Car rental Costa Rica

General information and regulations

Because of mediocre roads, riddled with holes, paved with bumps and often not even paved with asphalt, driving through Costa Rica is serious business and hard work. Reduce your speed, even without obvious reason and if you plan to go off-road (off the main roads that is), rent a 4WD.

On highways, cars pass along the left AND right side and it is recommended to fill up before leaving. Fuel stations are not abundantly present, so pay attention to this.

The maximum speed is 56mph/90kph although a limit of 40mph/60kph is maintained in many urban areas. The minimum age for renting a car is 21 years.

Driving in Costa Rica with a rental car

The capital of San José is located centrally and considering the size of Costa Rica, the whole country can be reached easily from here. It lies at a distance of 116 km from Puerto Limón along the Caribbean Sea, known for its banana trade. The coastal town can be reached in a little more than 2 hrs.

Other places well worth a visit include Puerto Viejo, further along the Caribbean coast. A genuine tropical paradise is Puerto Quepos, at a mere 60 km (one hour) South of San José.

Furthermore, backpackers' rendezvous Montezuma is worth a visit. Situated at a peninsula and hard to reach, although the enchanting beaches and roughed surroundings make up for it.

Renting a car in Costa Rica

The airport of San José houses several car rental companies, under which Alamo, Budget and Europcar. Arranging a car upfront is another option, EasyTerra compares the rates of local companies for your convenience.