BUDGETING OTHER EXPENSES

CENTRAL AMERICA BIRDING EXPEDITIONS

Although you will be paying in local currencies, all of the following costs are converted to US Dollars.

Central America vehicle insurance
TBA.

Border crossing expenses including fees, visas, departure fees, fumigation fees, etc.
Exact costs will vary, but plan on $700-$750 per rig.

Campgrounds
Unlike most of our other birding caravans, on this Costa Rica - Central America caravan, campgrounds are INCLUDED in the base price for the trip.

Fuel
By RV, we will travel approximately 4950 miles. The Panama 2006 caravan was more travel, and the expense (assuming 9 mpg) came out to $1550 for diesel users and $1820 for gasoline users.  Gasoline was a bit under $4 per gallon in Costa Rica at the end of 2006.  In addition, the birding caravaners will use fuel for accessing birding sites remote from the RV parks.  If we elect to use rental cars/vans/buses instead of our own vehicles we will have additional rental expense, including bus driver expenses, but this could very well be cheaper than the expenses of our personal vehicles.

Tolls
Belize Express 2006 tolls were only during our travel through Mexico and totaled to $293.  Expect 10-20% higher for 2008.

Entrance fees, ferries, excursions, boating trips, etc.
Two boat trips are included in the base caravan price.  Other expenses will vary from $1 to $50 per person per event.  All are optional.  Budget $200 per person if you plan on participating in most events. 

Personal expenses
Of course, you still have all the ordinary expenses of food, dining out, souvenirs, etc.

Note!  The above prices do not include optional side trips.  See the descriptions of side trips for individual pricing.

This web site is designed by Bert Frenz.
Copyright © 2006 Bert Frenz. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 16, 2006.