10 Essential Suggestions (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 lease a automotive.

Renting a automotive and self-driving Costa Rica by yourself is the easiest way to expertise this gorgeous nation, because it really offers 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.

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 suggestions! If you happen to discover them helpful, utilizing my affiliate hyperlinks will give me a small fee, at no further price to you. Thanks!

Driving In Costa Rica Information (2024)

1. Ought to You Drive In Costa Rica?

Hey, in case you love these huge group bus excursions, by all means, go ebook one. It’s a good approach to see Costa Rica in case you don’t have a number 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 form 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, but it surely’s actually solely good for getting from one huge 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 approach to get across the nation.

Simply remember that among 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 apply 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 slightly than hauling baggage in all places.

2. The place To Lease Your Automobile In Costa Rica

Some frequent automotive rental firms in Costa Rica embrace Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, a neighborhood one known as Adobe Lease-a-Automobile, and lots of extra.

However the perfect web site to ebook your automotive is Uncover Automobiles. They search each native and worldwide automotive rental firms that will help you discover the absolute best worth. That is the best approach to lease 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 at the least 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 at the 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 automotive rental firms 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 exterior Costa Rica’s smaller cities. Don’t fear, I’ll share some suggestions for coping with them under.

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

Sometimes, 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 value of harm.

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

When you can usually get monetary savings reserving your automotive with a good journey bank card that features automotive 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.

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 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 received’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 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 hooked up, goes to price over $100 USD per day (nonetheless you’ll be able to 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 forestall break-ins if thieves can’t see your stuff.

Fuel Costs

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

Computerized vs Guide

Computerized vehicles are dearer to lease than guide vehicles (however manuals are extra frequent in Costa Rica), and you have 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-Means Leases

There’s an extra charge for one-way automotive leases in Costa Rica, which might 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 received’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 ebook a automotive with. In addition they may cost an extra charge (often $10 a day) in case you’re below 25 years previous.

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

Driving legal guidelines in Costa Rica are much like driving legal guidelines in some other nation. Nonetheless native drivers don’t all the time observe them. For instance, drivers could not use flip indicators or will run purple lights in the event that they assume they will 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 often 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 immediately, as you’ll should pay for it while 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 much like US highway indicators, simply in Spanish. You may browse some frequent Costa Rican highway indicators right here.

Street Circumstances

Costa Rica’s highways are paved and in good situation, nonetheless the nation can also be coated in again roads. Plenty of grime roads, and lots of aren’t in nice form. Muddy, potholes, and many others. If you happen to plan on driving off the overwhelmed 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 move via rivers. Particularly in the course of 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 instantly, however require you to drive up or down stream earlier than exiting. This may be as a result of hidden obstacles, depth, or just the perfect entry/exit factors.

7. Worldwide Driver’s License

No, you do not want an worldwide driver’s license to drive in Costa Rica or lease a automotive there. Simply convey your passport, bank card, and your driver’s license from your own home nation. So sure, you’ll be able to 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 depart valuables seen in your automotive.
• Pedestrians don’t actually have right-of-way in Costa Rica. That means in case you politely cease within the highway to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automotive behind you received’t anticipate it — which might trigger an accident! That is comparable in Mexico and different components of Central America.
• Don’t ebook a automotive with out studying the corporate opinions. You’ll discover loads of unhealthy opinions for each firm (individuals like to complain on-line), however attempt to decide one with the LEAST unhealthy opinions.
• 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 guide while you requested for an automated, be pushy and ask for an improve.
• Examine your automotive completely and file video in your smartphone stating 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 refill with the proper sort at gasoline stations.
• Use Google Maps in your smartphone for instructions as a substitute of renting a GPS gadget. Merely use your personal hands-free automotive mount and a good worldwide mobile phone plan.

9. Accident & Breakdown Info

In an emergency, you’ll be able to dial the Costa Rican Emergency Telephone Quantity which is 911, similar to in the US. 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 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 positively the best alternative for us.

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

Lease A Automobile In Costa Rica

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