Rental Car for trip to Costa Rica

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  • #160929
    davek
    Member

    Can anyone give me some advice on where to rent a reliable rental car near SJO airport. We are traveling all over the country during the two weeks we will be there and do not want to deal with break-downs. I understand that there are insurances that we need to have but the last time I rented, I had no idea if what I paid was fair or not. Insurance was more than the rental. Any advice would be appreciated.
    Thanks
    Dave

    #160930
    jdocop
    Member

    post removed due to risk of offending forum members.

    #160931
    billw888
    Member

    I visit four or five times a year on business. I’ve had pretty good luck with Alamo near the airport. They take you from the airport in a shuttle van. I’ve noticed that rental rates for my next trip soon seem a bit more expensive than usual even though it is the high travel season. Alamo has unlimited mileage rentals. Budget seems to have a new location not far from the Alamo site, but I haven’t rented from Budget in a while. If you are using a Visa card, it automatically covers the CDW. There is a mandatory insurance charge though. Good luck and watch your speed throughout the country. Not only for safety but to avoid tickets.

    #160932
    costaricafinca
    Participant

    It seems that if you take a taxi to the company’s nearest office, and pick up your vehicle [i]there[/i] but not [i]’book it from the airport'[/i] you will get a cheaper rate.

    #160933
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    That’s right, crf. If you take physical possession of the car at the airport, there’s a fifteen percent surcharge. All the rental agencies’ offices are nearby and they’ll all pick you up.

    If you pay with a Platinum card, it will cover some of the optional insurance. Check with your bank for details.

    The mandatory insurance is . . . mandatory. And since it is required by law, and since only INS is authorized to issue insurance policies here, there’s no escaping it. We had guests whose Canadian insurance agent wrote a letter stating that they would cover all their liabilities. The rental agency couldn’t accept it because the Canadian company isn’t authorized to do insurance business in Costa Rica.

    #160934
    arce
    Member

    hola todos

    anyone had experience with

    http://www.renta4x4incostarica.com ?

    they look more affordable

    thanks

    #160935
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    As with all things, you tend to get what you pay for.

    #160936
    gkbiz
    Member

    [quote=”billw888″] Good luck and watch your speed throughout the country. Not only for safety but to avoid tickets.[/quote]
    This brought a smile to my face. A few months ago , I was pulled over a few KM south of Jaco by 2 of the areas finest traffic officers. Reason:passing on a double yellow line. They knew exactly where to wait for the suckers. After much discussion together, the officer that spoke English came back to my window and started mumbling something about some “police health benefit fund” and if I would care to donate. Well, I certainly felt goodness in my heart and gave them 10,000 colones for their “charity”. The officer quickly told me not to make the donation visible to passers by as he snatched it discreetly from my hand. Pura Vida

    #160937
    Ronny
    Member

    I really wish people wouldn’t “make donations” when being pulled over by police. Would you ever consider doing it at home?
    It encourages corruption and the likelyhood of gringos being shaken down more often on the side of the road.
    A smile and a “No thank you, I would prefer to pay the ticket” usually results in them letting you go without an infraction.

    #160938
    gkbiz
    Member

    In theory RONY, you are correct. But not speaking Spanish or understanding written Spanish (the small print on the ticket)presented a real problem for me, the Gringo who in this case was leaving CR one week later. What if I had to appear in some type of traffic court? The unknown consequences of the ticket were too great.

    #160939
    Ronny
    Member

    I thought you said that the officer spoke english.
    In any case you can pay for minor infractions at any bank.
    I’ve been pulled over countless times in the past 27 years and have yet to pay a fine or bribe…maybe I’m just lucky but if I’m guilty of something, I would rather pay the fine.

    #160940
    jdocop
    Member

    post removed due to risk of offending forum members.

    #160941
    cathyopland
    Member

    [quote=”arce”]hola todos

    anyone had experience with

    http://www.renta4x4incostarica.com ?

    they look more affordable

    thanks[/quote]

    I have heard good things about this company and am giving them a try in February.

    #160942
    fredo
    Member

    [quote=”cathyopland”][quote=”arce”]hola todos

    anyone had experience with

    http://www.renta4x4incostarica.com ?

    they look more affordable

    thanks[/quote]

    I rented from them for 3 months a year and a half ago. Good, friendly service. Of course, I lived in EL Cajon, so they were down the road from me. If they had been farther away, who knows?

    fred

    #160943
    *Lotus
    Member

    In seven years Dollar has always been great, never an over charge after the fact. Unless you are going off the beaten path a small car will do just fine. For instance on our last trip we drove from San Jose to Playa Hermosa/Jaco and from PH to Dominical with little side trips, no problemo. Certainly a 4×4 can come in handy if you are in remote areas. We use our CC card to cover our “collision” insurance. In December we paid a total of $400 dollars for 13 days.

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