Lawrence/Nelson Students are Headed to Costa Rica on May 28th
Departure Time: May 28th at 1:30 PM from the High School
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe students going on the Costa Rica Science Trip are asked to be at the high school in Nelson by 1:30 PM on Thursday, May 28th. Students are reminded to bring $25 to Mrs. Ely for the hotel that night, as well as $50 in cash for luggage fees ($25 each way). Students will also need to bring tip money for the tour guides at the places they visit.
Other items of interest which the students were reminded to bring:
- Passport
- Luggage tag (handed out at meeting)
- Carryon with essential items for 1-2 days & personal hygeine items
- Empty water bottle (students will purchase jugs of water to refill these daily)
- Waterproof sunscreen
- Bugspray
- Hat for sun coverage
- Trashbag (keep in outside of your suitcase to cover your things in case it is raining)
- Driver's License or photo ID
- Sunglasses (cheap ones as they could get lost in the water)
- Swimsuits (may want to take two so that they can dry out between wearings)
- Lightweight jacket
- Travel size toiletries (that meet airline regulations and are in a ziplock bag if on your carry on)
- Headphones and iPod or mp3 player to listen to music on the bus rides, optional
- Breathable tennis shoes (as you want them to be able to dry out between adventures)
- Sandals or other COMFORTABLE walking shoes as you will be doing lots of walking & some on rough terain
Please see luggage restrictions on the United Airlines website, but carry on is allowed (two pieces maximum, one of which an be a small bag, purse or bookbag for under your seat & the other to go in the overhead bin). The carryon for the overhead bin must not exceed 9" x 14" x 22" and must weigh less than 40 lbs. Checked luggage must weigh less than 50 lbs. and must not exceed 62" (length + width + height). Checked luggage costs $25 each way. Mrs. Ely also noted that you will want your bag to be easy to identify, so tie a ribbon or something on it, and make sure that all luggage has a tag on it! Students are reminded to make sure that the checked luggage tag is for the correct destination and that you keep the stub from the checked luggage.
Mrs. Ely also reminded the students about cell phone usage. It can be VERY expensive to use your cell phone or even leave your data on. Therefore, if you do not have an international plan, it is recommended that you go to your Settings and turn OFF your cellular data before you ever leave the country!
Tina Kile shard information in regard to using a prepaid VISA card and putting a specific amount of money on the card instead of using your debit card while overseas for extra protection. Regardless of what you use, you will want to notify your bank or customer service that you are traveling overseas so that they are aware and do not believe that your card has been stolen. Mrs. Kile shared the following:
A generic gift card typically can only be used in the United States. The pre-paid card offered by US Bank replaces the Traveler's Cheques many people used to use when traveling internationally and some customers prefer for whatever reason to manage their money with this card because it is reloadable. However, there are fees associated with this card. One is an enrollment fee of $4 and a monthly fee of $4. Of course you can close this card once the kids return and not be subject to the monthly fee going forward. Also, there is a Foreign Transaction Fee up to 3% per transaction. So if you buy something for $100, it will cost $3 for the conversion fee. In visiting with others who have traveled overseas, they got along fine using their debit card attached to their checking account. Make sure if you choose this option, you call your financial institution before you leave so they can flag your card to reflect your dates of travel and destinations. If you do not take this step, it is very likely the card will be suspended or frozen until you can contact your bank and let them know if the requests were legitimate or not. These same customers did use a credit card when they traveled which did not charge a Foreign Transaction Fee, but it would be too late for our 18 and over travelers to obtain a credit card.
These well-traveled customers did caution me about pick-pockets and carrying items on your back. They also recommended that you split your cash or cards in to 2 different areas. Items that are on your back, in your back pocket, hanging at your side are easy targets and these people are professionals. You will never know your items are gone until you try to use them and it's too late.
I think if the kids have an assortment of small bills such as $1, $5 and $10, perhaps a few $20 they will use those for the tips needed for the tour guides and if they do not have a card to use, you can purchase the US Bank Contour Card for the $4 and load whatever amount you feel comfortable. If you choose to use their debit card, if they have one, you might consider only having a certain amount in the checking account and transferring the difference to a savings account while they're traveling so if something does happen to the card (information is compromised or stolen) you limit your risk amount.
One final reminder is that the food in Costa Rica is VERY expensive. Meals are provided as part of the tour package, but students may want other snacks, etc., and those are going to be costly. A full itinerary and flight information was given to each of the students in attendance at the meeting. If you have any other questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Ely. She provided all of those in attendance with her cell phone number, as she will have it with her on the trip in case there is an emergency and you need to reach your child.
Students will return in the early morning hours of June 4th, and are asked to help with gas money for the trip to/from the Kansas City Airport as personal vehicles are being taken. Enjoy your trip, Costa Rica students!