5 Tips for Planning Your Fact Finding Trip

Planning a move to Costa Rica and planning a vacation are two totally different things. Don’t make the mistake of calling your last vacation to Costa Rica your fact finding trip. Odds are, you didnt really look at the things you needed to while you were on vacation.

Even if you have been to Costa Rica before on vacation, it is important to plan a fact finding trip before you move. These fact finding trips are essential in finding out information about the area you want to live. Or, if you don’t have an area in mind, a fact finding trip can help you find the area thats right for you.

Read Up

Spend some time browsing the shelves at your local book store. There are plenty of guide books about Costa Rica that will help you learn more about traveling in Costa Rica. There are also a hand full of books written about moving to Costa Rica. These books can be great for answering some of the more technical and legal question you may have about moving to Costa Rica.

The Internet is also a great source for finding information on Costa Rica. Travel Gear Scout is perfect for reading up online or for printing and reading offline. There are also a number of Costa Rica expat sites that can be a easy way to meet people who have already made the move abroad.

Look at Maps

From the day you decide you are going to move to Costa Rica you should have a map handy. Grab an easy to read map of the whole country and hang it on your wall. This way, when you are reading about areas that interest you, you can mark them off on the map and see other areas that are close by.

Once you get a few locations marked off on your map, you’ll have a better idea of where you will be spending your fact finding trip.

Get Advice

Odds are you probably know some people who have been to Costa Rica on vacation before. Talk to them and see what kind of extra information they can feed you. If you are lucky, they may know someone who lives down there that they can put you in touch with.

If you are lucky enough to know people who know people in Costa Rica, get their contact information and try to meet up with them while on your fact finding trip. Even just meeting with other people who have made the move or live there for a cup of coffee can unload tons of information on you.

Check Your Passport

With all the fuss thats going on about passports and other travel documents, it is a good idea to double check your passport and make sure it doesn’t expire anytime soon. It would be a real bummer to buy your plane ticket and then realize your passport will expire before you even leave the country.

Get Information About Pets

If you plan on bringing dogs or other pets when you make the move to Costa Rica, use the fact finding trip to start gathering information about traveling with pets. If you have time at the airport, talk to ticketing agent about traveling with pets, they should be able to give you some basic information.

When looking at cities and towns that you enjoy, take into account how your pet will be able to get around. Official taxis will almost never allow dogs or animals in the cab. Unofficial taxis may or may not let pets in the car. If they do, they usually charge more for it