10 Vital Ideas (Plus Errors To Keep away from)

Costa Rica Driving Information

Prepared for an epic highway journey driving in Costa Rica? Renting a automotive is one of the simplest ways to expertise this stunning nation. However there are some things you need to know earlier than you go.

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

For such a small nation, Costa Rica is surprisingly mountainous with winding grime 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 hire a automotive.

Renting a automotive and self-driving Costa Rica by yourself is one of the simplest ways to expertise this beautiful nation, because it really offers you the liberty to cease at each waterfall, volcano, seashore, and nationwide park alongside the best way.

Listed below are some vital ideas I discovered about driving Costa Rica, so that you’re able to hit the highway and discover the Wealthy Coast on a trip you’ll always remember.

Hello, I’m Matthew Karsten

I’ve been touring the world for 10+ years as knowledgeable photographer & author. I hope you get pleasure from my Costa Rica driving ideas! If you happen to discover them helpful, utilizing my affiliate hyperlinks will give me a small fee, at no additional price to you. Thanks!

Driving In Costa Rica Information (2024)

1. Ought to You Drive In Costa Rica?

Hey, if you happen to love these large group bus excursions, by all means, go e book one. It’s a good option to see Costa Rica if you happen to don’t have quite a lot of time.

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

However if you happen to’re like me, you like 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 type of traveler you might be, renting a automotive in Costa Rica is the best way to go!

Sure, there’s a public bus system in Costa Rica too, however it’s actually solely good for getting from one large city to a different, and infrequently the bus stops are positioned simply exterior 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 option to get across the nation.

Simply needless to say a few of the again roads in Costa Rica could be very tough & muddy, and a few native drivers don’t observe their very own legal guidelines. With some follow although, you’ll acquire confidence driving right here!

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

2. The place To Hire Your Automotive In Costa Rica

Some frequent automotive rental firms in Costa Rica embrace Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, an area one known as Adobe Hire-a-Automotive, and lots of extra.

However one of the best web site to e book your automotive is Uncover Vehicles. They search each native and worldwide automotive rental firms that will help you discover the very best value. That is the simplest option to hire a automotive in Costa Rica.

We rented our automotive from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and commenced our Costa Rican highway journey from there.

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

Liberia Airport: Plan to select up your automotive about half-hour after your flight arrives. When departing, attempt to be on the airport a minimum of 2 1/2 hours earlier than your flight leaves. Once more, due to the shuttle.

Hire A Automotive In Costa Rica

Search each native and worldwide automotive rental firms that will help you discover a whole lot.

3. Automotive 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 exterior Costa Rica’s smaller cities. Don’t fear, I’ll share some ideas for coping with them under.

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

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

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

Whilst you can usually lower your expenses reserving your automotive with a superb journey bank card that features automotive rental insurance coverage, you REALLY should learn the fantastic print, as a result of many individuals wrongly assume their card covers them in Costa Rica.

If you happen to get in a wreck driving in Costa Rica, declined full protection, and also you all of the sudden study your bank card doesn’t truly cowl the harm — you’re screwed. I can’t let you know what number of journey horror tales I’ve heard like this…

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

4. How A lot Does In Price To Hire A Automotive In Costa Rica?

Renting a automotive in Costa Rica goes to price you round $25-$40 USD a day, relying on the kind of automotive 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 (nevertheless you may sleep in it too!)

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

Gasoline Costs

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

Computerized vs Handbook

Computerized automobiles are costlier to hire than guide automobiles (however manuals are extra frequent in Costa Rica), and you need to specify what sort you need when reserving. If you happen to’ve by no means pushed a guide automotive earlier than, don’t begin in Costa Rica! It’s safer to get an automated.

One-Manner Leases

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

5. Age Necessities For Renting A Automotive

The minimal age for driving in Costa Rica is between 21-25 years outdated, relying on the corporate you e book a automotive with. Additionally they may cost a further price (normally $10 a day) if you happen to’re below 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 every other nation. Nonetheless native drivers don’t all the time observe them. For instance, drivers could not use flip alerts or will run purple lights in the event that they suppose they’ll get away with it.

Velocity Limits In Costa Rica

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

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

Street Indicators In Costa Rica

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

Street Situations

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

River Crossings

You may highway journey round Costa Rica with out ever having to cross a river, however there are additionally some again roads that go by means of rivers. Particularly through the moist/wet season, and within the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula areas. If you happen to’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 straight, however require you to drive up or down stream earlier than exiting. This may be as a result of hidden obstacles, depth, or just one of the best entry/exit factors.

7. Worldwide Driver’s License

No, you don’t want a global driver’s license to drive in Costa Rica or hire a automotive there. Simply convey your passport, bank card, and your driver’s license from your property nation. So sure, you may drive in Costa Rica with a US driver’s license.

8. Further Recommendation For Renting A Automotive & Driving In Costa Rica

• Lock your doorways whereas driving in Costa Rica, and by no means go away valuables seen in your automotive.
• Pedestrians don’t actually have right-of-way in Costa Rica. That means if you happen to politely cease within the highway to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automotive behind you received’t count on it — which might trigger an accident! That is related in Mexico and different elements of Central America.
• Don’t e book a automotive with out studying the corporate opinions. You’ll discover loads of dangerous opinions for each firm (folks like to complain on-line), however attempt to decide one with the LEAST dangerous opinions.
• You could not all the time get the make/mannequin/sort of automotive you booked. If they provide you a smaller automotive, or a guide if you requested for an automated, be pushy and ask for an improve.
• Examine your automotive totally and file video in your smartphone declaring harm earlier than you allow. This can be a backup in the event that they try and cost you for harm that was already there. This can be a frequent automotive rental rip-off in Costa Rica….
• Take note of in case your Costa Rica rental automotive takes common gasoline or diesel gasoline, so that you replenish with the proper sort at gasoline stations.
• Use Google Maps in your smartphone for instructions as an alternative of renting a GPS gadget. Merely use your personal hands-free automotive mount and a superb worldwide cellphone plan.

9. Accident & Breakdown Info

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

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

Take pleasure in Your Costa Rica Street Journey!

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

Self-drive highway journeys let you get off the crushed observe to see issues most individuals miss! ★

Hire A Automotive In Costa Rica

Search each native and worldwide automotive rental firms that will help you discover a whole lot.