There are tons of shuttle services like Grayline, Interbus and beyond, plus Costa Rica s public tran

Most parents are short on time and wish they could just snap their fingers and have the perfect plan in place.  I ve got the next best thing the experience and wisdom of living and traveling with my wife and kids throughout Costa Rica for the last 15 years.
First, congratulations on choosing Costa Rica for your upcoming family vacation thrifty car rental discounts you will have a great time, especially if you take my advice.  Over the years I ve made and seen so many mistakes that other families make, that cost them time, money and enjoyment.  I want to help you avoid these mistakes.
Slow Down, Don t Try to Do Too Much Try not to spend your vacation in the car or on the bus.  When you look at Costa Rica on a map it looks small, like you could comfortably drive from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast in a day.  This is not the case.  Road conditions and traffic in Costa Rica are very unpredictable.  The terrain is mountainous with lots of winding roads.  Making matters more difficult, there are virtually no visible street signs or numbers, and except for on the freeways, you may not see any road signs on your whole trip!
Don t Pack Too Much If you re like most of us, you ll pack your suitcase with the best of intentions, and then not use half of what you bring with you there are better ways to get exercise than lugging around 50lbs of junk that you re not going to use.  Focus on the kids first, make sure you pack everything they need:  (2) bathing suits, tennis thrifty car rental discounts shoes, sandals, medicines, vitamins, a small toy or two, the Gameboy, (1) pair of jeans, t-shirts and tank tops, a light jacket, and that s about it.
For the grown-ups, it s about the same.  Unless thrifty car rental discounts you know you re going to a wedding or other formal thrifty car rental discounts affair, leave your nice clothes at home.  Leave nonessential thrifty car rental discounts valuables like jewelry, watches, shoes and clothing at home, you likely won t be using them, they may get ruined at the beach, in the rain or crushed in your luggage during travel .  Perhaps most important, you’re on vacation to relax, not worry about material possessions when you should be enjoying the beauty that is all around you in Costa Rica.
Money Banking Let your bank know the dates you ll be in Costa Rica so that you don t have problems thrifty car rental discounts using your ATM and/or credit cards.  As for money in Costa Rica, they use the Costa Rican Colone.  As a rough idea, 1,000 Colones = $2 Dollars.
When in touristy places, you ll usually be able to spend your U.S. dollars without issue.  However, it s a good idea to have Colones on you, plus it s fun, especially for the kids, to use a different kind of money.  Your debit card will likely work at most ATMs and most have an option for English.
Renting A Car - We recommend NOT renting a car.  Letting someone else do the driving, leaves you with more time to spend enjoying the sites with your family.  Plus, you can use the money you’ll save on actually doing things.
There are tons of shuttle services like Grayline, Interbus and beyond, plus Costa Rica s public transportation is very inexpensive and efficient.  The red taxis are also a good inexpensive option.  If you must rent a car, be forewarned, the deposits on rental cars in Costa Rica are high usually $1,000 to $1,500. thrifty car rental discounts It is STRONGLY recommended that you get the GPS rental, as again, there are no street numbers thrifty car rental discounts and street signs.
What To Do With Your Family thrifty car rental discounts Costa Rica truly has something for everyone, which is why it s great for families.  Most of what draws people to this tiny Central American country is nature.  Obviously, thrifty car rental discounts a lot has to do with your family s own personality, but here s a list of some of the more obvious things we ve done as a family:  whitewater rafting, zip lining, parasailing, jungle tours , boat tours, sport fishing, bird watching, coffee plantation tours, mangrove tours, surfing, boogie boarding, surfing lessons, Spanish classes, ATV tours, water-skiing, jet-skiing, mountain biking, river tours, canyoning, and more.
Some of the less obvious and perhaps more fun:  Checkout what s happening in Costa Rica when you ll be there and try to attend local events and cultural happenings.  For example, Costa Rican culture has something called the Tope which is basically a rodeo, if you get invited or otherwise find out about one, go!  You can thank me by sending pictures
Another great thing to do nothing! simply hanging out together, eating and talking. thrifty car rental discounts Chances are, where you re staying, you are surrounded by all kinds of wildlife including monkeys, iguanas, sloths, tropical birds, butterflies, and more.  It s much easier to notice these things if you are not running around.