www.CostaRicaTicas.com

If you have an Amex card issued in the U.S. call them and have them add full rental insurance for abroad on your card. The charge is about $25 and covers about 2 weeks or so of a rental. You are covered for ALL damage/liability with high limits on the car. Anytime you rent and use the Amex card after enabling this coverage you will be so covered. Other premium cards may have the same deal.

Why rent when you can buy. I say buy the 10,000.00 SUV drive it for a week or two then when you leave give it to the girl that treated you the best. You could even make a contest out of it with the girls...... I will not pay you for sex,but whoever rocks my boat the best while I am here gets the car...... Ok I would not do it either.

Anyone tried TRICOLOR?> I have a MC so the extra insurance is covered if I use my CC. I am considering using them. Any thoughts?>

I have not used them. I used Hertz near the airport again last week for $184.00 for 7 days. No issues. Car was very small. Filled it up for around $34.00.
What kind of rate are they offering?

I've rented from Europcar totaling probably 150 days over the last 2 years and always had great experiences. Excellent service, no rip-offs, great prices.

272 including Liability with GPS.

My only worries about Tricolor and Europa and a few of the others vs Budget or Hertz or Avis is if you are outside of the Valley and you get a malfunction problem. That could really be a malfunction for a few days.

I did not see the Hertz pricing nor did I see what additional things they want to charge.

READ THE FINE PRINT!

You may be right, Amex may provide full coverage. But here's my experience:

MasterCard Platinum too provides coverage. And I used it, no problem.
HOWEVER, my last trip I read the fine print and here's what it says (paraphrased):

Any damage done on non-paved roads or even off the paved road, is not covered! That means if you go almost anywhere in Costa Rica outside of San Jose' you are not going to be covered if that clause is in there!

So maybe Amex's is different but ask for a copy of the policy and read the fine print re "off road" damage.

Just fyi I used Budget several times in the past, never had a problem, in fact I am pretty sure I caused a couple minor dings and they didn't say anything. I used an operator TravelCity or something like that who contracts with Budget last time I was there - last year - and again I had a ding I was afraid I'd get charged for. No charge.

That said, personally aside from the fact I HATE paying for full insurance - it's OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive! - I would not drive in Costa Rica without it; you are risking owing 10-20k dollars U.S. if you get in an accident without it.

Tip 1: Take photos of the entire car. If you are charged for something at least you can go back and look to see and prove if the damage was already there or not.

Tip 2: Be careful as hell with the traffic violations! U-Turns, speeding etc incur fines HIGHER than most U.S. cities. Crazy but true. And there you don't even have the option to go to traffic court and plead "guilty with an explanation" like you do in some part of the U.S.

Quote: Tip 1: Take photos of the entire car. If you are charged for something at least you can go back and look to see and prove if the damage was already there or not.

Including the trunk and the interior and the wheels and under the hood. Make sure you get some identifier in with the fotos that proves date and time and place, like getting the guy that's with you doing the inspection in a frame or two, and for location, get some of the rental bldg in your shots. Older Sony digital cameras were easy to program for the date to be in, newer Sony's you have to put the date in after hooking up to a computer, at least with the one I have. I also do a video as well which makes all of the above easy. If there's a beef and you have to fight it out with them via your CC company, that'll be the decisive factor. Trust me they will have their photo's from your alleged damage and an estimate of repairs sent to your CC compnay, I know first hand from another agency.

Make sure every little ding and scratch or cig burn or missing lights or lens (Budget takes out the entire fog lights, and some emblems, anticipating theft or maybe they are already stolen) is written on the inspection report. The guy will say si, si aqui, but mabe not exactly there. Language barrier. He's in a mild hurry. Don't be in a hurry. I always put in block letters "Carro/coche foto'd y video" on the inspection report. I think bringing it back to the same location minimizes the bullshit. These 20 minutes can save you pain. Have your camera ready in your carry-on so your not digging around in your other luggage when you get there.

When they roll it out, check the odometer. Too many klicks? Ask for another. Test drive it. I usually don't get stick shifts, but you can get one with a pain in the ass pedal to the metal clutch, or bad a/c, or a quirky radio (and learn how it works), or out of tune engine, or a sticky seat belt/emergency brake warning beep beep beep. Check all the ext/int lights. Check under the hood for missing caps, full radiator, oil, power steering, brake fluid, battery fluid, squeeky belts.

Get instructions from them on how to change a flat. I know you know how to change a flat, but I mean where you insert the jack for a front or rear lift. Not obvious on some of them. Last month I had a Dia or something like that, shortened name, fom China, sweet little mini SUV, loved it. Dia not sold in the US I learned when I got back. The jack locations were weird for a gringo. You want to do big damage to the running board or front or back fender? Jack it up where it wasn't supposed to be jacked.

Clean up the inside before return, There's a "trashed out" fee at Budget. Shake out the floor mats. If they see alot of sand, they're going to be feeling for water on the floor boards thinking you may have waded thru a stream, probably only beach sand, but now you've got them on the hunt. But I bring it back with the exterior dusty if i can. One more thing, don't let your chica smoke in the car unless you want to risk a burnt seat.

They are strict about the return 1 hr grace period. One time when I was leaving my condo in Jaco with enough time to get to SJ but there was a major problem at the Jaco red light and things were all messed up on Rt 34. I called Budget 800 # US and they said no problem, 4 hs, they'd make the contact. Worked. Keep that number handy. Always book your stuff from the States thru Budget or Avis or National or Economy, etc USA. Make a copy of your confirmation. One time I flew direct NY to Liberia and went to the rental office. They jacked me another $40 for airport fee despite my confirmation which did not have it. They only have one office there, no off-site lot for pick-up. A rip. Paid it, got back to NY, got it refunded.

I have had dozens of great experiences with Budget, member Diablo posted a horror story which surprised me.

By now it must be obvious that it's cheaper and less risky to hire a driver or take taxis than it is to rent a car in Costa Rica. The rental car makes you a target for both thieves and the policia. A savvy and vetted driver can help keep you out of trouble reagardless of your level of intoxication from too much chica or too much alchohol.

_________________
Slut Puppy in Training

Is low self esteem a prerequisite for being a good Ho or is it a result? ;-)

Not so fast Lenny! I just got off the phone with Amex. This coverage costs $24.95 and is good for 42 consecutive days. They will not cover you if you go off roading, but if you have a loss to the car on a dirt road or a non paved road they will still cover you. With this coverage you can decline CDW (collision damage waiver) or LDW (loss damage waiver). Other suggestions, re taking a photo of the car before and after ....why not. Good idea. One further comment, two of the worst roads in my 9 years here were: 1. Road between Quepos and Dominical, dirt and like a washboard with a few streams to cross (Jeep Wrangler took it in stride). Now it's paved, straight and a speed trap.; 2. Some damn little road going to Tamarindo, all dirt, worse than the one I mentioned before. Now unless you're on the old "monkey road" that goes from Playa Samara to Tamarindo along the ocean (still dirt road, a few streams to cross and a damn lot of fun) most of the other roads in that area a re paved.