Canadians, Europeans and Brits should convert their cash into US dollars first, as they are more common and easy to exchange while in Costa Rica. Hotel exchange rates are rarely as good as the banks or even some stores who convert money as a sideline.

Traveler’s checks are falling out of favor with the proliferation of ATMs. Stick your card in and select the desired amount of colones; your only fee is any ATM charge that may apply. We use this method so we don’t have to carry around more cash than we need. Another reason checks are being seen less frequently is because they are often changed at a lower rate than cash in Costa Rica.

If you change dollars or get an advance on your credit card in a bank, bring a copy of your passport for identification. For some reason, Costa Rican banks, and therefore most merchants, prefer VISA charge cards, although MasterCard is are accepted almost everywhere.

Recently, many of the US bank charge cards, including ours, added a percentage service charge for foreign exchange purchases. In other words, the $100 you charged on a credit card for your hotel now costs you $100+. Check with your card company for their rules. If you figure out a way to get around it, let us know.