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Hi, will arrive at SJO airport next week. I will be renting a SUV, have not made a
reservation yet. My question is, do you think the price is cheaper to just walk into
a car rental place the day I arrive, instead of pre booking via internet for a 4WD SUV?
Car rental is so outrageous in CR.Thank you in advance for a response.
CelesteMy personal experience is that it is better to negotiate before you get there – there are many rental sites, and they will correspond via email. We have found that the dollar rent a car to be very reliable and have been happy with their services
Its almost always cheaper to make your reservation from stateside. also use a rental company that has a place off the airport grounds, say down the street but nearby. any agency within the airport has to pay fees so rental rate is higher. Also during the rainy season its alot easier to find what you are looking for.
If you’re picky about what you rent, make the reservation on-line. Specify that you’ll be paying with a Platinum VISA card and your VISA account should cover some of the optional insurance.
And also specify that you’ll pick the car up at the agency’s office which will be close to the airport. That avoids the 15% surcharge the airport imposes for on-site pickup. Usually, the rental place will meet you but a taxi to their office will still be much cheaper.
If you are getting out of the valley you need to have an SUV with some guts, so it is best to tie up your choice ahead of time. Our experience has been that out of San Jose, your car could save you a lot of anguish and it is best to stay with main line companies with new vehicles.
“…..and it is best to stay with main line companies with new vehicles.” I second that. There are, in my opinion, some pretty sleezy car rental places in Costa Rica. I have access to a vehicle there now but in the past I rented and found it cheaper in the long run to pay a few dollars more and use a well known larger company.
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