Can we use our cell phones in CR? Or do we have to purchase a special plan? We have Sprint so I guess I should check with them.

Is there internet access/cafes?

FYI - there's no "Costa Rican" forum - all post end up on the Latin American Forum.

Yes, there are internet cafes in Costa Rica but it's a big country so the answer really depends on where you are going to be staying. You should, however, find internet cafes in most cities and towns that are frequented by tourists.

Whether or not your cell will work in Costa Rica depends on the type of phone you have, your service provider and they type of plan you have. Check directly with Sprint for your specific capabilities. You may have to sign up for "International Service" if your phone is technically capable of operating on the worldwide systems. You pay a monthly fee (around $5 or $6 per month) plus a per minute roaming charge. You can sign up before your trip and cancel when you return.

I have Sprint too... definitely call them to be sure, but I'm thinking your phone won't work (I didn't even take mine to CR, assuming as much). Either way, you'd have to call Sprint to activate International roaming. Earlier this year I did that for a week in Canada, and calls cost like 60 cents a minute. Then when I went to the UK, they told me my phone wouldn't work at all.

Internet access is sporadic (depends on where you go) and can be agonizingly slow to those of us used to DSL, etc. (At least this was my personal experience a couple years ago.) But if you're patient, you can manage to check and send emails... I've done so in both Manuel Antonio (the hotel Si Como No has a gift shop with internet access) and in Monteverde (at my hotel, Monteverde Lodge). Hope this helps.

If you have a phone that is ready for international uses (the bands), and you have an international plan, and your phone company has relationships with a carrier in that country - your phone will work. I have Cingular with an international capable phone (a razor) and the international plan - and my phone worked perfectly in CR... Sprint will let you know...

jen4774: Thank you for posting this question regarding cell phones in CR. We have Verizon which stated they charge $1.50 per minute for international calls. In addition, CR charges roaming fees which vary in the different areas. Does anyone know the roaming fees in the MA area or where this information may be obtained?

Our phones did not work; my husband's office even set up his Blackberry with international capability, and it still didn't work. Some of the hotels have internet access, and some don't. In San Jose, we were able to access the internet from our room. At the Lost Iguana in Arenal, we had one dial-up computer for the entire hotel - really depends upon where you go. We used the computers at Si Como No for a small fee.