10 Essential 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 the easiest way to expertise this stunning nation. However there are some things it is 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 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 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 way in which.

Listed here are some necessary suggestions 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.

Driving In Costa Rica Information (2023)

1. Ought to You Drive In Costa Rica?

Hey, in case you love these huge group bus excursions, by all means, go guide one. It’s an honest method to see Costa Rica in case you don’t have loads of time.

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

However in case you’re like me, you like the journey of impartial journey.

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

If that’s the type of traveler you’re, renting a automotive in Costa Rica is the way in which to go!

Sure, there’s a public bus system in Costa Rica too, however it’s actually solely good for getting from one huge city to a different, and sometimes the bus stops are situated 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 method to get across the nation.

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

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

2. The place To Lease Your Automobile In Costa Rica

Some frequent automotive rental corporations in Costa Rica embody Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, an area one referred to as Adobe Lease-a-Automobile, and lots of extra.

However the very best website to guide your automotive is Uncover Vehicles. They search each native and worldwide automotive rental corporations that can assist you discover the absolute best worth. That is the best method to hire a automotive in Costa Rica.

We rented our automotive from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and started 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.

Lease A Automobile In Costa Rica

Search each native and worldwide automotive rental corporations that can assist 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 exterior Costa Rica’s smaller cities. Don’t fear, I’ll share some suggestions for coping with them beneath.

This is the reason I extremely suggest getting full insurance coverage protection.

Usually, rental vehicles in Costa Rica include a primary Collision Harm Waiver (CDW), however this isn’t precisely insurance coverage, and solely covers the automotive for as much as $1000-3000 USD price of injury.

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

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

For those who 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 harm — you’re screwed. I can’t inform you 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 definitely gained’t have to fret about accidents in any respect!

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

Renting a automotive in Costa Rica goes to value 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 value you extra like $40-$70 USD per day.

A 4X4 campervan, or truck with a tent hooked up, goes to value 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.

Fuel Costs

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

Computerized vs Guide

Computerized vehicles are costlier to hire than handbook vehicles (however manuals are extra frequent in Costa Rica), and you need to specify what sort you need when reserving. For those who’ve by no means pushed a handbook automotive earlier than, don’t begin in Costa Rica! It’s safer to get an computerized.

One-Manner Leases

There’s an extra charge for one-way automotive leases in Costa Rica, which may fluctuate by firm. For instance, if you wish to drop off the automotive in a special metropolis than the place you began from. However as a result of the nation is so small, you in all probability 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 previous, relying on the corporate you guide a automotive with. In addition they would possibly cost an extra charge (often $10 a day) in case you’re underneath 25 years previous.

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

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

Pace Limits In Costa Rica

Pace 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 often 60km/h (37 miles per hour), and round cities & cities it’s 40km/h (25 miles per hour).

For those who occur to get a dashing ticket, please let your automotive rental firm know instantly, as you’ll should pay for it whenever 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 appear just 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. Plenty of grime roads, and lots of usually are not in nice form. Muddy, potholes, and so forth. For those who 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 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 via rivers. Particularly through the moist/wet season, and within the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula areas. For those who’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 because of hidden obstacles, depth, or just the very best entry/exit factors.

7. Worldwide Driver’s License

No, you do not want an worldwide 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 own home nation. So sure, you may drive in Costa Rica with a US driver’s license.

8. Further 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 automotive.
• Pedestrians don’t actually have right-of-way in Costa Rica. Which means in case you politely cease within the highway to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automotive behind you gained’t anticipate it — which may trigger an accident! That is comparable in Mexico and different components of Central America.
• Don’t guide a automotive with out studying the corporate critiques. You’ll discover loads of dangerous critiques for each firm (individuals like to complain on-line), however attempt to decide one with the LEAST dangerous critiques.
• Chances are you’ll not all the time get the make/mannequin/sort of automotive you booked. If they offer you a smaller automotive, or a handbook whenever you requested for an computerized, be pushy and ask for an improve.
• Examine your automotive completely and file video in your smartphone mentioning harm earlier than you permit. It is a backup in the event that they try to cost you for harm that was already there. It is a frequent automotive rental rip-off in Costa Rica….
• Take note of in case your Costa Rica rental automotive takes common fuel or diesel gasoline, so that you replenish with the proper sort at fuel stations.
• Use Google Maps in your smartphone for instructions as a substitute of renting a GPS system. Merely use your personal hands-free automotive mount and a good worldwide cellphone plan.

9. Accident & Breakdown Info

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

Nonetheless in case your automotive merely breaks down, and nobody is injured, its in all probability higher to name your Costa Rican automotive rental firm’s personal emergency roadside help quantity situated 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 positively the suitable alternative for us.

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

Lease A Automobile In Costa Rica

Search each native and worldwide automotive rental corporations that can assist you discover a whole lot.