10 Important Tips (Plus Mistakes To Avoid)

Costa Rica Driving Guide

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

So 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 dust roads and occasional river crossings, so my first time driving there was fairly an journey! Since then, I’ve visited the nation many instances, at all times 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 actually offers you the liberty to cease at each waterfall, volcano, seashore, and nationwide park alongside the way in which.

Here are some essential suggestions I discovered about driving Costa Rica, so that you’re able to hit the highway and discover the Rich Coast on a trip you’ll always remember.

Driving In Costa Rica Guide (2023)

1. Should You Drive In Costa Rica?

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

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

But should you’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 way in which.

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

Yes, 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 exterior of city, so that you’ll additionally find yourself having to take a taxi. Not to say that touring by public bus is only a slower solution to get across the nation.

Just remember the fact that a few of the again roads in Costa Rica will be very tough & muddy, and a few native drivers don’t comply with their very own legal guidelines. With some observe although, you’ll achieve confidence driving right here!

Another 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 in every single place.

2. Where To Rent Your Car In Costa Rica

Some frequent automobile rental corporations in Costa Rica embrace Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, a neighborhood one known as Adobe Rent-a-Car, and lots of extra.

But the perfect web site to guide your automobile is Discover Cars. They search each native and worldwide automobile rental corporations that will help you discover the absolute best value. This is the best solution to lease a automobile in Costa Rica.

We rented our automobile from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and started our Costa Rican highway 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. Because 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. Again, due to the shuttle.

Rent A Car In Costa Rica

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

3. Car Rental Insurance In Costa Rica

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

This is why I extremely suggest getting full insurance coverage protection.

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

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

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

If 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 definitely received’t have to fret about accidents in any respect!

4. How Much Does In Cost To Rent A Car 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 hooked up, goes to price over $100 USD per day (nevertheless you possibly can 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 stop break-ins if thieves can’t see your stuff.

Gas Prices

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

Automatic vs Manual

Automatic vehicles are dearer to lease than handbook vehicles (however manuals are extra frequent in Costa Rica), and you need to specify what kind you need when reserving. If you’ve by no means pushed a handbook automobile earlier than, don’t begin in Costa Rica! It’s safer to get an automated.

One-Way Rentals

There’s an extra price for one-way automobile leases in Costa Rica, which may fluctuate by firm. For instance, if you wish to drop off the automobile in a special metropolis than the place you began from. But as a result of the nation is so small, you most likely received’t want to do that.

5. Age Requirements For Renting A Car

The minimal age for driving in Costa Rica is between 21-25 years previous, relying on the corporate you guide a automobile with. They additionally would possibly cost an extra price (often $10 a day) should you’re below 25 years previous.

6. Things To Remember While Driving In Costa Rica

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

Speed Limits In Costa Rica

Speed limits in Costa Rica are quoted in kilometers per hour. The most 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).

If you occur to get a dashing ticket, please let your automobile rental firm know instantly, as you’ll should pay for it whenever you drop off the automobile on the finish of your journey.

Road Signs 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 can browse some frequent Costa Rican highway indicators right here.

Road Conditions

Costa Rica’s highways are paved and in good situation, nevertheless the nation can also be coated in again roads. Lots of dust roads, and lots of usually are not in nice form. Muddy, potholes, and many others. If you intend 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 can highway journey round Costa Rica with out ever having to cross a river, however there are additionally some again roads that go by rivers. Especially through the moist/wet season, and within the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula areas. If 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 immediately, however require you to drive up or down stream earlier than exiting. This will be because of hidden obstacles, depth, or just the perfect entry/exit factors.

7. International Driver’s License

No, you do not want an international driver’s license to drive in Costa Rica or lease a automobile there. Just deliver your passport, bank card, and your driver’s license from your property nation. So sure, you possibly can drive in Costa Rica with a US driver’s license.

8. Extra Advice For Renting A Car & Driving In Costa Rica

• Lock your doorways whereas driving in Costa Rica, and by no means depart valuables seen in your automobile.
• Pedestrians don’t actually have right-of-way in Costa Rica. Meaning should you politely cease within the highway to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automobile behind you received’t count on it — which may trigger an accident! This is analogous in Mexico and different elements of Central America.
• Don’t guide a automobile with out studying the corporate evaluations. You’ll discover loads of dangerous evaluations for each firm (folks like to complain on-line), however attempt to choose one with the LEAST dangerous evaluations.
• You might not at all times get the make/mannequin/kind of automobile you booked. If they provide you a smaller automobile, or a handbook whenever you requested for an automated, be pushy and ask for an improve.
• Inspect your automobile completely and document video in your smartphone stating injury earlier than you permit. This is a backup in the event that they try and cost you for injury that was already there. This is a frequent automobile rental rip-off in Costa Rica….
• Pay consideration to in case your Costa Rica rental automobile takes common gasoline or diesel gas, so that you replenish with the right kind at gasoline stations.
• Use Google Maps in your smartphone for instructions as an alternative of renting a GPS gadget. Simply use your personal hands-free automobile mount and a good worldwide cellphone plan.

9. Accident & Breakdown Information

In an emergency, you possibly can dial the Costa Rican Emergency Phone Number which is 911, similar to within the United States. They have an English talking line too.

However 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.

Enjoy Your Costa Rica Road Trip!

Exploring the small villages, pristine seashores, jungle mountains, and nationwide parks of Costa Rica in a rental automobile was positively the suitable selection for us.

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

Rent A Car In Costa Rica

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