Costa Rica By Mail

Airmail is the best way to send mail home from Costa Rica. Aerogrammes, printed sheets that fold into envelopes and travel via airmail, are available at post offices. Write “airmail,” “par avion,” or “correo aéreo” on the front. Most post offices will charge exorbitant fees or simply refuse to send aerogrammes with enclosures. Surface mail is by far the cheapest and slowest way to send mail. It takes one to two months to cross the Atlantic and one to three to cross the Pacific—good for heavy items you won’t need for a while, such as souvenirs that you’ve acquired along the way.

Sending Mail To Costa Rica

To ensure timely delivery, mark envelopes “airmail,” “par avion,” or “correo aéreo.” In addition to the standard postage system whose rates are listed below, Federal Express (Australia ☎+61 13 26 10, Canada and the US +1-800-463-3339, Ireland +353 800 535 800, New Zealand +64 800 733 339, the UK +44 8456 070 809; www.fedex.com) handles express mail services from most countries to Costa Rica. Sending a postcard within Costa Rica costs ¢115, while sending letters up to 500g domestically requires ¢340. Keep in mind that mail from Costa Rica is not the fastest you’ll ever come across.

There are several ways to arrange pick-up of letters sent to you while you are abroad. Mail can be sent via Poste Restante (General Delivery; Lista de Correos) to almost any city or town in Costa Rica with a post office, but it is not very reliable. Address Poste Restante letters like so:

- Oscar Arias
- Lista de Correo
- City, Costa Rica

The mail will go to a special desk in the central post office, unless you specify a post office by street address or postal code. It’s best to use the largest post office, since mail may be sent there regardless. It is safer and quicker, yet more expensive, to send mail express or registered. Bring your passport (or other photo ID) for pickup; there may be a small fee. Let’s Go lists post offices in the Practical Information section for each city and most towns.

American Express’s travel offices offer a free Client Letter Service (mail held up to 30 days and forwarded upon request) for cardholders who contact them in advance. Some offices provide these services to non-cardholders (especially AmEx Travelers Cheque holders), but call ahead to make sure. Let’s Go lists AmEx locations for most large cities in Practical Information sections; for a complete list, call ☎+1-800-528-4800 or visit www.americanexpress.com/travel.