Overview
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Beyond Tourism
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Planning Your Trip
Basics
If you’re traveling by car, you’ll have a good network of highways at your disposal. A seat belt must be worn by the driver and any passengers. Keep your passport and driver’s license with you at all times. Although the government has been working on paving and fixing roads, road conditions still vary and tend to be quite rough (by international standards) in some places. Potholes and bumps may make it hard to relax while driving. Watch out for open manholes along side roads, especially after rain. Also be wary of speedy drivers who want to pass you on narrow, windy roads. If they try to pass, let them.
Many places do require four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles, especially during the rainy season, so it’s good to know where you’re going and what the roads are like there before you rent your car. Car rental agencies might be able to help you with information on road conditions. Visit the Association for Safe International Road Travel ( ASIRT; www.asirt.org) for information on safe road travel.
Renting a car in Costa Rica is a great idea if you’re planning on leaving the city and would prefer not to wait for a potentially crowded bus. Most tourist destinations are only a few hours away, and you will definitely enjoy the scenery and beautiful countryside as you drive. If you’re staying in the city, however, it could be a hassle. Parking and traffic make it more difficult to drive than to walk or use public transportation, which isn’t very expensive. Also, in urban areas, rental cars are a common target for theft.
When choosing a car, it is important to consider that cheaper cars tend to be less reliable and harder to handle on difficult terrain. Although many places can be accessed without 4WD during the dry season, road conditions can change drastically during the rainy season. If you’re planning on visiting Monteverde, any place south of Golfito, the southern Nicoya Peninsula, or the Osa Peninsula, a 4WD vehicle is recommended regardless of the time of year. It’s important to be careful about the type of 4WD vehicle you rent. Less-expensive 4WD vehicles tend to be more top-heavy and more dangerous when navigating particularly bumpy roads. Knowing how to drive standard cars is essential.
You can generally make reservations before you leave by calling major international offices in your home country. It’s a good idea to cross-check this information with local agencies as well. The local desk numbers are included in town listings; for home-country numbers, call your toll-free directory.
To rent a car from most establishments in Costa Rica, you need to be at least 23 years old. Some agencies require renters to be 25, and most charge those 21-24 an additional insurance fee of around US$50. Small local operations rent to people under 21, but be sure to ask about insurance coverage and deductible, and always check the fine print. Rental agencies in Costa Rica include:
Rental car prices start at around US$28 per day from national companies and US$32 from local agencies. Expect to pay more for larger cars and for 4WD. Cars with automatic transmission can cost up to US$12 per day more than cars with manual transmission (stick shift), and automatic transmission can be hard to find in the first place. It is often difficult to find an automatic 4WD.
Remember that if you are driving a conventional rental vehicle on an unpaved road in a rental car, you are almost never covered by insurance, so ask about this before leaving the rental agency. Be aware that cars rented on an American Express or Visa/MasterCard Gold or Platinum credit card in Costa Rica might not carry the automatic insurance that they would in some other countries; check with your credit-card company. Insurance plans from rental companies almost always come with an excess of around US$20 for conventional vehicles; excess ranges up to around US$50 for younger drivers and for 4WD. This means that the insurance bought from the rental company applies only to damages over the excess. Damages up to that amount must be covered by your existing insurance plan. Some rental companies in Costa Rica require you to buy a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which will waive the excess in the case of a collision. Loss Damage Waivers (LDWs) do the same in the case of theft or vandalism.
National chains often allow one-way rentals (picking up in one city and dropping off in another). There is usually a minimum hire period and sometimes an extra dropoff charge of several hundred dollars.
If you plan to drive a car while in Costa Rica, you must be over 18 and have an International Driving Permit (IDP), though Costa Rica does allow travelers to drive with a valid American or Canadian license for as long as your visa lasts. Proof of entry is also required for a police officer to accept your license, so carry your passport. It may be a good idea to get an IDP anyway, in case you’re in a situation (e.g., an accident in a small town) where the police do not know English. Information on the IDP is printed in 11 languages, including Spanish.
Your IDP, valid for one year, must be issued in your own country before you depart. An application for an IDP usually requires one or two photos, a current local license, an additional form of identification, and a fee. To apply, contact your home country’s automobile association. Be vigilant when purchasing an IDP online or anywhere other than your home automobile association. Many vendors sell permits of questionable legitimacy for higher prices.
Most credit cards cover standard insurance. If you rent, lease, or borrow a car, you will need a green card, or International Insurance Certificate, to certify that you have liability insurance and that it applies abroad. Green cards can be obtained at car rental agencies, car dealers (for those leasing cars), some travel agents, and some border crossings. Rental agencies may require you to purchase theft insurance in countries that they consider to have a high risk of auto theft.
The speed limit on the highway varies. The minimum speed is 40kph. On secondary roads the speed limit is 60km per hr. unless otherwise listed. In urban areas it is 40kph. Around school zones, hospitals, and clinics, it is 25kph.
Driving on the beaches is prohibited everywhere, except when there is no road or path that connects two towns. All passengers must wear seatbelts, and you must pull over if police ask you to do so. Never forget your personal documents and the vehicle’s registration papers. Some travelers report that police may ask for a small fee instead of issuing a ticket; as tickets rarely exceed US$30, it’s a good idea to just pay the ticket instead of risking getting in trouble and encouraging a bad practice. Gasoline (petrol) prices vary, but average about ¢600-650 per liter thoughout the country.
dangers
The most important rule is to be confident and stay alert. In general, roads in Costa Rica are not very wide and can be quite curvy and dangerous in the outskirts of the country, especially when leaving the Central Valley to reach the coasts. There are few road signs and many blind curves. Don’t pass other cars when you don’t have perfect visibility, and if someone is passing, just let them cut in line. When driving in the city, keep your doors locked and your windows shut at all times. Never leave your car parked in a poorly lit or deserted area, and never leave any visible valuables in a parked car.
If you are involved in an accident, you should usually wait until the police arrive to move your vehicle so that an officer can prepare a report. If you do not feel safe at the scene of the accident, however, drive to the nearest lit, public area and call the police from there. If a police officer attempts to retain your personal documents for no clear reason, ask him to escort you to the nearest police station. You can report an accident by calling ☎911 or 800 012 3456.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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