Costa Rica Driving Information
Prepared for an epic street journey driving in Costa Rica? Renting a automobile is one of the best ways to expertise this lovely 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 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, at all times preferring to hire a automobile.
Renting a automobile and self-driving Costa Rica by yourself is one of the best ways to expertise this gorgeous nation, because it really provides you the liberty to cease at each waterfall, volcano, seaside, and nationwide park alongside the best way.
Listed below are some essential suggestions I discovered 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.
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! In case you discover them helpful, utilizing my affiliate hyperlinks will give me a small fee, at no further value to you. Thanks!
Driving In Costa Rica Information (2024)
1. Ought to You Drive In Costa Rica?
Hey, for those who love these large group bus excursions, by all means, go ebook one. It’s an honest method to see Costa Rica for those who don’t have a number of time.
No planning, no driving, simply sit again and let another person do all of the work!
However for those who’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 best way.
If that’s the type 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, 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 method to get across the nation.
Simply remember the fact that a few of 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 achieve 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 relatively than hauling baggage all over the place.
2. The place To Lease Your Automobile In Costa Rica
Some frequent automobile rental firms in Costa Rica embody Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, an area one known as Adobe Lease-a-Automobile, and plenty of extra.
However the most effective web site to ebook your automobile is Uncover Automobiles. They search each native and worldwide automobile rental firms that will help you discover the absolute best value. That is the simplest method to hire a automobile in Costa Rica.
We rented our automobile from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and commenced our Costa Rican street journey from there.
San Jose Airport: Plan to select up your automobile about 60 minutes after your flight arrives. When departing, attempt to be on the airport not less than 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 select up your automobile about half-hour after your flight arrives. When departing, attempt to be on the airport not less than 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 firms that will help you discover a whole lot.
3. Automobile Rental Insurance coverage In Costa Rica
A few 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.
That is why I extremely suggest getting full insurance coverage protection.
Sometimes, rental automobiles in Costa Rica include a primary 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 back the automobile in a single piece. CDW sometimes doesn’t embody tire, cracked windshield, or undercarriage harm both.
When 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 superb print, as a result of many individuals wrongly assume their card covers them in Costa Rica.
In case you get in a wreck driving in Costa Rica, declined full protection, and also you immediately 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 you then 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 automobile in Costa Rica goes to value 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 value you extra like $40-$70 USD per day.
A 4X4 campervan, or truck with a tent connected, goes to value over $100 USD per day (nevertheless you’ll be able to 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
At present, 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 gasoline prices about $4.20 per gallon. It’s rather more costly than within the fuel in the US!
Computerized vs Guide
Computerized automobiles are dearer to hire than guide automobiles (however manuals are extra frequent in Costa Rica), and it’s essential to specify what kind you need when reserving. In case you’ve by no means pushed a guide automobile earlier than, don’t begin in Costa Rica! It’s safer to get an computerized.
One-Approach Leases
There’s a further charge for one-way automobile leases in Costa Rica, which might range by firm. For instance, if you wish to drop off the automobile in a unique 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 outdated, relying on the corporate you ebook a automobile with. Additionally they would possibly cost a further charge (normally $10 a day) for those who’re beneath 25 years outdated.
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. Nevertheless native drivers don’t at all times comply with them. For instance, drivers could not use flip alerts or will run crimson 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 pace 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).
In case you occur to get a dashing ticket, please let your automobile rental firm know immediately, as you’ll need to pay for it while you drop off the automobile on the finish of your journey.
Street Indicators In Costa Rica
The street indicators in Costa Rica ought to be fairly self-explanatory, as they give the impression of being just like US street indicators, simply in Spanish. You possibly can browse some frequent Costa Rican street indicators right here.
Street Situations
Costa Rica’s highways are paved and in good situation, nevertheless the nation can be coated in again roads. Plenty of dust roads, and plenty of usually are not in nice form. Muddy, potholes, and so on. In case you plan on driving off the overwhelmed 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 possibly can 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 through the moist/wet season, and within the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula areas. In case you’ve by no means crossed a river earlier than, please watch another person go first!
Put your car into 4X4 mode, go sluggish, 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 may be on account of hidden obstacles, depth, or just the most effective 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 automobile there. Simply deliver your passport, bank card, and your driver’s license from your private home nation. So sure, you’ll be able to 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 automobile.
- Pedestrians don’t actually have right-of-way in Costa Rica. Which means for those who politely cease within the street to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automobile behind you received’t anticipate it — which might trigger an accident! That is comparable in Mexico and different elements of Central America.
- Don’t ebook a automobile with out studying the corporate evaluations. You’ll discover loads of unhealthy evaluations for each firm (individuals like to complain on-line), however attempt to decide one with the LEAST unhealthy evaluations.
- Chances are you’ll not at all times get the make/mannequin/kind of automobile you booked. If they provide you a smaller automobile, or a guide while you requested for an computerized, be pushy and ask for an improve.
- Examine your automobile totally and report video in your smartphone declaring harm earlier than you permit. It is a backup in the event that they try and cost you for harm that was already there. It is a frequent automobile rental rip-off in Costa Rica….
- Take note of in case your Costa Rica rental automobile takes common fuel or diesel gasoline, so that you replenish with the right kind 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 Data
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.
Nevertheless in case your automobile merely breaks down, and nobody is injured, its in all probability higher to name your Costa Rican automobile 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 automobile was undoubtedly the correct alternative for us.
Self-drive street 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 automobile rental firms that will help you discover a whole lot.
READ MORE COSTA RICA TRAVEL TIPS
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