Air Canada Vacations

Before you leave Canada

Entry requirements

Canadian citizens require a passport that is valid until 30 days after their scheduled return. For all other nationalities, consult your consulate or Costa Rican Tourist Board for details.

Baggage

Please refer to aircanada.com for Baggage Information.

Airport check in

Air Canada check-in staff is available at 5 a.m. and Air Canada Vacations representatives are available 3 hours prior to departure.

Arrival at Destination

Airport procedures

A local English-speaking Representative will meet your flight and assist you with ground transportation once you have gone through immigration and customs. The Representative will be holding an Air Canada Vacations sign outside the terminal. Please present your voucher to the Representative outside the Airport’s terminal, he or she will review your travel documents and itinerary as well as give you some general information and helpful tips for your vacation.

Transfer

Air-only passengers must arrange their own transfer via taxi or bus. A ‘taxi service booth’ is located at the terminal’s main door, at this booth air-only passengers can get their ticket for an official taxi service to their destination.

Hotel check in

Upon arrival at your hotel, please identify yourself at the front desk with your Air Canada Vacations voucher. You will then be assigned your accommodation.

Your Departure from Destination

Departure information

The day before you leave, remember to consult the Air Canada Vacations bulletin board or binder in your hotel lobby for detail on your departure procedures and return flight. Please inquire about last minute changes on the day of departure in the Air Canada Vacations binder.

Hotel check out

Hotel checkout times may vary depending on the property but generally you must vacate the room by 11 a.m. For passengers with late flights, every effort will be made to provide you with a hospitality room, however, this cannot be guaranteed, particularly during high season.

Duty-free shopping

Duty-free shops are located at the airport. After an absence of 7 days or more, Canadian residents are permitted to return with a maximum of $750 CDN of merchandise per trip without paying duty. Each time you leave Canada for at least 48 hours, you are eligible to declare up to $200 CDN of merchandise. A written declaration may be requested. Each adult is allowed 1.1 litres (40 oz.) of liquor, 200 cigarettes (upon return to Canada, a $15 CDN tax on non-Canadian cigarettes (200 or carton) will be charged), 200 tobacco sticks, 50 cigars or 50 cigarillos and 200 grams of manufactured tobacco. To calculate the number of days absent, do not count the day you left Canada but include the day you return. If you include cigarettes, tobacco sticks and loose tobacco in your personal exemption allowance, only a partial exemption will apply. You will have to pay a minimum duty on these products unless they are marked “Canada - Duty paid”. Canadian made products sold at a duty-free shop will be marked in this way.

Airport check in

Procedures are the same as for departure from Canada.

Airport departure tax

To be paid in cash at the airport of departure. $26 US per person from all international airports in Costa Rica. (Amount is subject to change).

During your holiday

Customer Care

To reach Air Canada Vacations Customer Care, call toll-free 0 800 015-0382 or e-mail us at: prevoyageclientele@vacv.com. We are at your service seven days a week: from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, eastern time.

Local Air Canada Vacations offices

Air Canada Vacations is represented in Costa Rica by CRT Team. The local office is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and official Costa Rica holidays (24-hour emergency assistance is available). Should you require the services of a CRT Representative please call 506-2508-5000. A customer service assistance cellular phone is also available at (506) 8822-4444. For local calls within Costa Rica is not necessary to dial the country code number (506).

Long distance calls

Telephone calls from your hotel to Canada can be very expensive and service charges are high. We would suggest you ask your family and friends to call you, while in Costa Rica, at the phone numbers listed in this mini-guide.International phone calls and collect calls can be place by dialing 116 (International Operator) from any pay phone or from the hotels, however most hotels will apply a service charge even for collect calls.

Medical Emergencies

Quality medical services are available in Costa Rica. Many well trained, competent doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists and specialists practice in the cities. Most have studied in the United States, Europe or Canada and speak English. The capital city of San José has numerous modern and well-equipped hospitals and clinics.

Banking

Business hours: Weekdays 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sundays. Some banks are open until 8 p.m., most operate Saturdays until noon.

Currency

The Colon is the national currency; It is recommended to carry US dollars, that can be exchanged at banks and hotels. The exchange rate fluctuates in small increments daily. Bills come in denominations of 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 colones and coins are minted in 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 and 500 colon pieces. Canadian Dollars are not usually accepted, but cash and Traveler’s cheques in U.S. dollars can be exchanged at banks and most hotels, with the presentation of a valid passport.

Credit cards

Major international credit cards (Master Card/Visa/American Express) are accepted at most hotels, stores, restaurants and car rental companies, while at smaller businesses one should be prepared to pay in the local currency.

Shopping

Costa Rica features a wide range of stores offering merchandise made locally or imported from other Latin American countries. Most prices are fixed, and bargaining is recommended only with street vendors or in market places. Some of the best buys are coffee, handcrafted items made of wood or leather. Replicas of oxcarts, the national symbol of Costa Rica, are popular souvenirs – hand painted and in a variety of sizes and colors - as are replicas of Pre-Colombian gold artifacts. Shopping Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Christmas 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Local transportation

A broad range of Car Rental companies are available in Costa Rica. Foreign drivers licenses are valid for one month from date of entry into the country. Taxis are plentiful in San José. Taxis are metered, but from hotels offer flat rates. Official taxis are painted red with visible triangular yellow signs on the doors in order to make them easy to identify.

Sightseeing

Optional excursions are a great way to enhance your Air Canada Vacations holiday. Choose from a wide variety of activities and excursions available at your destination. For more information or to reserve your excursion, please see your local Air Canada Vacations representative or Ground Handler Partner CRT Team, call 506-239-9999.

Tipping

A 10% service charge and 13% sales tax are always included in restaurant bills. However if the service is exceptionally good an additional 5 to 10 % is recommended.

Water

Modern processing facilities ensure pure drinking water, particularly in San José and the larger cities, however, bottled water is advisable and readily available.

Electricity

110 Volt AC 60 cycles.

Language

The official language is Spanish, although English is widely spoken.

Religion

The constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Roman Catholic is the predominant religion, with more than 50% of the population practicing it.

Time zone

Costa Rica is one hour behind Eastern Standard Time (Daylight savings time is not observed).

Climate

The country's climate varies depending upon elevation, location, and season with a little change in temperature from month to month. While the coastal plains are tropical, the mountain regions tend to be cool, and the Central Plateau has a spring-like climate year round, (average daily temperature 75 F or 25 C). December through April is the dry season, and most of the rainfall occurs from May to November - mainly in the afternoons.

Clothing

Be sure to pack light clothing, a sweater, windbreaker, and good walking shoes, swimsuit, sun block, insect repellent, sandals and a hat. Even though there is a very casual dress code every where, smart casual is recommended for fine restaurants.