GENERAL INFO

Click on the "+" links below for important travel information. test

Travel Delays or Issues

Changes to Travel Prior to Course Start

If you encounter changes to your travel plans after you have submitted your Travel Form, please contact your Course Advisor to update them about the change.

Delays on the Day of Travel

If you encounter problems with your travel plans that will delay your arrival, please refer to the on-call number(s) in the "Final Details" email you received (will receive) 2-days before course start. Keep in mind that your course advisor may not be in the office on your travel day and will not be able to assist you with travel delays. So it is important that you contact the number noted in the Final Details email to notify your program team of the delay.

Unaccompanied Minor Information

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS FLYING TO COURSE

*If you are purchasing Unaccompanied Minor service for your child, we ask that their return flight depart by 4pm if possible. We can accommodate later departures, but would prefer flights leave earlier rather than later.

PARENTS of students ages 13-16 who will be flying unaccompanied—please read carefully:

Recently, the airline industry has adopted stricter guidelines for children ages 16 and under flying unaccompanied by an adult.  Each carrier has different rules about who must fly with Unaccompanied Minor (UM) status, depending on the minor’s age, the flight route and stops. This UM status will require an additional fee of $100-$150+, and may require additional forms. If your child is under 16 and is traveling without an adult, you MUST check to see if the airline you have chosen will designate them as an Unaccompanied Minor, and inform us of his/her status. This allows us to ensure we have sufficient staff at the airport to meet your child upon arrival, and/or accompany them until they board their flight after Course End. We cannot ensure this level of staff support without advance notice.

Your airline will ask for a contact name and phone number as the pickup person. Please ask your Course Advisor for the details of this person.

NOTE: The airline may not apply this status when you originally book the travel, but may choose to do so at a later date. They may require you to upgrade to UM status (and pay the additional fee) when your child checks in with the airlines to fly to Course Start.  WE STILL NEED TO KNOW – please call us if this happens. Some airlines may require students 13-15 years old to be designated as Unaccompanied Minors when they check in at the airport for departure at Course Endeven if they weren’t designated as an UM on the originating flight, so please make sure to ask your airline about their policies at the time of booking.

Trip Insurance

Trip Insurance

Airfare, related travel costs, and non-refundable tuition payments are expensive. Insurance to protect your trip and course is not required but strongly recommended. If you choose not to purchase insurance and cancel your course or leave your course early you will be held to the terms of the Cancellation Policy (See your Admissions Handbook).

Outward Bound offers an option for insuring these costs from the third-party provider InsureMyTrip through its Academic Explorer Program. This program has coverage options that include your travel costs and the non-refundable tuition costs. A link to that program’s insurance coverage options is below. Alternatively, you may choose to purchase trip related insurance through a different insurance provider. In either case, the amount and type of coverage you choose is your responsibility and must be discussed directly with the provider.

Learn more about INSUREMYTRIP here

Emergency Evacuation Insurance

You may also want to consider insurance for the cost of Emergency Evacuation. Health insurance often does not cover the cost of emergency evacuation by air or other means and these costs can be very expensive. HIOBS will not be financially responsible for these costs in the event that your student requires evacuation. The Academic Explorer Program offered through InsureMyTrip does not offer coverage for emergency evacuation. You will need to purchase that coverage from a different insurance provider. Outward Bound makes no representations or warranties about these insurance options or how they handle claims.

International Courses

If your course contains an international component (Costa Rica or Bahamas), please make sure to read about the "On Call" International Insurance provided by HIOBS. You can find this information in the Course Overview tab. 

Course End

COURSE END

San Jose

Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO), SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

Your course ends at 10:00 AM at the international airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to make a flight before 12:00 noon. Please book your return flight after 12:00 noon.

Course Start

COURSE START

Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO), SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

We prefer that students arrive by 1pm on course start day, so we can begin course activities right away. However, we can make arrangements to pick up if you are not able to get in before 1pm.

You should plan to arrive in Costa Rica on the day that your course starts. If you are arriving prior to your course start day, you will be responsible for your accommodations and arriving at the airport to meet staff on the course start day.

General Travel Info

Important for International Courses

Bring your Passport

You must bring a valid passport with an expiration date of at least 6 months AFTER the date of your return flight home. Every student not coming from the Americas or a European Union country should consult the following web site to ensure that they meet immigration requirements for your country of travel: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html

We recommend that you make two copies of your passport, one to keep with you during the course in case you lose your original, and one to leave at home, too. If you do not currently have a passport, you should start the application process NOW. It can take many weeks for your paperwork to be processed and a passport issued. For passport information go to: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html

Money on your Course

You will not need money during the majority of your course. However, it is best practice during international travel to bring some money with you. We recommend a combination of cash and a debit or credit card (Visa charge cards are accepted in most populated areas). Semester students should bring $100.  At the end of course, time permitting, students may be able to purchase souvenirs. They may also want to purchase food/snacks while traveling to/from the course.

 

Bring your flight itineraries, and a copy of the Costa Rica Arrival Info sheet sent to you by your Course Advisor (which includes emergency contact numbers).

Please review the times and locations for Course Start and Course End as you plan your travel to and from course. 

 Do not purchase any travel tickets until your Course Advisor has given the "go-ahead" to book travel for your course. This message will be in either your Cleared to Participate email or a separate message confirming the course is cleared to book travel.

Travel details (flights and drop-offs) are due to your Course Advisor 10 days before your course start date. This helps our airport shuttle teams get organized and ensures we have enough seats available for all students needing a ride. You will receive a Travel Form link from your course advisor. Please complete this form, even if you are being dropped off by car.

 Students flying without an adult/guardian may need to bring an ID when traveling to and/or from course.  If you need to obtain a non-driver ID card, please see your local Department of Motor Vehicles office.  For more information, go to www.dmv.org/id-cards.php.