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We are flying into san jose on nature air and will be landing at pavas airport . We want to rent a car and drive over to the beach. All the online car rental sites ask which city and when you put san jose they assume you are going to sjo. My question is how can I rent a car and be sure it will be at pavas airport ? Also, someone told me I don't need the insurance because my credit card company was already covering me. Any truth to that? Thanks alot.

I am not sure about how to get a car at Pavas, but I can answer the second part of your question.

Yes and no. When renting a car in Costa Rica, you need to have 2 different types of coverage: CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) and SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance). You don't have to buy CDW if you book using a major credit card and they cover it. You should call your card company to see if they cover rental cars. SLI is one that most people have to pay for. If you can prove that your car insurance company at home covers rental cars in Costa Rica, you won't have to buy it either, but most don't cover rentals outside of the US and maybe Canada.

Pavas is close enough to SJ that you may want to take a taxi to the rental place may save alot of confusion MHO

Get the extra ins. Spend the extra few dollars a day for piece of mind. When you return the car they will try to find every little scratch.

forget about driving 3.5 hs or more thru the mountains--fly Nature Air out of Pavas to the beach and be there in 25-40 mins and rent a car there. Coordinate the times. Website.

I didn't think it took 3,5 hrs. I saw where someone said it was more like 1.5 hrs. Anybody know how long it takes to drive over to Jaco? We will absolutely fly over to Quepos if it takes 3.5 hrs. to driveit.

It's app2.5 to Jaco, 3.5 to Quepos. If you are going to the beach for the beach--Quepos/Manuel Antonio, my favorite in the world. If you want to play around, Jaco, but beach is sucky, though a few nice ones not that far, but not like M.Antonio.