Question 1

What are the vaccine requirements for Ecuador and Costa Rica?

Accepted Answer

COVID-19 vaccine is highly recommended by the CDC for international travel, but not required by Common Ground International.
Ecuador – Costa Rica Combo Program: If you’re flying from Ecuador to Costa Rica you DO need a yellow fever vaccine.

Question 2

Are host families vaccinated?

Accepted Answer

Most families are vaccinated, you can ask to be placed in a vaccinated household.

Question 3

Does fully vaccinated mean boosted?

Accepted Answer

No.

Question 4

Can you sign up for optional excursions before the program begins?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in fact if it’s an overnight excursion we actually need you to be registered within 30 days of the trip so that we can properly reserve your hotel space.

Question 5

Where can I find the pre-departure course?

Accepted Answer

All of the important program links are found here on the welcome page (the page you’re on now).

Question 6

For weekday optional excursions, do those interfere with our classes?

Accepted Answer

No, we will be back in time for your afternoon classes.

Question 7

Do the per person optional excursion costs apply to everyone traveling with me in my family?

Accepted Answer

Yes, these are per person costs.

Question 8

Do my children need to take the placement test?

Accepted Answer

The younger ones, especially if they don’t have any Spanish experience are ok to skip the test.
All teens and adults need to take the test.

Question 9

Do we submit all paperwork via the pre-departure course or can we email it to someone?

Accepted Answer

You can email your information to Samanta at: support@commongroundinternational.com

Question 10

On our Saturday arrival, what time do we need to arrive by?

Accepted Answer

Please try to find a flight that arrives to the airport by or before 9p so that you’re able to get settled into your host family at a decent hour. If you get in too late, we’ll ask you to get a hotel the first night.

Question 11

Do we need cash before the trip or is it ok with just our credit card?

Accepted Answer

You don’t need to take a bunch of local currency with you as you travel. Our suggestion is to have some USD on you and to have both a debit card (for ATM use) and a credit card for everyday expenses.
Be sure to check with your banks about international transaction fees so that you’re aware of your costs to use your cards abroad.

Question 12

Are we going to have WiFi?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you’ll have regular access to the internet at language school and in most host homes.

Question 13

When will I know who my host family is?

Accepted Answer

We usually send out host family info 1-2 weeks before your trip.

Question 14

When is the best day to buy flights?

Accepted Answer

There may or may not be a “best day” to buy flights but when you search for flights, try using an incognito browser and/or clearing your browser cache. Some airlines have cookies that adjust pricing based on your activity searching.
Use google flights to track pricing and get historical pricing trends.

Question 15

What happens / can I come in a day early or a day late?

Accepted Answer

Yes absolutely you can come in early or late. We just need to know your flight details so that we can plan accordingly with your host family.

Question 16

What type of clothes should I pack?

Accepted Answer

We cover clothing pretty well in the packing list info of your pre-departure course but here is a brief summary:
Ecuador: Pack in layers. Pants, long sleeves, bring a backpack with you. It usually gets colder at night.
Costa Rica: prepare for rain in the afternoon, not that many layers, something to keep you dry.
For both countries you’ll want business casual clothing for our volunteer work projects.

Question 17

Can we bring school supplies as donations?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely! Local schools and families benefit greatly from school supplies.

Question 18

What is the laundry situation?

Accepted Answer

Host families will do laundry for you. You only need around a week worth of clothes cause you’ll be able to wash them.

Question 19

How is transportation back to the airport at the conclusion of my program?

Accepted Answer

Ecuador: we’ll have some bus trips to take you to the airport.
Costa Rica: you can take an uber or taxi.

Question 20

How buggy is it where we’ll be traveling?

Accepted Answer

The general rule is that the higher the elevation, the fewer bugs you’ll encounter.
Ecuador: we’re at around 8,000 feet, so the bugs aren’t bad at all.
Costa Rica: we’re at around 4,000 feet and the bugs aren’t bad either.
Your biggest concern is mosquitos, be sure to have bug repellent and proper long sleeves and long pants for dawn and dusk hours in lower elevations (beach, etc).

Question 21

Has the date for the Isla tortuga day trip been decided? It says TBD.

Accepted Answer

Isla Tortuga is a one day trip that can easily be scheduled for any day during your visit.

Question 22

Is it possible to get a street map of the area where we’ll be?

Accepted Answer

You can google “Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica” or “Cuenca Ecuador” in your browser and click on maps and it’ll give you a rough idea of where we will be.

Question 23

When should I arrive in Costa Rica?

Accepted Answer

Home stay weeks run from Saturday to Saturday, but if you want to join us on the weekend excursions you’ll want to check the dates of the excursions and arrive earlier on Friday (we leave on Saturdays for excursions), or leave (late)Monday or Tuesday (we come back from the trips on Monday morning. )

Question 24

How far in advance do we have to let the host family know if we want an extra day?

Accepted Answer

As soon as possible. At least 30 days in advance before your trip if possible.

Question 25

Where do I sign up for excursions and what is the deadline?

Accepted Answer

We need you to be registered within 30 days of the trip so that we can properly reserve your hotel space. You can find them here: https://commongroundinternational.com/trips/

Question 26

Are rooms shared during excursions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, usually rooms are either double or triple (each person has their own bed).

Question 27

If we aren’t doing an excursion over the weekend, can we hang out at our host family’s house?

Accepted Answer

For sure!

Question 28

How many CE or CME credits can we get?

Accepted Answer

The Medical Immersion program is 20 CME credits. For Nursing it can be as much as 20 CE credits per week.

Question 29

What is covered in the included travel insurance policy?

Accepted Answer

This standard policy included in your program covers: emergency and sickness medical expenses, lost baggage, delayed baggage, emergency medical evacuation, accidental death and repatriation of remains. See an example description of coverage here.

Question 30

How many people are placed in a host family?

Accepted Answer

The standard rooming arrangement in Costa Rica is 1 person per host family.
The standard rooming arrangement in Ecuador is 2 people per host family.

Question 31

Are families picking us up and dropping us off at the airport?

Accepted Answer

The standard arrangement is for your host family to pick you up upon arrival, and then you’ll find your own way back to the airport for your departure.

Question 32

If we want / need to extend our stay for flight arrangements, can we stay with our host family?

Accepted Answer

Yes of course, but you should let us know ASAP about your extended stay. Please add the # of additional days here on the Host Family Extra Nights product

Question 33

How far should I expect to walk each day to and from my host family?

Accepted Answer

Most host families are within a 20-30min walk to and from our daily meetup points.

Question 34

How much cash should we carry?

Accepted Answer

You don’t need a lot of cash day to day, but it’s a good idea to have around $50 equivalent cash on you at all times just in case. Most of your expenses you can take care of with your credit / debit card.

Question 35

What hotels do you recommend near the airport?

Accepted Answer

There are some good hotel options near the airports we fly into and out of. Email us for more details and specific suggestions for your program.

Question 36

Appropriate dress for women-do shoulders need to be covered?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. We have a list of packing and clothing suggestions in the pre-departure course.

Question 37

When should we have our name on a volunteer activity?

Accepted Answer

As soon as possible.

Question 38

I see optional Aguas Termales for Ecuador but didn’t see that in the sign up. Do we sign up for that later?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Question 39

Is the first week in Ecuador casual or do I need to dress up?

Accepted Answer

For the sight visit it will be professional “work” clothes (nicer pants and a shirt).

Question 40

What happens in the evenings?

Accepted Answer

In Costa Rica we usually have the Spanish lessons in the afternoons (1-5pm). In Ecuador we might have some other activities or optional excursions.

Question 41

If someone signed up for a volunteer slot, can I add my name under? Or is it one per person?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can. It’s groups of 2 (or more).

Welcome to your “Off-Program” Spanish Immersion trip!!!

Watch this short video for quick instructions:

What are my next steps? 👣

Mark your calendars with these important dates!

Check your email!

Follow the timeline below to complete your pre-departure tasks!

Follow this preparation timeline

Flight Information

Ecuador Flight Info

Costa Rica Flight Info

Wondering about when to books flights?

Costa Rica Flights

Extra nights with host family

Ecuador Flights

Extra nights with host family

Before You Depart

Super Important Program Links (all in ONE place)

Program Registration:

Pre-departure paperwork:

Pre-Departure Course:

Immersion Placement test:

Packing Lists:

Program FAQs

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