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Hello:
We will be in San Jose in January and we will be driving to Tamarindo. Any good Car rental places where they don’t “get you” with hidden insurance fees? I’m sure we have to pay for some insurance but…just wondering if anyone has had a good car rental agent/agency.Stick with the main rental car companies for they have newer, more dependable vehicles that are maintained. There are some good local ones too such as POAS and ToyotaRents. Liability insurance is mandatory in Costa Rica and most all of the companies will be happy to provide you with an all-in cost quote including liability insurance and taxes (add 50% to the quoted daily or weekly rate). What they try to sell you at the time of rental is the all inclusive insurance that covers theft, vandalism and no liability or decutible if in an accident. However, the critical element to making sure this happens, is to contact the police, file a report and wait for an INS agent to assess the damage at the scene. In more remote parts of the country this is extremely difficult to do, especially if you do not have a cell phone and/or cannot give anyone Tico directions.
What grb said and then some . . .
Pick your rental car up at the rental agency’s office, not at the airport. The offices are all nearby. If you take the car at the airport, there’s a fifteen percent surcharge on the entire cost.
Also, your Platinum VISA (and maybe other) credit card carries some rental car insurance benefits. Check with your credit card company before you leave home.
We and others have done well with Economy, Tri-Color, Avis and Payless as well as POAS and ToyotaRents. Be very wary of the unknown companies. As a friend of mine used to say, “If it seems really cheap it probably is.”
Also, when you take possession of the car, go over it physically very, very carefully. Have the company agent note every scratch, dent and rub mark. Be sure there’s a spare tire, a jack and a jack handle. If you do not do this, you’re liable to be charged for whatever is damaged or missing and not noted.
Edited on Oct 28, 2009 11:46
Thank you for the information grb and DavidCMurray, great help. Can’t wait to get to a warm weather it’s already cold and gloomy here in Massachusetts.
“Cold”? “Cold?” What’s that like? I’ve forgotten.
Here, it’s about 74 degrees F. And I’m in shorts, as I have been for the past four years or so.
Rub it in…some of us can’t get away as often as we’d like:) plus some snow is good for you instead of just drinking and enjoying the sun and the beaches and the sun (did I say that already), skiing will be a good change..think of that!
Enjoy the sun I really don’t care much about the snow or the cold. If it’s up to me I’ll move to Costa Rica in a heartbeat but alas!
I’m assuming you’re in Costa Rica, yes?I was there in June and we used Enterprise. They were a good price and good to deal with. We had a problem with the vehicle and they sent someone down from SJ to Quepos to swap them out. Pouring rain (of course) and after dark.
I’ve rented with 4×4 Rent-a-car and never had any issues, actually just booked again for January. They’re a local company and rent older vehicles, but for the price it’s great.
We’ve had good luck using Budget (outside of the airport) a number of times. They never prod us to buy more insurance than we need.
Ditto,
We have used this company 3 times and each time was great. The owner tells you how much up front, including insurance. No surprises at the counter like some of the other larger companies. True, his vehicles are older but they are reliable and get good gas mileage. The 4×4’s came in handy navigating roads where ground clearance was a necessity and the 4×4 came in handy a few times.
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