Renting a car in Costa Rica

There are a lot of options, I have used Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Payless, and Europecar. My favorite is Thrifty, followed by Payless, Avis, Hertz, and Europecar. Europecar was fine... just too far from airport for my liking, and Hertz is usually prohibitively expensive.. I am using payless on this trip. I do not recommend eoncomy car or Budget rent-a-car, Economy rent-a-car did not honor my reservation at Christmas, they promised something everyday for almost my whole trip and never came through... I was 30 minutes late picking up my car. I booked a make-up reservation with Budget, which came through and I had a confirmation number. They would not even open up the gate, unless I had a pre-paid reservation.

The main thing to be aware of is that you cannot avoid insurance, which can run $15 to $30 a day, I was almost robbed last year while in my car and at the time paid for full coverage, which I have done each subsequent time as well, but costs $25 - $30 a day. the rental is usually around $15-25 a day, so it adds up.  I would recommend getting the full insurance on the car rental (you have to pay almost 65% of the full rate anyway by law, so you might as well be fully covered.

If your credit card provides CDW for international rentals (check, because not all do), then you can save about $ 5- 10 on the insurance... but you are still required to get insurance.

You DO NOT need 4-wheel drive, unless you plan on going way south or way north (i.e. more 4 hours in either direction). Almost all of the car companies offer an "Economy" car that is too small to be practical, you will most likely want to go with a "Compact" (Toyota Yaris) size. or larger.

One thing I recently figured out is that when you reserve your car in the US online, you are quoted a price in dollar. When you are quoted a price for insurance you are quoted the price in dollars. The taxes are quoted in dollars, but when you return your car and check out, the price is converted to costa rica currency (colones) at a ridiculous rate. I rented a car for 2.5 weeks from Payless rent a car this summer and the difference between what I was quoted and what ultimately hit my credit card was $92. I looked back at my old records and Thrifty charged me in dollars, which is what my reservation was quoted in, no difference.... so you need to factor in about a 15-20% overcharge with Payless... because, you pay more with Payless.

Also, when leaving the rental car company be very alert. One tactic that they warn you about at the car retnal agency is that people have been known to follow you in a car from the car rental agency. While you are stopped at a light they secretly puncture one of your tires. They then follow you until you realize your tire is flat. When you pull over, they offer to help and then rob you. I had one of my tires punctured like this in 2009, but fortunately, my ADD and the kindess of strangers prevented them from following through on the robbery. I stopped at a fruit stand to buy fruit before my tire went flat. After I got out of the car, someone stopped to tell me they had seen the people in another car puncture my tire. I was very close to the rental car agency, so I went to service station, refilled the air in the tire and switched out car at rental office. I had heard about this scam, but this was the first time that anything close to this has happened to me in the 12 years I have been going to Costa Rica.

I have heard that if this happens to you, that you should be calm and coooperate, they are not going to hurt you and will only take your valuables... probably not the car.

Driving in Costa Rica

Driving in Costa Rica is not bad in general, follows most of the same convetions as United States. Driving in San Jose can be intense, but in general, it is fine. On long trips to the coast or elsewhere, you need to be very alert to people passing you or others in oncoming traffic on blind hills and blind corners. I have had buses pass me on blind hills driving from Puntarenas.

I have never had an international driver license and it has not been a problem. I have been pulled over a couple of times, I was not given a ticket either time (just lucky I guess), I did not offer any bribe either, which they suggest you avoid.

Also, when leaving the rental car company be very alert. A popular scam there is for someone to punture your tires at a traffic light soon after leaving the rental car agency, then follow you until you realize your tire is flat. When you pull over, they offer to help and then rob you. Happened to me in summer of 2009, fortunately, I stopped at a fruit stand to buy fruit quickly after it happend and before my tire was even flat; someone else stopped to tell me they had seen the people in another car puncture my tire. I was very close to rental car agency, so I went to service station, refilled tire and then switched out car at rental office. I had heard about this scam, but this was the first time that anything close to this has happened to me in the 12 years I have been going to Costa Rica.

Two-week Intiniary: Days 1-2

Start in San Jose Area - 1 night in hotel (there is a Hampton Inn about 1/2 mile from airport and shares parking lot with rental car companies). If you arrive in the evening (after 5:30 pm), I would not recommend renting a car until the next morning. Roads are not welll marked and you might have trouble finding your hotel at night. Get a taxi to your hotel and pick up your car in the morning. Ideally, arrange with your hotel to pick you up at the airport. There are official red taxis you can get at the airport. I have never used one as my family always picks me up, but they have meters, If they don't or don't want to use them, or claim they do not work, then make sure you agree on price up front, however, be prepared when you pay for them to ask for a couple of dollars more when you pay (drives me crazy, I don't know why they do that). Currently $20 dollar is about 10,000 colones. You out to be able to get to any hotel in Alajuela or San Jose or even Heredia for 20,000. Hampton Inn might be 5000.


Day 2 - San Jose central market, Jade museum, Gold museum, shopping (treat San Jose as you would any major city - don't be flashy or foolish, stick to tourist areas - think New York City in late 90's, don't wear much if any jewelry). I really like the San Joe central market area and the plazas, but I haven't spent a lot of time there. I have been to Gold museum, but not Jade museum.