Costa Rica Travel Adapter Kit | Going In Style

The Costa Rica adapter plug allows you to plug your foreign appliances and electronics into Costa Rica wall outlets.  These adapter plugs will work in Costa Rica including Heredia, Cartago, and Liberia.  Costa Rica is located in Central America and uses a North America, two flat prong, type adapter plug. These adaptor plugs enable your appliance's plug configuration to fit into Australia electrical power outlets.

 Adapter plugs allow electrical connections up to 240 volts. An adapter plug does NOT change the current or voltage (this requires a converter) unless your appliance is dual voltage. Grounded adapter plugs maintain the ground from the electrical outlet to your appliance.

Why do I need a North American adapter?

Even though Costa Rica uses North American sockets, the sockets are not required to be polarized. Since devices such as laptops have a polarized plug with one prong wider than the other, you will still need an adapter to use your plug in Costa Rica.

Deluxe Kit Features:

• Two adapter plugs
• Priority shipping upgrade
• Handy travel bag
• Going In Style Costa Rica Model GIS-COS-A-GUA

Standard PLUS Kit Features:

• One grounded adapter
• CE Certified 
• One power strip
• Going In Style Adapter

Standard Kit Features:

• One grounded adapter
• CE Certified 
• Going In Style Costa Rica Model GIS-COS-GUA

Basic Kit Features:

• One non-grounded adapter
• Polarized plugs
• Going In Style Costa Rica Model GIS-COS-A

Going In Style Adapters Feature:

• CE Certified
• Polarized adapter to fit polarized plugs (one prong larger than the other) 
• Allows connection up to 240 volts
• Enables United States appliance plugs to fit into India outlets
• Enables Europe appliance plugs to fit into India outlets
• An adapter plug does NOT change the current or voltage (this requires a converter).

Grounded Adapter Plugs

If you are traveling with a grounded United States dual/multi-voltage appliance or using a grounded Transformer you will need to use a grounded adaptor plug. A grounded United States plug has two flat blades and one round pin.

Non-Grounded Adapter Plugs

Going In Style offers non-grounded adapter plugs for use with your voltage converter, transformer, or dual/multi voltage appliance. A non-grounded United States plug has two flat blades.

Cycles: 50 Hz vs. 60 Hz.

Costa Rica operates on 120 volt electricity and is generated at 60Hz (Cycles) Alternating Current. United States 110-120 volt electricity is generated at 60Hz (Cycles) Alternating Current. Many foreign countries operate on 50Hz. This difference in cycles may cause the motor in your 60Hz United States appliance to operate slightly slower when used on 50Hz foreign electricity. Most modern electronic equipment including battery chargers, Lenovo, HP, Asus, Toshiba computers, iPods, etc., will not be affected by the difference in cycle.  Since Costa Rica has roughly the same 120 volt current you probably will not need a converter.

Converter- Changing Current Voltage

Going in Style adapters allow electrical connections up to 240 volts. Adapter plugs DO NOT convert voltage and only change the configuration of the pins. When voltage conversion is needed, use an electricity converter. An electricity converter changes the voltage input into your appliance. The United States electrical appliances operate on a lower current of 110-120 volts AC (Alternating Current). Most of the world operates on 220-240 volts AC. Therefore converter units enable your electronic and non-electronic appliances to run on foreign electricity (220-240 volts) to match the voltage requirements of your 110-120 volt device. Failure to run your appliance with a converter could damage your appliance.

Computers and Apple Products

If you are traveling overseas with a Toshiba, HP, Lenovo, Asus, laptop or Apple device such as an iPad, chances are you won’t need a voltage converter. Most laptops are multi-voltage and will operate on voltages ranging from 100 to 240 volts. However, computers do need to make safe connections to foreign power systems and a surge protector is recommended and you will still need an adapter to use your plug.

Costa Rica

Geography

Costa Rica is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama and its area slightly smaller than West Virginia. Its climate is extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north. The terrain is mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east.

Costa Rica is the tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Currency

Currency in Costa Rica is the Renminbi Costa Rican Colón (CRC). Credit cards are generally accepted in major cities and ATMs are available in major cities as well. Foreign money and travelers cheques can be exchanged at banks throughout Costa Rica.

Staying Connected

Costa Rica has good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, has been delayed by the nation's telecommunications regulator. Cell phone coverage is good. When travelling to Costa Rica you will want to take an international or unlocked cell phone with a prepaid Costa Rica SIM card. You can also contact your mobile service provider to set up an international calling plan. You will need an adapter to charge your phone. Most cell phone battery rechargers should be multi-voltage, therefore will not require a converter. If the charger says 100-240 volts, 50-60 cycles then your charger in multi-voltage.

Costa Rica has over 146,164 internet hosts and over 1.485 million internet users. There is internet access in tourist hotels and internet cafes throughout the major cities. When traveling with your laptop or iPad you will need an adapter to charge your device.