Coast to Coast in Costa Rica 2024 with Panama City Tour Extension

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction &/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

A visa is not required for your trip to Costa Rica. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destination’s Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity. Please note if your flight is via America an ESTA will be required.

You can visit Panama for up to 3 months without a visa if you arrive by land or air. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

(April to October) - Your flight is to San Jose Airport will be with United Airlines ( UA) via Houston, departing from London Heathrow. Each passenger is entitled to hold luggage and hand luggage Size and weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. *If any passengers have travelled to Cuba since 2021, they cannot apply for an ESTA and will need to apply for a USA visitor visa .

(November to March) Your flight is to San Jose Airport will be direct with British Airways, departing from London Gatwick. Each passenger is entitled to 23kg of hold luggage and hand luggage Size and weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure.

IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves moderate days of walking on uneven paths and small hills and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in Costa Rica is the Costa Rica Colon, known as CRC, but US Dollars are also widely accepted in the major cities. It is preferable if you have smaller denominations. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in the local currency. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £200-£400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

It is at your customary to tip both your driver and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately £2-£3 per person per day. This is a total of £45 per person to budget for tips on your trip. You may give the tips to the guide and driver personally at the end of the tour for your convenience. Tips are accepted in any currency.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 40. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

Coast to Coast in Costa Rica: This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

This is a partially escorted tour extension, meaning that you will be escorted by a local, English-speaking guide during excursions. Each day you will be joined by a different local guide on each of the excursions. Still ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Costa Rica. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and airconditioning, where needed. If you are staying in a lodge during your tour, plumbing and electricity supplies can vary and, in some cases, infrequent, with electricity only being accessible during certain times of the day. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

On your arrival in San José you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Best of Costa Rica, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Best of Costa Rica representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.

If you need to contact Best of Costa Rica during your stay the details are:

Best of Costa Rica: Robledal, Uruca, San José. Ave 29A Contact number: 00506 2290 1302 E-mail: mercuryholidays@bestcostaricadmc.com

Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Best of Costa Rica Contact details: 24 hour telephone: 00506 8936 1212 Email address: mercuryholidays@bestcostaricadmc.com