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We are flying into San Jose for the first time and are planning on spending a few weeks in diferent ares of Costa Rica. We are planning on renting a car and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on where and what type of car to rent.
[quote=”user979024″]We are flying into San Jose for the first time and are planning on spending a few weeks in diferent ares of Costa Rica. We are planning on renting a car and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on where and what type of car to rent.[/quote]
Adobe did us right: 4WD Suzuki Jimny. Delivered to hotel.[url=http://goinglikesixty.com/2011/02/costa-rica-initializing-choose-4wd-and-gps-and-gsm/]But it’s an ovary osterizer according to my wife.[/url] Just make sure you do get a 4WD, you may not intend to get off the beaten path, but…
Don’t forget the GPS!
Need a phone? cellphonescr.com uses 3G phones – will deliver to hotel too.
Need a hotel first night? Adventure Inn is close to airport with free taxi ride. (See Trip Advisor for reviews)
Need places to stay that are fun unusual adventurous? PM me.
(Just got back – I’m just a fan of CR!)
The compact SUV’s such as the Jimmy and Terios will usually be the least expensive but performance and comfort aren’t the greatest. You may find that you can rent a mid-sized SUV for not that much more if you shop around. Try Expedia, Orbitz, etc. Once you find the apparent best deals, go to the rental company’s own website to see if you can get a better price by booking direct.
Also, if you have an unlocked GSM cell phone from the states, bring it with you. You can buy prepaid chips here in which should work fine in most US cell phones.
Enjoy your visit!
Many of the car rental agencies will require that you agree not to take a 4wd vehicle off road. While Costa Rica’s roads clearly do leave something to be desired in some areas, especially during the (current) dry season I see little need for four-wheel drive. We own a 4wd vehicle and have activated the 4wd mechanism about four times in over five years. If I had it to do again, I wouldn’t pay for it.
My choice would be an automatic transmission mid-size sedan. It’ll be more comfortable, easier on our expensive gas, and give you a lockable trunk to hide valuables in.
Be sure to check the physical condition of the vehicle you rent very carefully and to have the agency note every speck of damage. Assure that it has a spare tire, a jack, a jack handle, and the legally required emergency kit. Check the function of the air conditioning, too.
Don’t take possession of your rental car at the airport. There’ll be a fifteen percent surcharge on the entire cost. Arrange for the agency to meet you at the airport and take you to their nearby office to get the car.
And if you have a Platinum credit card, your company will automatically provide some of the optional insurance coverage that the rental agency will otherwise recommend to you. Costa Rican law does, however, mandate that you buy certain coverage.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Many of the car rental agencies will require that you agree not to take a 4wd vehicle off road. While Costa Rica’s roads clearly do leave something to be desired in some areas, especially during the (current) dry season I see little need for four-wheel drive. [/quote]
We were heading to a finca and found ourselves on a loose gravel road. ( Not off-roading technically 😳 ) This was just past Alegria. The one near Union Rio Perla… Without 4WD we just spun our rears (tires 😆 ) on the loose gravel. Again, if you need 4WD, you [b]really[/b] need it.
[quote=”user979024″]We are flying into San Jose for the first time and are planning on spending a few weeks in diferent ares of Costa Rica. We are planning on renting a car and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on where and what type of car to rent.[/quote]
If you are going to drive in Costa Rica I hope you have a sense of adventure.
Is your Spanish adequate to ask directions?
We have no street numbers and everything is located by landmark rather than address.[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Many of the car rental agencies will require that you agree not to take a 4wd vehicle off road. While Costa Rica’s roads clearly do leave something to be desired in some areas, especially during the (current) dry season I see little need for four-wheel drive. We own a 4wd vehicle and have activated the 4wd mechanism about four times in over five years. If I had it to do again, I wouldn’t pay for it.
My choice would be an automatic transmission mid-size sedan. It’ll be more comfortable, easier on our expensive gas, and give you a lockable trunk to hide valuables in.
Be sure to check the physical condition of the vehicle you rent very carefully and to have the agency note every speck of damage. Assure that it has a spare tire, a jack, a jack handle, and the legally required emergency kit. Check the function of the air conditioning, too.
Don’t take possession of your rental car at the airport. There’ll be a fifteen percent surcharge on the entire cost. Arrange for the agency to meet you at the airport and take you to their nearby office to get the car.
And if you have a Platinum credit card, your company will automatically provide some of the optional insurance coverage that the rental agency will otherwise recommend to you. Costa Rican law does, however, mandate that you buy certain coverage.[/quote]
As usual, David, your advice is great. I have a 4WD Montero and I actually DO use the 4WD quite frequently, but that isn’t nearly as important to me as the higher ground clearance, larger tires and wheels, and heavy duty suspension of a mid-size/full-size SUV. Unless driving only on city streets and major highways, I still prefer an SUV for safety and comfort.
You didn’t ask about what to bring, but I’ll make suggestions anyway.
GENERAL – unless you are connected to the Central Valley “social scene”, you will find that most all of CR is very casual. Leave expensive jewelry & bling at home.
CENTRAL VALLEY – this is the nicest time of the year in the Central Valley. You will probably find yourself over-dressed (also, “over-packed”) in a sport coat (gentlemen) or cocktail dress (ladies). Simple is better, maybe a pair of slacks and collared shirt for dinner, but you will also see a lot of jeans and long sleeve T’s – it can get cool at night.
MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES – definately does get cool at night, but still casual is the norm.
BEACH COMMUNITIES – T’s, shorts, flip flops and bathing suits are the uniform of the day, and even the night.
Most of the towns have a laundry, some even have an “eco-laundry” or “green laundry”, so pack light and you’ll find that you’ll enjoy yourself just as much without all of the packing and unpacking at your stops along the way.
HAVE A GREAT TRIP!
Hi
We rented suzuki jimmy’s on 2 different occassions from 2 different rental companies. First time was Alamo and the 2nd time with Solid. I would highly recommend both. They have representatives at the airport that can transport your to their agency at no extra cost, and their rates were very reasonable.
We enjoyed the Dominical area (in the south pacific) and there was no way we could be without 4 wheel drive. Our first visit was during the rainy season in October and our 2nd was just this past January. Both companies knew that we had no choice but to use 4 wheel drive and that was not a problem. Be aware that some companies charge your credit card a large damage deposit which they refund once your vehicle is checked over at the end of your rental term. We had no problem navigating the roads with just our road map and did not feel the need for a gps system. I am already planning our next trip back. You will love it!![quote=”user979024″]We are flying into San Jose for the first time and are planning on spending a few weeks in diferent ares of Costa Rica. We are planning on renting a car and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on where and what type of car to rent.[/quote]
We just came back from CR. We rented a full size SUV from Payless. I made the reservation through Expedia in the US. Payless was polite and professional. They have a shuttle to pick up at the airport. They have several choices of insurance. I thought the full coverage with 0 deductible was expensive.
I have rented bunches of times and here are a couple of my suggestions which are strictly my own opinion.
[b]# 1[/b] PAY the extra $10 a day or whatever it is for a reliable GPS unit. Make sure the agent sets it up for you so that it speaks in [b]English[/b]. It is very much worth it.
[b]#2[/b] I would avoid the Suzuki’s especially if you will be doing a lot of driving. They can turn into a beat up old tin can very quickly (there’s a reason why they’re cheaper…). Again, pay up a few extra $$$ and get a more sturdy reliable and comfortable 4 Wheel Drive SUV like a Toyota Rava, Prado, Mitsubishi Montero etc.
[b]#3[/b] I would try and rent from one of the “majors” (Dollar..Avis etc.) that have multiple locations throughout CR. That way, if you’re near Manuel Antonio (i.e.) and something happens and the company you rented from has an office in Quepos, you will probably have a much quicker resolution to your problem compared to dealing with a smaller company that only has 1 office in San Jose.
[b]#4[/b] I have rented in the past from Dollar, Toyota, Alamo and Budget and never had any problem with any of them.
[b]#5[/b] [b]NEVER…NEVER[/b]…leave anything in your rental car if you’re going to be away from it for awhile. Always make sure your car is [b]EMPTY[/b] and even leave the windows open a crack or a little) if it is completely empty. Lots of car breakin’s in CR and you don’t want to invite that.
[b]# 6[/b] If you are using a major credit card for your car rental be sure and review the travel insurance benefits most credit card companies offer. There are certain types of “insurance” the car rental company will mandate that you have which in all likelihood is already provided as a benefit through your credit card company. Contact your credit card company for those terms so that you don’t wind up “paying twice” for something. Could possible save you $15 – $20 per day.
Have a pleasant trip.
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