10 Vital Ideas (Plus Errors To Keep away from)

Costa Rica Driving Information

Prepared for an epic street journey driving in Costa Rica? Renting a automobile is the easiest way to expertise this stunning nation. However there are some things it’s best to know earlier than you go.

So that you’ve been wanting to go to for years, and are lastly planning your personal epic street journey to drive round Costa Rica!

For such a small nation, Costa Rica is surprisingly mountainous with winding dust roads and occasional river crossings, so my first time driving there was fairly an journey! Since then, I’ve visited the nation many occasions, all the time preferring to lease a automobile.

Renting a automobile and self-driving Costa Rica by yourself is the easiest way to expertise this gorgeous nation, because it really provides you the liberty to cease at each waterfall, volcano, seashore, and nationwide park alongside the best way.

Listed here are some essential suggestions I realized about driving Costa Rica, so that you’re able to hit the street and discover the Wealthy Coast on a trip you’ll always remember.

Driving In Costa Rica Information (2023)

1. Ought to You Drive In Costa Rica?

Hey, should you love these huge group bus excursions, by all means, go guide one. It’s an honest technique to see Costa Rica should you don’t have a variety of time.

No planning, no driving, simply sit again and let another person do all of the work!

However should you’re like me, you favor the journey of unbiased journey.

No set schedule or timetable — driving round Costa Rica with the liberty to cease anyplace cool you discover alongside the best way.

If that’s the sort of traveler you might be, renting a automobile in Costa Rica is the best way to go!

Sure, there’s a public bus system in Costa Rica too, nevertheless it’s actually solely good for getting from one huge city to a different, and sometimes the bus stops are positioned simply outdoors of city, so that you’ll additionally find yourself having to take a taxi. To not point out that touring by public bus is only a slower technique to get across the nation.

Simply understand that among the again roads in Costa Rica could be very tough & muddy, and a few native drivers don’t comply with their very own legal guidelines. With some apply although, you’ll acquire confidence driving right here!

One other good factor we loved about having a automobile was the flexibility to retailer issues within the trunk, stopping off in Costa Rican cities with small journey backpacks slightly than hauling baggage all over the place.

2. The place To Lease Your Automobile In Costa Rica

Some frequent automobile rental corporations in Costa Rica embody Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, a neighborhood one known as Adobe Lease-a-Automobile, and plenty of extra.

However the most effective web site to guide your automobile is Uncover Vehicles. They search each native and worldwide automobile rental corporations that will help you discover the very best worth. That is the best technique to lease a automobile in Costa Rica.

We rented our automobile from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and started our Costa Rican street journey from there.

San Jose Airport: Plan to choose up your automobile about 60 minutes after your flight arrives. When departing, attempt to be on the airport at the very least 3 1/2 hours earlier than your flight leaves. As a result of returning your rental automobile and catching a shuttle again to the airport can take as much as half-hour.

Liberia Airport: Plan to choose up your automobile about half-hour after your flight arrives. When departing, attempt to be on the airport at the very least 2 1/2 hours earlier than your flight leaves. Once more, due to the shuttle.

Lease A Automobile In Costa Rica

Search each native and worldwide automobile rental corporations that will help you discover a whole lot.

3. Automobile Rental Insurance coverage In Costa Rica

A number of the rumors about driving in Costa Rica are true, and the roads are VERY tough in some areas. Particularly the again roads outdoors Costa Rica’s smaller cities. Don’t fear, I’ll share some suggestions for coping with them beneath.

For this reason I extremely suggest getting full insurance coverage protection.

Sometimes, rental automobiles in Costa Rica include a fundamental Collision Harm Waiver (CDW), however this isn’t precisely insurance coverage, and solely covers the automobile for as much as $1000-3000 USD value of harm.

That is the quantity they maintain in your bank card till you come the automobile in a single piece. CDW sometimes doesn’t embody tire, cracked windshield, or undercarriage injury both.

Whilst you can typically get monetary savings reserving your automobile with a good journey bank card that features automobile rental insurance coverage, you REALLY should learn the effective print, as a result of many individuals wrongly assume their card covers them in Costa Rica.

Should you get in a wreck driving in Costa Rica, declined full protection, and also you instantly be taught your bank card doesn’t truly cowl the injury — you’re screwed. I can’t let you know what number of journey horror tales I’ve heard like this…

It’s why I often pre-book full protection on-line. It’s cheaper than on the counter — and then you definately gained’t have to fret about accidents in any respect!

4. How A lot Does In Price To Lease A Automobile In Costa Rica?

Renting a automobile in Costa Rica goes to price you round $25-$40 USD a day, relying on the kind of automobile you get. Our 4-door sedan was about $25 per day. A four-wheel drive SUV will price you extra like $40-$70 USD per day.

A 4X4 campervan, or truck with a tent connected, goes to price over $100 USD per day (nonetheless you may sleep in it too!)

I like to recommend renting a automobile with an precise trunk (no hatchbacks) to cover your baggage from prying eyes. It helps to forestall break-ins if thieves can’t see your stuff.

Fuel Costs

Presently, fuel prices about $4.75 USD per gallon ($1.25 per liter) in Costa Rica. Diesel automobiles will typically prevent some cash on fuel, and diesel gas prices about $4.20 per gallon. It’s way more costly than within the fuel in the USA!

Automated vs Handbook

Automated automobiles are dearer to lease than handbook automobiles (however manuals are extra frequent in Costa Rica), and you should specify what sort you need when reserving. Should you’ve by no means pushed a handbook automobile earlier than, don’t begin in Costa Rica! It’s safer to get an computerized.

One-Manner Leases

There’s a further charge for one-way automobile leases in Costa Rica, which might differ by firm. For instance, if you wish to drop off the automobile in a distinct metropolis than the place you began from. However as a result of the nation is so small, you most likely gained’t want to do that.

5. Age Necessities For Renting A Automobile

The minimal age for driving in Costa Rica is between 21-25 years outdated, relying on the corporate you guide a automobile with. In addition they may cost a further charge (often $10 a day) should you’re beneath 25 years outdated.

6. Issues To Bear in mind Whereas Driving In Costa Rica

Driving legal guidelines in Costa Rica are much like driving legal guidelines in another nation. Nonetheless native drivers don’t all the time comply with them. For instance, drivers might not use flip indicators or will run pink lights in the event that they assume they will get away with it.

Pace Limits In Costa Rica

Pace limits in Costa Rica are quoted in kilometers per hour. The utmost pace on most highways is 120 km/h (about 74 miles per hour). On secondary roads, the restrict is often 60km/h (37 miles per hour), and round cities & cities it’s 40km/h (25 miles per hour).

Should you occur to get a rushing ticket, please let your automobile rental firm know straight away, as you’ll need to pay for it if you drop off the automobile on the finish of your journey.

Highway Indicators In Costa Rica

The street indicators in Costa Rica needs to be fairly self-explanatory, as they give the impression of being much like US street indicators, simply in Spanish. You may browse some frequent Costa Rican street indicators right here.

Highway Situations

Costa Rica’s highways are paved and in good situation, nonetheless the nation can be coated in again roads. Numerous dust roads, and plenty of usually are not in nice form. Muddy, potholes, and so forth. Should you plan on driving off the crushed path in Costa Rica, I extremely suggest renting a four-wheel drive SUV. Some bridges are solely single lane, requiring one automobile to attend for the opposite to cross earlier than continuing.

River Crossings

You may street journey round Costa Rica with out ever having to cross a river, however there are additionally some again roads that go by rivers. Particularly in the course of the moist/wet season, and within the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula areas. Should you’ve by no means crossed a river earlier than, please watch another person go first!

Put your car into 4X4 mode, go gradual, and take note of the route. Some rivers aren’t crossed instantly, however require you to drive up or down stream earlier than exiting. This may be attributable to hidden obstacles, depth, or just the most effective entry/exit factors.

7. Worldwide Driver’s License

No, you don’t want an worldwide driver’s license to drive in Costa Rica or lease a automobile there. Simply deliver your passport, bank card, and your driver’s license from your house nation. So sure, you may drive in Costa Rica with a US driver’s license.

8. Additional Recommendation For Renting A Automobile & Driving In Costa Rica

• Lock your doorways whereas driving in Costa Rica, and by no means go away valuables seen in your automobile.
• Pedestrians don’t actually have right-of-way in Costa Rica. That means should you politely cease within the street to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automobile behind you gained’t anticipate it — which may trigger an accident! That is related in Mexico and different components of Central America.
• Don’t guide a automobile with out studying the corporate evaluations. You’ll discover loads of dangerous evaluations for each firm (individuals like to complain on-line), however attempt to choose one with the LEAST dangerous evaluations.
• You might not all the time get the make/mannequin/sort of automobile you booked. If they provide you a smaller automobile, or a handbook if you requested for an computerized, be pushy and ask for an improve.
• Examine your automobile completely and document video in your smartphone mentioning injury earlier than you allow. This can be a backup in the event that they try to cost you for injury that was already there. This can be a frequent automobile rental rip-off in Costa Rica….
• Take note of in case your Costa Rica rental automobile takes common fuel or diesel gas, so that you refill with the proper sort at fuel stations.
• Use Google Maps in your smartphone for instructions as an alternative of renting a GPS gadget. Merely use your personal hands-free automobile mount and a good worldwide cellular phone plan.

9. Accident & Breakdown Info

In an emergency, you may dial the Costa Rican Emergency Telephone Quantity which is 911, identical to in the USA. They’ve an English talking line too.

Nonetheless in case your automobile merely breaks down, and nobody is injured, its most likely higher to name your Costa Rican automobile rental firm’s personal emergency roadside help quantity positioned on the rental settlement.

Get pleasure from Your Costa Rica Highway Journey!

Exploring the small villages, pristine seashores, jungle mountains, and nationwide parks of Costa Rica in a rental automobile was undoubtedly the fitting alternative for us.

Self-drive street journeys permit you to get off the crushed monitor to see issues most individuals miss! ★

Lease A Automobile In Costa Rica

Search each native and worldwide automobile rental corporations that will help you discover a whole lot.