Costa Rica Driving Information
Prepared for an epic street journey driving in Costa Rica? Renting a automotive is one of the simplest ways to expertise this lovely nation. However there are some things you must 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 instances, at all times preferring to hire a automotive.
Renting a automotive and self-driving Costa Rica by yourself is one of the simplest ways to expertise this beautiful nation, because it actually provides you the liberty to cease at each waterfall, volcano, seashore, and nationwide park alongside the way in which.
Listed here are some essential ideas 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.
Driving In Costa Rica Information (2023)
1. Ought to You Drive In Costa Rica?
Hey, should you love these huge group bus excursions, by all means, go guide one. It’s an honest option to see Costa Rica should you don’t have loads of time.
No planning, no driving, simply sit again and let another person do all of the work!
However should 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 might be, renting a automotive in Costa Rica is the way in which to go!
Sure, 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 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 option to get across the nation.
Simply remember that a number 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 acquire confidence driving right here!
One other good factor we loved about having a automotive was the power to retailer issues within the trunk, stopping off in Costa Rican cities with small journey backpacks moderately than hauling baggage in every single place.
2. The place To Lease Your Automotive In Costa Rica
Some widespread automotive rental corporations in Costa Rica embody Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, an area one known as Adobe Lease-a-Automotive, and plenty of extra.
However the very best website to guide your automotive is Uncover Vehicles. They search each native and worldwide automotive rental corporations that will help you discover the very best worth. That is the simplest option to hire a automotive in Costa Rica.
We rented our automotive from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and started our Costa Rican street journey from there.
San Jose Airport: Plan to choose 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 choose 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 Automotive In Costa Rica
Search each native and worldwide automotive rental corporations that will help you discover a whole lot.
3. Automotive 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 ideas for coping with them under.
For this 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 the automotive in a single piece. CDW usually doesn’t embody tire, cracked windshield, or undercarriage injury 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.
In the event you 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 injury — you’re screwed. I can’t inform you 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 gained’t have to fret about accidents in any respect!
4. How A lot Does In Price To Lease A Automotive 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 possibly can 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, 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 gas prices about $4.20 per gallon. It’s way more costly than within the fuel in america!
Computerized vs Guide
Computerized vehicles are costlier to hire than handbook vehicles (however manuals are extra widespread in Costa Rica), and you have to specify what sort you need when reserving. In the event you’ve by no means pushed a handbook automotive earlier than, don’t begin in Costa Rica! It’s safer to get an automated.
One-Approach Leases
There’s an extra price 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 Automotive
The minimal age for driving in Costa Rica is between 21-25 years outdated, relying on the corporate you guide a automotive with. In addition they may cost an extra price (normally $10 a day) should you’re beneath 25 years outdated.
6. Issues To Bear in mind Whereas Driving In Costa Rica
Driving legal guidelines in Costa Rica are much like driving legal guidelines in another nation. Nevertheless native drivers don’t at all times comply with them. For instance, drivers might not use flip indicators or will run crimson lights in the event that they suppose they’ll get away with it.
Pace Limits In Costa Rica
Pace 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 the event you occur to get a dashing ticket, please let your automotive rental firm know instantly, as you’ll need to pay for it if you drop off the automotive 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 appear much like US street indicators, simply in Spanish. You’ll be able to browse some widespread Costa Rican street indicators right here.
Street Situations
Costa Rica’s highways are paved and in good situation, nevertheless the nation can be lined in again roads. Numerous dust roads, and plenty of should not in nice form. Muddy, potholes, and so on. In the event 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 automotive to attend for the opposite to cross earlier than continuing.
River Crossings
You’ll be able to street journey round Costa Rica with out ever having to cross a river, however there are additionally some again roads that go by means of rivers. Particularly throughout the moist/wet season, and within the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula areas. In the event you’ve by no means crossed a river earlier than, please watch another person go first!
Put your automobile 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 as a consequence 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 carry your passport, bank card, and your driver’s license from your own home nation. So sure, you possibly can drive in Costa Rica with a US driver’s license.
8. Additional Recommendation For Renting A Automotive & 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. Which means should you politely cease within the street to let somebody cross, they’ll be confused, and the automotive behind you gained’t anticipate it — which might trigger an accident! That is comparable in Mexico and different elements of Central America.
- Don’t guide a automotive 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 choose one with the LEAST unhealthy evaluations.
- Chances are you’ll not at all times get the make/mannequin/sort of automotive you booked. If they provide you a smaller automotive, or a handbook if you requested for an automated, be pushy and ask for an improve.
- Examine your automotive completely and document video in your smartphone declaring injury earlier than you permit. This can be a backup in the event that they try and cost you for injury that was already there. This can be a widespread automotive rental rip-off in Costa Rica….
- Take note of in case your Costa Rica rental automotive takes common fuel or diesel gas, so that you replenish with the proper sort at fuel stations.
- Use Google Maps in your smartphone for instructions as an alternative of renting a GPS system. Merely use your personal hands-free automotive mount and a good worldwide cellphone plan.
9. Accident & Breakdown Data
In an emergency, you possibly can dial the Costa Rican Emergency Telephone Quantity which is 911, similar to in america. They’ve an English talking line too.
Nevertheless 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 proper selection for us.
Self-drive street journeys permit you to get off the overwhelmed monitor to see issues most individuals miss! ★
Lease A Automotive In Costa Rica
Search each native and worldwide automotive rental corporations that will help you discover a whole lot.
READ MORE COSTA RICA TRAVEL TIPS
I hope you loved my information for driving in Costa Rica! Hopefully you discovered it helpful. Listed here are just a few extra wanderlust-inducing articles that I like to recommend you learn subsequent:
Have any questions on driving by means of Costa Rica? What about different recommendations? Be part of the dialog on Fb, Instagram, or Twitter to share!
