Currency Exchange Tips

A Stress Free Vacation Starts With a Currency Exchange

Plan Planning a vacation can be frustrating

We all want to get away from the rat race of nine-to-five job, which usually turns into a nine-to-whenever lifestyle. Some of us travel to warm and tropical countries such as beautiful Costa Rica to experience local attractions and unique cultures. Whatever the choice, it’s important to plan the trip at least two months ahead of your departure in order to book accommodations, and the extras features that make a vacation special. Airline seats, hotel rooms and restaurant reservations, as well as booking other local attractions are essential, but researching the currency exchange market while you’re planning and developing a travel budget will make the trip less stressful and much more fun. If you check the value of your currency pair using a reliable currency exchange broker in the planning stage, you can develop an exchange strategy that saves you money.

As exciting as Costa Rica is, planning the trip can be frustrating if you wait until the last minute to develop a currency exchange strategy that has an impact on your budget. Let’s say you were traveling to a country that is experiencing radical fluctuations in the value of their currency. Argentina for example could turn into a nightmare if you wait until you reach Buenos Aires and exchange currency for the Argentine Peso and the Peso’s value has surged overnight.

Where should I exchange currency?

The first place that comes to mind when you want to trade currencies is a bank, or you may want to use one of your credit cards. Banks charge a transaction fee for every exchange and may even add a foreign exchange fee of 2 or 3% on each transaction. Banks may only post one or two rates a day, so you may not get a real time rate, which means the bank makes a little more profit. Credit cards use their own exchange rate, plus they add a hefty transaction fee to your exchange and then add a surcharge to every trip purchase, so you don’t know how much the trip actually cost until you get your statement and that’s usually budget breaking news.

Using an airport exchange merchant or hotels and retail shops to exchange money is always expensive. Exchanging money is a for-profit business so airport, hotel and retail exchange merchants add a substantial profit to every currency exchange. The best and most effective way to exchange currency is through a professional currency broker. A reliable broker will give you a real time exchange rate without hidden fees, surcharges and outlandish profits.

A broker will help you develop an averaging or future contract strategy while you’re planning the trip, so your budget is more accurate. When you exchange currency using a broker, your money will be sent to you the next day by a secure delivery service. A currency broker does make a profit when you exchange money, but you know how much it is, and can put it in your budget.

Other travel tips

Some countries limit the amount of cash you can carry through customs. Check with your broker while you’re planning your trip, so you stay within the limit. Always carry cash in a leg pouch, money belt or hidden pocket that’s secure and out of sight. Use hotel safes when you reach your destination and follow local security measures when you’re away from the hotel. Common sense is your best security tool when you remember to use it.

Los Quetzales National Park

Costa Rica is about the 0,01% of the World but has the 3% of the biodiversity of the world in its territory. The government has made a great effort to protect the country's nature; and in April, 2006, a new National Park was created: Los Quetzales National Park. It was created with the support of the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). This national park seeks to protect the Savegre River area and it covers 4.117.09 hectares that includes three types of rainforest and 14 different ecosystems; its highest altitude is 3.190 meter above sea level, and the lowest is 1.240 m. The rainy season for this area is May to November, with a average precipitation of 4.667 mm; the temperature ranges from 0º C to 20º C.
Los Quetzales National Park is located close to the Talamanca Ranger, in the San Jose Province. It is around 75 km south of San Jose city along the Interamerican Highway. Visitors could see green and red quetzals. It is a land of great wonders, full of Quetzales, a beautiful bird from which the name of the park is derived. The wildlife that the parks seek to protect also includes hummingbirds, the puma, sloths, coyotes, quetzal, jilguero, mozotillo de montaña, chancho de monte (saino), and other species of mammals. Among the flora species protected by the park are aguacatillos, palmitos, cloud forest, paramos and many rivers and streams.
To contact Los Quetzales National Park call (506) 2200-5354 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (506) 2200-5354      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (506) 2200-5354      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (506) 2200-5354      end_of_the_skype_highlighting in Ojo de Agua de Dota. The park has a visitor center, camping area and 8 trails (Ojo de Agua, La Laguna, Ciprecillo Milenario, Rio Brujo, Ojo de Agua-Providencia, Ojo de Agua-San Gerardo, Providencia-San Gerardo, and Cerro Frio)

Costa Rica Travel Facts

• The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish, although many Ticos and Ticas know Basic English. On touristic areas, hotel receptionist and tour operator guides speak English as well.

• Costa Rica has the same time zone of the U.S. Central Standard Time, but without daylight savings time.

• Most restaurants in Costa Rica include a 10% tip in the final price. It is not necessary to leave tip on restaurants or for taxi drivers. However, you can leave tips for tourist guides and tourist drivers if you would like to.

• Costa Rica has also a sale tax of 13%, and an additional 3% tourist tax for hotels. This additional 3% goes to the Costa Rica Tourist Board.

• The water in Costa Rica is safe to drink everywhere in the country, although some organism are sensitive to other places water, so we advice to buy bottle water for the first days of your stay in the country.

• As for the commercial offices, stores and other business, the business hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Government offices are opened from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• The airport tax is $26 per person. It has to be paid in dollars or colones, but not with credit card.

• Costa Rica country code is 506; there are not regional codes. Bilingual operator assistance for international calls is 116, local phone information 113, long distance information 124.

• US or Canadian cell phones almost certainly will not work in Costa Rica, but if they do work, there will be a call fee of $5 per minute. There are some cell phone rent companies in the country but they can be really expensive.

Family Vacations

Family vacations are great! When planed well, it helps the family`s bond to get stronger. Everyday life can be very stressful and sometimes parents do not have the enough time to have quality moments with their children, so when a family goes into a vacation, it gives the opportunity to be there full time and get to know a little more the kids. Planning a family vacation at least once a year is healthy for all members of the family.

Imagine amazing long days in a white sand beach on the Pacific, enjoying the sun, visiting interesting museums and why not? Experiencing a variety of adventure activities surrounded by nature. When choosing a destination for your family vacations, you have to consider what you would like to do during your vacations so you will have many fun memories to share over time, how much time you would like to spend in the destination, and how much you have available to spend. The moments gather during a family vacation will stay with you a lifetime.

Costa Rica is a great destination for so many reasons. Some good points are: the airline tickets are no very expensive coming from the United States and there is a wide variety of options for all kinds of budget. From all inclusive hotels, unique little countryside lodges, or luxurious hotels, and more. Costa Rica is a country to experience nature from a new different point of view. Get to know the forest from the top down in a Canopy Tour, or walk in hanging bridges through the forest, enjoy the river surrounded by waterfalls and amazing fauna on a white water rafting trip, or hike through many natural parks or natural reserves in the country.

There are at least three family vacation packages you may choose from:

Family Adventures Package – It involves a number of adventure activities such as canopy tour, white water rafting, horseback riding, and hiking among others, combined with a visit to the hot springs in one of the most touristic places in the country and some time in a Pacific Beach in Costa Rica. Costa Rica Family Tour and Adventure.

All inclusive Family Vacations Package – You may choose one of the few inclusive resorts of the country and spend most of the vacation in a beautiful beach, enjoying relaxing tours and great food. There is also the option of a three meal a day lodge in the middle of the mountain, such as Tortuguero or Rincon de la Vieja. Custom Desing Adventure.

Beach Family Vacation Package – If you want to enjoy the beach but having some freedom to know other places around, you may choose on of the amazing beaches of the Guanacaste Province, and rent car for your family, with or without a driver. Custom Desing Adventure.

Costa Rica Culture

Costa Rica is a country located in Central America, with a population of around 4 million people and a high number of imigrants. It is one of the most homogeneous countries in the region, especially when it comes to social classes; a high quantity of Ticos are middle class. Costa Rica`s main religion is Catolicism, and most Ticos and Ticas are very conservative and religious poeple.