10 Essential Tips (Plus Mistakes To Prevent)

Costa Rica Driving Guide

Ready for an impressive trip driving in Costa Rica? Leasing a vehicle is the very best method to experience this gorgeous nation. However there are a couple of things you must understand prior to you go.

So you have actually been wishing to go to for many years, and are lastly preparing your own legendary trip to drive around Costa Rica!

For such a little nation, Costa Rica is remarkably mountainous with winding dirt roadways and periodic river crossings, so my very first time driving there was rather an experience! Ever since, I have actually gone to the nation sometimes, constantly choosing to lease a vehicle.

Leasing a vehicle and self-driving Costa Rica by yourself is the very best method to experience this spectacular nation, as it really provides you the liberty to stop at every waterfall, volcano, beach, and national forest along the method.

Here are some essential pointers I discovered driving Costa Rica, so you’re prepared to strike the roadway and check out the Rich Coast on a trip you’ll always remember.

Driving In Costa Rica Guide (2023 )

1. Should You Drive In Costa Rica?

Hey, if you enjoy those huge group bus trips, by all methods, go book one. It’s a good method to see Costa Rica if you do not have a great deal of time.

No preparation, no driving, simply relax and let somebody else do all the work!

However if you resemble me, you choose the experience of independent travel.

No set schedule or schedule– driving around Costa Rica with the liberty to stop anyplace cool you discover along the method.

If that’s the sort of tourist you are, leasing a vehicle in Costa Rica is the method to go!

Yes, there is a public bus system in Costa Rica too, however it’s truly just great for receiving from one huge town to another, and typically the bus stops lie simply beyond town, so you’ll likewise wind up needing to take a taxi. Not to point out that taking a trip by public bus is simply a slower method to navigate the nation.

Simply remember that a few of the back roadways in Costa Rica can be extremely rough & & muddy, and some regional motorists do not follow their own laws. With some practice however, you’ll get self-confidence driving here!

Another great thing we took pleasure in about having a vehicle was the capability to keep things in the trunk, visiting in Costa Rican towns with little travel knapsacks instead of carrying travel luggage all over.

2. Where To Lease Your Vehicle In Costa Rica

Some typical cars and truck rental business in Costa Rica consist of Business, Sixt, Hertz, a regional one called Adobe Rent-a-Car, and a lot more.

However the very best website to reserve your cars and truck is Discover Cars And Trucks They browse both regional and worldwide cars and truck rental business to assist you discover the very best possible rate. This is the simplest method to lease a vehicle in Costa Rica.

We leased our cars and truck from San Jose Airport in Alajuela, and started our Costa Rican trip from there.

San Jose Airport: Strategy to get your cars and truck about 60 minutes after your flight shows up. When leaving, attempt to be at the airport a minimum of 3 1/2 hours prior to your flight leaves. Due to the fact that returning your rental cars and truck and capturing a shuttle bus back to the airport can use up to thirty minutes.

Liberia Airport: Strategy to get your cars and truck about thirty minutes after your flight shows up. When leaving, attempt to be at the airport a minimum of 2 1/2 hours prior to your flight leaves. Once again, due to the fact that of the shuttle bus.

Lease A Cars And Truck In Costa Rica

Browse both regional and worldwide cars and truck rental business to assist you discover a bargain.

3. Vehicle Rental Insurance Coverage In Costa Rica

A few of the reports about driving in Costa Rica hold true, and the roadways are really rough in some locations. Specifically the back roadways outside Costa Rica’s smaller sized towns. Do not stress, I’ll share some pointers for handling them listed below.

This is why I extremely suggest getting complete insurance protection.

Usually, rental vehicles in Costa Rica include a standard Accident Damage Waiver (CDW), however this isn’t precisely insurance coverage, and just covers the cars and truck for as much as $1000-3000 USD worth of damage.

This is the quantity they hang on your charge card till you return the cars and truck in one piece. CDW normally does not consist of tire, broken windscreen, or undercarriage damage either.

While you can typically conserve cash scheduling your cars and truck with a excellent travel charge card that consists of cars and truck rental insurance coverage, you truly should check out the small print, due to the fact that many individuals incorrectly presume their card covers them in Costa Rica.

If you get in a wreck driving in Costa Rica, decreased complete protection, and you unexpectedly discover your charge card does not really cover the damage– you’re screwed. I can’t inform you the number of travel scary stories I have actually heard like this …

It’s why I generally pre-book complete protection online. It’s less expensive than at the counter– and after that you will not need to fret about mishaps at all!

4. Just how much Carries Out In Expense To Lease A Cars And Truck In Costa Rica?

Leasing a vehicle in Costa Rica is going to cost you around $25-$ 40 USD a day, depending upon the kind of cars and truck you get. Our 4-door sedan had to do with $25 daily. A 4×4 SUV will cost you more like $40-$ 70 USD daily.

A 4X4 campervan, or truck with a camping tent connected, is going to cost over $100 USD daily (nevertheless you can oversleep it too!)

I suggest leasing a vehicle with a real trunk (no hatchbacks) to conceal your travel luggage from spying eyes. It assists to avoid burglaries if burglars can’t see your things.

Gas Costs

Presently, gas expenses about $4.75 USD per gallon ($ 1.25 per liter) in Costa Rica. Diesel vehicles will typically conserve you some cash on gas, and diesel fuel costs about $4.20 per gallon. It’s far more pricey than in the gas in the United States!

Automatic vs Handbook

Automatic vehicles are more pricey to lease than manual vehicles (however handbooks are more typical in Costa Rica), and you should define what type you desire when scheduling. If you have actually never ever driven a manual cars and truck prior to, do not begin in Costa Rica! It’s more secure to get an automated.

One-Way Leasings

There’s an extra charge for one-way cars and truck leasings in Costa Rica, which can differ by business. For instance, if you wish to drop off the cars and truck in a various city than where you began with. However due to the fact that the nation is so little, you most likely will not require to do this.

5. Age Requirements For Leasing A Cars And Truck

The minimum age for driving in Costa Rica is in between 21-25 years of ages, depending upon the business you reserve a vehicle with. They likewise may charge an extra charge (generally $10 a day) if you’re under 25 years of ages.

6. Things To Bear In Mind While Driving In Costa Rica

Driving laws in Costa Rica resemble driving laws in any other nation. Nevertheless regional motorists do not constantly follow them. For instance, motorists might not utilize turn signals or will run traffic signals if they believe they can get away with it.

Speed Limitations In Costa Rica

Speed limitations in Costa Rica are estimated in kilometers per hour. The optimum speed on the majority of highways is 120 km/h (about 74 miles per hour). On secondary roadways, the limitation is generally 60km/h (37 miles per hour), and around towns & & cities it is 40km/h (25 miles per hour).

If you take place to get a speeding ticket, please let your cars and truck rental business understand immediately, as you’ll need to spend for it when you drop off the cars and truck at the end of your journey.

Roadway Check In Costa Rica

The roadway check in Costa Rica must be quite obvious, as they look comparable to United States roadway indications, simply in Spanish. You can search some typical Costa Rican roadway indications here

Roadway Conditions

Costa Rica’s highways are paved and in excellent condition, nevertheless the nation is likewise covered in back roadways. Great deals of dirt roadways, and lots of are not in fantastic shape. Muddy, pits, and so on. If you intend on repeling the beaten course in Costa Rica, I extremely suggest leasing a 4×4 SUV. Some bridges are just single lane, needing one cars and truck to wait on the other to cross prior to continuing.

River Crossings

You can trip around Costa Rica without ever needing to cross a river, however there are likewise some back roadways that go through rivers. Specifically throughout the wet/rainy season, and in the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula locations. If you have actually never ever crossed a river in the past, please watch somebody else go initially!

Put your automobile into 4X4 mode, go sluggish, and take note of the path. Some rivers aren’t crossed straight, however need you to increase or down stream prior to leaving. This can be due to concealed barriers, depth, or merely the very best entry/exit points.

7. International Chauffeur’s License

No, you do not require an worldwide chauffeur’s license to drive in Costa Rica or lease a vehicle there. Simply bring your passport, charge card, and your chauffeur’s license from your house nation. So yes, you can drive in Costa Rica with a United States chauffeur’s license.

8. Additional Suggestions For Leasing A Cars And Truck & & Driving In Costa Rica

• Lock your doors while driving in Costa Rica, and never ever leave prized possessions noticeable in your cars and truck.
• Pedestrians do not truly have right of way in Costa Rica. Suggesting if you nicely drop in the roadway to let somebody cross, they’ll be puzzled, and the cars and truck behind you will not anticipate it– which might trigger a mishap! This is comparable in Mexico and other parts of Central America.
• Do not reserve a vehicle without checking out the business evaluates. You’ll discover a lot of bad evaluations for every single business (individuals enjoy to grumble online), however attempt to choose one with the LEAST bad evaluations.
• You might not constantly get the make/model/type of cars and truck you scheduled. If they provide you a smaller sized cars and truck, or a handbook when you requested for an automated, be aggressive and request an upgrade.
• Examine your cars and truck completely and record video on your mobile phone mentioning damage prior to you leave. This is a backup if they try to charge you for damage that was currently there. This is a typical cars and truck rental fraud in Costa Rica …
• Take notice of if your Costa Rica rental cars and truck takes routine gas or diesel fuel, so you fill with the right type at gasoline station.
• Usage Google Maps on your mobile phone for instructions rather of leasing a GPS gadget. Merely utilize your own hands-free cars and truck install and a excellent worldwide cellular phone strategy

9. Mishap & & Breakdown Info

In an emergency situation, you can call the Costa Rican Emergency Situation Contact Number which is 911, similar to in the United States. They have an English speaking line too.

Nevertheless if your cars and truck merely breaks down, and nobody is hurt, its most likely much better to call your Costa Rican cars and truck rental business’s own emergency situation roadside support number found on the rental arrangement.

Enjoy Your Costa Rica Journey!

Checking out the little towns, beautiful beaches, jungle mountains, and national forests of Costa Rica in a rental cars and truck was certainly the best option for us.

Self-drive trip enable you to leave the beaten track to see things many people miss out on! ★

Lease A Cars And Truck In Costa Rica

Browse both regional and worldwide cars and truck rental business to assist you discover a bargain.