Hanging Bridges in Arenal & how do we pay for things in Costs Rica??
 

Hello,
I can't find any info on the hanging bridges in Arenal in my guidebook but I remember someone on this forum mentioning it awhile ago. The poster seemed to prefer the hanging bridges in Arenal over Rainmaker Canopy tour. What is the name of the company that runs the hanging bridges in Arenal? Can we book it at Arenal Paraiso? How much does it cost?

Do tour companies, restaurants, stores, etc. accept credit cards or traveler's checks? Are there plenty of ATM's in Costa Rica? I seem to recall reading somewhere that there aren't many ATM's in CR and tourists should carry plenty of cash but I don't remember where I read this. Is it true?

Thanks very much for any advice. I really enjoy this travel forum. When I first started planning our trip, I was at a loss of where to go and what to do. This forum was of tremendous help in planning our itinerary. We leave on Aug 10. I am so excited!!!

Dear Kwoo,
I am topping an older post about comparing the two (hanging bridges and Rainmaker).
The name of the company that runs the hanging bridges is Arenal Hanging Bridges (253-5080, www.www.puentescolgantes.com), and it costs $20. I am sure Arenal Paraiso can arrange it for you.
In touristy areas almost everyone accepts CC (Visa and MC, less Amex), and there are more and more ATMs. I recommend you try and pay with your CC where you can, but always carry some cash (not too much, a few hundred dollars is enough). If you see you are going to run out of cash, don't wait for the last moment to find an ATM, and you will do just fine.
Feel free to write me directly for more information.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

I don't like to use credit cards except for the larger items like hotel rooms and formal orgainzed tours on the rare occasions we use them. Credit card scams can be a problem down there. The biggest thing to look for if using a credit card is how they do it. I really wouldn't use the card if they run it through the old fashioned way that leaves a paper imprint. You are leaving your number behind and it does get used.
Credit cards seem to be accepted more and more but some places do still charge you the bank fee that they have to pay.
As far as ATM's go, I don't use them much but have heard that cards with PLUS work better. Going into a bank can be variable. In Flamingo I watched the better part of the movie Pretty Woman. In a private bank in a small town we were in it was 10 minutes (don't know which town we were just passing through). In Puerto Jimenez it usually runs about 20 mins.
Arenal Paraiso can arrange any tour you want. Another option would be to just hire a taxi to take you where you want to go. Paraiso can call for a taxi for you also.
The trails in Hanging Bridges are very easy to walk on. The old lava bed is a nice hike and the waterfall is very pretty. Wear a bathing suit under your clothes to swim at the base of the falls.

Hi Neta,
Thank you for topping the older post. I will definitely print it out this time. I guess I should have done a search but I couldn't remember how far back it went. We will do the hanging bridges in Arenal instead of the Rainmaker Canopy Walk. What is your opinion of the zip lines? From what I have read, it seems that we will see more animals (which is what I prefer) on the hanging bridges rather than the zip lines. To be perfectly honest, I am afraid of heights & the zip lines seem really scary. I'm really not looking for a thrill but opportunities to see the animals. I hope my daughters agree & we won't be arguing about which ones to go on!!

Thank you for the info about credit cards & ATM's. We are going to MA, Arenal, Poas, La Paz & Alajuela. I assume we should be safe with CC's & ATM's there. Of course, we will have cash with us, too.

Thank you, Neta. You have been such a big help.

Here is website for hanging bridges:

http://hangingbridges.com/

Hi Suzie2,
Thank you for your helpful advice. I hate to sound ignorant but can you explain what you mean about the Pretty Woman scam. It's been years since I've seen the movie so I don't remember.

Thanks for your tip about wearing a bathing suit underneath our clothes. I'm relieved that the Hanging Bridges trails in Arenal are easy to walk on. I have osteoporosis so I don't want extremely strenuous trails, which it sounds like Rainmaker does have. I'm certainly not an invalid but I do have to be careful.

Are traveler's checks accepted in Costa Rica?
Thank you so much.

Dear Kwoo,
I think what Suzie meant was that it took almost an hour to get in and out of the bank because of the long lines (is that what you meant, Suzie?).
Travelers checks are not very common, but are accepted in some places. I wouldn't count on them though.
If you are afraid of heights, don't do the zip lines, especially since the animals usually don't go near the zip lines.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

In regards to Pretty Woman...I was talking about the length of time I had to spend in line at the different banks to get money. It took me well over an hour in the bank in Flamingo and they had that movie playing on a tv. The ATM machine only accepted that particular banks card. Many of the banks have televisions to watch because the wait can be long. Many also have chairs for you to sit on. It is like musical chairs. When the next person in line gets out of their chair everyone shifts over one. Not all the banks, as I mentioned, are that bad.
Travelers checks are accepted now more than a few years ago. I was looking around the Holiday Inn Aurola in San Jose about 3 years ago and they had a big sign saying they didn't accept them. There is a fee at the bank to cash them but some of the larger hotels will also cash them for you.

We have found it convenient to take traveler's cheques to pay for hotel rooms when we know in advance about what the cost wil be. Wouldn't want to use them for much else. But a combination of travelers cheques, a card, and a LITTLE cash works well. We usually travel with a couple of hundred in cash and use the ATMs for more--before we completely run out. Sometimes the ATMs work like a charm, and other times, no luck. Be sure and notify your cardholders before you go so they will know that the cards are going to be used out of the country. We have run into the problem of our cards being blocked because they showed up so far away from home. The cc companies definitely need to know of your travel plans.

Thanks, everyone, for all your help. Now I understand Suzie's reference to Pretty Woman!! All the hotels we are staying at accept credit cards, so we will definitely pay for our hotels with cc's. Hopefully, we can avoid going to banks. I hate to waste my precious vacation time waiting in lines at banks.

I assume there are ATM's that accept all ATM cards, right? I think I will call my bank tomorrow to find out...they are closed today (Patriots Day).

By the way, how do people insert those smiley faces, etc.?

Dear Kwoo,

if you do : then - and then ) you will get :-)
if you do ; then - and then ) you will get ;-)
if you do : then - and then ( you will get :-(

You will only see the faces after you hit "post my reply" (or "preview my replay")

Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

I don't know how the others make out with their ATM check cards but my experience has been that the Visa PLUS check card works best.

Visa definitely the most widely accepted card in C. R.

Am I the only one who thinks that even free Travelers' checks are not the most "efficient" means of payment overseas?
The exchange rates are usually significantly less favorable than low cost Credit Cards (USAA V/MC 1%, NOT CITI/AA/MC @ 3%) and ATMs.
They may make some sense if you are taking larger sums to establish a local "household" financial account (vs wire transfers), but for > $10K transfers, unless you are laundering money, the wire transfers are marginally more favorable.
M
PS I personally know folks who made $4.6 Billion USDs in 4 days on the margin of currency transactions in the mid 90's - hopefully, that'll never happen again!
Full disclosure - I hate cash!

Not when an establishment charges 6-7% for the privilege of using your "low-cost" credit card. We encountered this a lot in Costa Rica. And it can be hidden. Many places don't advertise a higher rate for using a credit card, but instead offer a cash discount. And sometimes we received a cash discount, even though it was not advertised or listed, just for asking. (Granted, we only travel in low season.)

Everywhere that I used traveler's checks in Costa Rica, they were treated exactly the same as U.S.$.

I still believe the best exchange rate is obtained when you withdraw colones from an ATM.

Kwoo, a few of us will be in CR in Aug; can't wait til we all become the experts! I, also, wondered about the faces. I was going to ask my teenager!

Kwoo,

My family is also going to CR in August, and I'm addicted to this board. I have used Fodor's for other domestic trips I have coming up and none are as helpful as the Costa Rica board. Thanks to all of you for your generosity.

Kwoo, have you already made your reservation at the Arenal Paraiso? I emailed them my on-line reservation request last week and haven't heard back from them. Did you book on-line or over the phone? How long did it take for them to get back to you?

Thanks again everyone

When will you be there??? We will be in CR from 7/31-8/14 and at either Arenal Paraiso or Los Lagos 8/2 and 8/3. I haven't booked either yet...keep us posted!

lvk, Yes, I have already made my reservations at Arenal Paraiso. Neta helped me with them. After she contacted them, I called them (using a dial around number, so it shouldn't be too expensive); then they faxed me the reservation request, which I then faxed back to them. Do you have access to a fax machine? If so, you could fax them to see if they received your request.

TAGriffin, did you ever have problems using traveler's checks or ATM's?

Trevorjoyce, we are arriving at Arenal on Aug 14. I hope that everyone will post their trip reports. I love reading them!

One more question...we plan on renting a car, probably from Dollar. How far in advance should we rent it?

Ivk,
let me know if you want me to help you with the reservation in Arenal Paraiso. I can also get you a discount.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor