and international banking services, including foreign exchange, cash advances on credit cards (though not all banks take American Express) and cashing travelers checks. Plus, ATM's have been introduced in San José and many of Costa Rica's smaller cities. They will allow you to withdraw colónes against credit or debit cards.

Banks are generally open from 9 AM to 3 PM; some offer extended hours beyond this. Be prepared to wait, though. Lines and bureaucracy often make getting money at banks a time-consuming endeavor. Of course, most hotels will exchange money or cash travelers checks, but you will take a hit on the exchange rate. As always, it's "buyer beware" if you opt to change money on the street. If you'd rather not carry a lot of colónes, most international credit cards are widely accepted throughout the country. So are U.S. dollars.

It's best to keep your dollar denominations small U.S. dollars are your best bet for travelers checks as well, since those denominated in other currencies are rarely accepted. Make sure too that you countersign the checks EXACTLY as you did when you bought them. Banks won't accept travelers checks with variations in signatures from vendors, so vendors won't accept them from you. They are similarly wary of signature variations on credit card transactions, so to avoid potential problems it's a good idea to make sure you sign credit card vouchers the same as you did your card.

All in all, you will still probably want to carry some colónes on you during your stay in Costa Rica, especially if you plan on traveling to out of the way places. Many small hotels, restaurants and shops simply won't accept anything else and you won't want to be caught short in this event.