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we’ll be in country 55 days and are trying to figure out the best way to rent a car. Any recommendations. At $39/day that most quote, that’s over $2,000.
This question has been raised before, Darby, but no one seems to have a good answer.
When I last rented, a couple of years ago, Avis was offering some price breaks on longer-term rentals. You might check what they’re offering now, then see if you can work a better deal. Send ’em an e-mail and twist their arm. Or, better still, call them.
This is the “low” season, and they probably have plenty of cars to rent. For a two-month rental, they might get friendly.
Good luck.
Car rentals always turn out to be the biggest expense when I visit. This is a third world country and I see so many people walking along the roadsides. (Costa Ricans must be some of the healthiest people on the planet)I see others peddling their bikes in the mountains around Palmares and I am astounded as to how they make the uphill grades. Buses are supposedly abundant but, as a spoiled gringo, I need my own car so I will just have to pay the premium.
The cheapest I have seen SHORT TERM car rentals has been around $35 per day all inclusive. Monthly rentals don’t seem that much cheaper either.
Good luck.Sprite….Sorry but I don’t think Costa Rica is a Third World Country and I don’t think most would appriciate that description.
Terry From TexasDavid and Sprite are right. No good answer on this one.
Sprite – Costa Rica is NOT a “third world country”, and wasn’t even during the Cold War when the term was more valid.
These categories were coined to describe political/economic conditions that no longer fit these days.
First World meant Western (i.e. not communist), economically developed countries
Second World meant developing, non-communist countries
Third World meant undeveloped non-communist countries
Fourth World meant communist countries
These days the labels “developed”, “developing” and “undeveloped” or “underdeveloped” make more sense, and lack the ego-centric ranking and political nuance.
You want “third world”, try Haiti or Honduras. Did you know that San Jose was the 2nd city in the world to have electric street lights, after NYC? That digital cell phones and bluetooth were in use there long before here in the U.S.? Using “Third World” to describe CR is an insult.
Just a friendly reminder. I’m sure you weren’t being malicious.
Thanks for the correction. Of course, I was not being malicious. I love Costa Rica just the way it is. The term “Third World Country” is widely used in general language to describe a lower standard of living relative to countries which are industrialized and enjoy the highest standard of living. Political correctness now dictates that “Developing Country” be used in place of third world, however, both terms refer to countries like Costa Rica.
It feels to me like somewhat of a personal affront when anyone else refers to Costa Rica as a third world country. They usually use the term when spotlighting negatives as do I. But I have chosen Cost Rica OVER the United States despite all the negatives, and I do not consider economic development the only standard of measurement for quality. I guess I should listen to HOW I speak more closely in future. :-}To me, a “third world country” is one where sanitation is a problem, clean drinking water is not available, political upheaval is rampant, and the rest of the world’s developed nations send aid.
None of this applies to Costa Rica.
Why is it that anything that is not the same as North America is considered a negative? If the combination of “positives” is enough to make you want to leave there, doesn’t that make North America a negative?
In Vancouver, Canada, the papers were filled with people who were offended by immigrants who wanted their adoptive country to be more like their homeland.
Leave your culture behind and adopt the culture of the country you have moved to.Sorry, I get offended when people want to move here, but want it to be just like home.
I once rented from a low cost all inclusive 4 by 4 guy who can’t be named in person on this website for some reason and got a total junker that was a pain in the butt. I would stick to the big well known companies in Costa Rica. At least you’ll get a decent car even if it does cost a few bucks a day more.
I’ve done very well with dollar when booking over the internet. No overcharges or other surprises on my credit card bill upon returning. Just make sure you understand the insurance situation, I usually go with the liability and pay with a card that offers collision. But the devil is in the details on this one so read the collision policy that your card offers and how payment is handled should you need to use it…
I couldn’t agree more — leave your Ding-Dong’s, Triscuits, McDonald’s in the US and learn to live and think outside the box.
In no way would I want to see Costa Rica become like “home”. I have decided to leave “home” for Costa Rica precisely because it is not like home. However, I also am pragmatic enough to not gloss over the negatives that I encountered in Costa Rica. Dealing with those problems is part of the experience and part of the adventure.
But taking on a prideful attitude that ignores problems in Costa Rica is the same as sticking your head in the sand and not much different than those who insist on seeing 100% of their culture wherever they go. Both attitudes are missing out on reality.Greetings,
I am an expat and have lived in this region for more than 15 years. I am a VIP tour guide. I specialize in sports fishing., but am familiar with all the tourist activities in Costa Rica. I like to help other people (no VIP)and would like to share my experience in this forum.
because of my job i known a little local cia here how could give you a very good price for 2 month,they are serious and no probleme at all (i use them for my clients).but they will need the exacte dates.it is very important for find you a good price.but it’s depent also about the model.the cheap one is the suzuki Jimmy,and after the Terrios.
(for the moderator)
i am not selling nothing just helping.hi,
Darby.
i check on my friend for the 55 days,they can give you at 1800 USD. a terrios 2005
with CDW incluse.
no taxe for extra driver.
no extra for pick-up and drop-off (san Jose).
assistence 24/7
ok i hope this will help you
best regards
Winf.I left Canada not because I didn’t like it, but because Costa Rica was a new experience for my family. New culture, new language, different speed, and a whole list of other differences.
I would hate to see that those differences would be considered negatives. I can cross the border from Canada into the US by car in about 20 minutes. Yesterday, I spent 10 hours getting from Nicaragua into Costa Rica. Both of these crossings are a result of the cultural differences, so is one wrong and the other right? Certainly one is more efficient, but the other has people selling food and drinks and sitting around talking while they wait. They accept that entering a country takes time and don’t seem stressed about it. I learned a lot about their process and will likely only take 2 hours next time. Pura Vida!Possibly being accepting of different values is a prideful attitude I don’t know. But ignoring the problems is not the same as accepting that it is part of the country, good and bad.
Not that anyone needs my advice, but when you add the negatives and the positives, is it still some place you want to live given that you probably can’t change it?When it changes too much for me and is NOT worth it, maybe I’ll move to Cuba or England or somewhere else. For me, the last 15 years here have gone by quickly and I still want to stay.
Pura Vida
Alberto
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