Coast to Coast in Costa Rica with Panama City Tour Extension

The order of events and Sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. River journeys, snorkelling and boat trips can be affected by the weather and the tidal flow of rivers. There are some times when there it is necessary to alter the itinerary. On occasions road construction and / or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day to day itinerary as printed, but at times this can vary.

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.

UK passport holders are not currently required to obtain a visa for Costa Rica before travel.

You must also pay a departure tax of $31 USD when leaving the country. This must be paid before you check-in at San Jose airport and must be paid in USD cash.

If you are travelling to Costa Rica via the USA:

All UK passport holders must have a biometric e-passport and your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you are expected to arrive back in the UK. Important note: if you do not have a bio-metric e-passport, you will be refused entry into the USA.

You will need to obtain an ESTA visa. This must be applied for at least 7 days before you are due to land in the USA. An ESTA can be applied for directly on the website of the Department of Homeland Security. The application fee is approximately $21.00 and payable via a Credit / Debit Card online. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta

Alternatively, we work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be who will be able to arrange the ESTA visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. When Calling the Travel Visa Company they will advise you of any changes to the fees or procedure, they will also advise you all of the information they will require to apply for the visa.

The US Government enforces a restriction on people who have travelled to Cuba since 12th January 2011. These travellers are no longer eligible to apply for the ESTA Visa Waiver program and need to apply for a US visitor's visa (B1/B2) via their nearest US Embassy. This ban includes transit, where you’re flying on to another country. As some of our flights go via the USA, if you have visited Cuba since 12th January 2011 and your flight is with United Airlines, then you will need to apply for a US visitor visa.

Panama visa requirements

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.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Weight restrictions will be finalized 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 you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: 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. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

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. Prices in Costa Rica are frequently listed in US dollars, especially in hotels and restaurants, where you can expect to pay international prices. US dollars are widely accepted and some ATMs dispense dollars. Credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment.

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 £500-£600 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

Tipping

It is customary to tip both your driver and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately $3 per person per day for the driver and $5 per person per day for the Tour Guide. 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 30 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.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival and will have a guide with you for the duration of your trip, 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. Lunch and dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of eateries are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Vegetarian and Vegan meals can be catered for. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed counties water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way as the UK.

Please be advised that disposable plastic items, such as bags and bottles, are not allowed within the premises of the national parks.

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