You can use your smart phone or IPad in Costa Rica by doing the following: At both international airports- Juan Santa Maria, San Jose  and also Liberia international airport:

After you pass thru customs where your suit cases are checked , you will see a small desk with big green signs  ICE Kolbi  Here is where you purchase a Prepaid “SIM” card.

You can put the amount of money you want on the SIM card.  Rates for local calls .07 cents per minute and .26 cents per minute to call USA or Canada. I  choose to spend $5 for 30 minutes to USA  and  $2 for 30 minutes within Costa Rica.  However you can purchase more if you wish. Incoming call are free.  Texting is .17 cents/text. Although this  may not work with all networks worldwide.

Here is how the ICE Prepaid SIM Card  works:  the girl at the ICE Kolbi desk will remove the back of your smart phone, take out the small card located there and replace it with the PrePaid SIM card.   (be sure you put the card she removed from your phone in a safe place because you will need to put it back in your phone upon arrival to your home country.

You will be assigned a Costa Rica phone number which will be given to you.  So give this number to everyone who might want to call you in Costa Rica .

VERY IMPORTANT.  Your smart phone must be UNLOCKED to receive and use the SIM card.  So check with your carrier before departing your home country.

You can also purchase at the same time the use of the internet for $1 per day.

You can charge this to your credit card  (does not except Amex.) or you can pay in dollars or colones.

So really,  It is pretty easy to talk on your smart phone while vacationing in Costa Rica–call you family back home and also make calls inside costa rica.

To dial to USA  just put 001 in front of the phone number you are calling.

Inside Costa Rica simply dial the Costa Rica phone number.

However for the call to be made,  you must be in an area to receive a cell phone signal.  And not all over Costa Rica do these signals reach.

ICE is the government agency which has a monopoly on the electricity and cell phone service via their towers.

Thinking of vacationing in Costa Rica?

Contact Ann.  She owns “Costa Rica Learn Adventure Vacation Planning, specializing in custom vacation itineraries to Costa Rica for people of all ages .

Go to Ann’s web page to learn all about her and her company and read the testimonials of her clients.

www.costaricalearn.com