Longer Costa Rica Stays/Packable Jackets/Monthly Nomad Rentals
Nomadico issue #76
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
Stay Longer in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a lot going for it, with a progressive environmental stance, good healthcare, a stable economy, and a government with no army. There’s a very long list of adventure activities, nature encounters, and beaches to explore—plus now you’ve got more time to check them all out. The country just extended the standard tourist visa period from 90 days to 180 days. So you can spend nearly half the year there if you’re looking for a home base that won’t require residency.
Packable Rain Jackets
I’m traveling for one month with just a carry-on and one thing I wish I had not left at home is a packable rain jacket. These stuff down into one of their own pockets as a pouch, so I should have made room. You can get name-brand ones from the likes of Eddie Bauer, Colombia Sportswear, or Marmot, or poke around on Amazon and find a no-name alternative with consistently good ratings. For better protection in a downpour, spend a little more for one with a waterproof membrane built in like Gore-tex, Polartec, or Omni-Tech.
Lock in Your Monthly Rental Price
If your ideal nomad life is spending a month at a time in each city, then check out the bundles at FlatAway to make that easy instead of painful. You pick one of their itineraries off the shelf or have them design one and you’ll get a guaranteed apartment rental rate that is averaged out to be the same each month. So 4 months in 4 Bulgarian cities will be less than 915 euros per month. Pay more to stay in locations like Porto and Tenerife or have the Flataway team build a custom bundle according to your plans in Europe. These are vetted digital nomad apartments with the needs of working travelers in mind. See details here.
Global Entry on Your Phone
You can use an app for Global Entry at seven airports now, bypassing the normal kiosks that print receipts. At these you’ll get a receipt on your phone after taking a selfie and you just show that to the officer’s desk before baggage claim and customs. For now this is an option in Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Washington Dulles, Pittsburgh, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
11/2/23
