www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I will be renting a car over in san juan for 3 days. Any tips? how are the driving conditions? I want to head out towards the coast for some fishing. I have driven in Bogota,Colombia before and assume the roads and driving conditions should be the same. Look forward to any advice and feed back.

HI,
I also looked into car (van or 4runner) rental for our group of 4 guys next week. We are spending a couple of days in SJ before heading down to Jaco for a couple of days. We only needed the truck for the Jaco days, but decided to hire a driver that would be at our becken call 24/7. The cost for a 4runner was around $130/day including all of the insurances and other add on's, and the driver (has his own van) is costing us $110/day. If you want his name PM me and i'll get it from my buddy.

Hal01

Renting cars in Costa Rica are really more trouble than they are worth.

Taxis are everywhere in San Jose. You can even have a van take you to Jaco for about $60.

There is also reliable bus service from San Jose to Jaco for $17.
Once in Jaco you can take a taxi anywhere for less than 1000c.
It's not that big of a place.

And no, the road to Jaco is not like driving around Bogota. It goes from 4-lane to cow path.

It's your money but is it worth the hassle?

I would suggest doing some more research here on CRT.

thanks for the info. I rented the car for i think 35 dollars a day, so i thought it would be economical and i could go where i wanted to go freely, that was my initial rational thought. but i will look more into it now, thanks witling.

Renting cars are expensive. The roads suck. A common scam at car rental places is to charge you for every scratch on the car whether they were put there by you or not. The insurance that you sign states you out out a grand if car is stolen or you wreck. When you rent the car you spend too much time concerned about what might happen to it. It is common for thugs to smash the window to get to your luggage.
Cars are useful to access guanacaste and the north but if you just want two days fishing off jaco it might not be worth it.

Forget the car. I took a local bus to Jaco for about $3 and met a chica in the bus terminal that came with me to jaco for the weekend. She did me and my 2 buddies for the weekend for about $50(total).
You can't find that in the gulch!

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Just for a slightly different perspective, these guys' warnings are WAAAYYY overstated.

First off, I don't have a clue where anyone would get a rate of $130/day for a 4runner. After adding taxes and insurance to your $35 rate you'll end up at the much more typical $50/day.

Second while some of the roads can be pretty bad and the drivers crazy, it is not nearly as bad as these guys make it out. I've also driven in Colombia and would have to say the roads are as good or better than over there. The big difference is that in Colombia one has to also worry about road banditry. Bogota is a city with city traffic, just like SJ. Once you get out of the city the Pan-American highway from SJ to Atenas is a straight high speed drive through the central valley. From Atenas to Orotina the road has to descend through the mountains to the coast and is definitely twisty just like mountain roads in Columbia or for that matter parts of the US. But calling it a cowpath is a gross exxageration. After Orotina the road becomes straightand fast again.

Third, while security is definitely a concern it is not as bad as made out. I've heard the one about the car rental places nailing you for minor scratches. I've always had them document every little ding before signing for my car and have never had a problem when I returned it. Rental cars are targets for theives. So be careful where you park it or leave it unattended (the Rio Tarcoles river crossing and crocodile feeding spot on the way to Jaco is one notorious place for break-ins). Again, I've never had a problem with theft. Unless you get the full insurance, you will be subject to the $100 deductible or whatever it is if our car is stolen or damaged. How often do you have wrecks? I've always "self-insured" for the deductible amount (i.e. passed on the expensive full coverage) and have never had to pay any extra. Sure it can happen, but these same guys who fret over the deductible think nothing about taking bigger risks at the tutes table at the casinos in the Gulch. the worst thing to ever happen to my car on any trip was a flat tire.

Now that I've played the devils advocate and presented the other side of the case, would I recommend a single guy rent a car for a 2 day trip to Jaco? Probably not. As pointed out, shuttle vans to Jaco cost only around $17 each way and public buses are dirt cheap at just a few bucks. Getting around once your at Jaco is also easy. There are cheap cabs or you can rent a bike or moped. In Hal's case it is more of a toss-up. If one takes a more realistic $50/day for a rental car divided by 4 guys that comes out to $25 each for the 2 days compared to $55 each for the private driver, $34 r/t for each guy if they take the shuttle or just a few dollars if they take the public bus.

Of course its not just about costs. Taking a bus or shuttle is more restricted as to choice of departure times and any desired stops along the way. And for those of us who like to rent, its not just about where you are going but how you get there. Personally, I enjoy driving in CR and appreciate the freedom to go whereever and whenever I want. But I know its not for everyone. If one wants the freedom and personal control without having to do the driving oneself, one can also get that with a private driver but at higher cost. OTOH, if one does not want to worry at all about the risks of renting and driving in CR and/or doesn't have travel partners to help split the costs and wants to save a lot of money and doesn't mind sacrificng a little spontaniety and flexibility of scheduling a shuttle van or public bus is definitely the way to go.

Prolijo...I was waiting for you to jump in here

I concur with everything Prolijo has stated with the exception of the cost of a 4runner. A 4-cylinder vehicle with insurance will indeed cost you about $50 per day, but a larger size 4-wheel drive/SUV type vehicle would indeed cost in the $130 range as Hal01 stated.

I've always enjoyed having a rental car there, and never had a problem. I've rented one on perhaps 12 or 13 trips. I've always rented with Alamo, with the exception of Hertz on two occasions. I would recommend Alamo. The only problems I had was when I stayed at the Morazan, which doesn't have a parking lot. The first time driving in CR I was somewhat intimidated, but since then, I've actually enjoyed driving there. Then again, I lived in and drove around Boston for 10 years, so I was
somewhat accustomed to 'wild and crazy' drivers, the circles, etc.
I've also used the Gray Line van/bus service on five or six occasions, and flown to Quepos quite a few times. If I were staying only in San Jose, then I definitely would not have a rental car, but if you plan on venturing outside the city, I would recommend a rental car.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

This thread and opinions gets repeated about every other month.

Having lived here 3 years, I still say you can get a driver and vehicle at your disposal for not much more than the rental and insurance costs of an SUV. And if you plan to drive to the beaches, you DO want an SUV because the roads suck big time. And driving is NOT the same here as the USA. You tack on the additional benefits of Chauffer so YOU can enjoy the beautiful sites you came to see, the translation and negotiation services a driver can provide (unless you speak fluent Spanish), and the risk of tickets and breakdowns in a strange country where you are a mark...I just think renting driver and their vehicle makes the most sense for short term. I only bought a car here for business...the first 6 months i didnt own a car...and LOVED it. Americans CAN get used to being chauffered .

That's nonsense. I've had a rental car and gone to the beaches perhaps a dozen times, and EVERY time I've had a 4-cylinder (automatic) vehicle
(Yaris?). Like I stated a few months ago, you don't need a four-wheel drive vehicle or an SUV unless you plan to go 'off-road' (dirt roads in the mountains) in the rainy ('green') season.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Some guys are more adventurous than others...Depends on which beach you want to go. Some you will NOT get there in a Yaris . OK...I'm done with this thread...again...

for $50 i get a cab for the day, anywhere i want to go.
that is luxury for me.
why rent when you can have a chauffure?

I see some really low prices being talked about for rental cars. I've never gotten prices near this low. Is full coverage insurance included in these prices? Maybe you guys have good coverage through your credit card. Mi Amor, where do you get that cab service for $50 for a day? Will he go outside of San Jose also? That is a real value there.

I just ask evry cab i get in how much for all day tomorow.
they always start at $100 but will bargain.
i wnet to jaco twice for that with different cabs

Prolijo"]Just for a slightly different perspective, these guys' warnings are WAAAYYY overstated.

First off, I don't have a clue where anyone would get a rate of $130/day for a 4runner. After adding taxes and insurance to your $35 rate you'll end up at the much more typical $50/day.



I "thought" I did quite a bit of reasearch. If you (prolijo) know of a rental agency where I can get a 2005 4 Runner for $50 all inclusive I'll take 2! This was the best I could find : http://www.flatratestravel.com/carrentals.htm

We are a group of 4 grown men (2 of us former NHL'ers) We need the room of a van or SUV.

We are paying $110 per day for a driver with Van to be at our service 24/7. Take us to Quepos fishing, to our Canopy Tour, Surfing in Hermosa, etc, etc, while we are in Jaco.

If anyone knows of a Van driver that will pick us at at the Amon Plaza, drive us to Jaco. Be at our service 24/7, for 3 days and return to the Amon Plaza, provide for his own accomadations, food etc for less that $110.00/day please let me know.

I'd appreciate it very much.. Thanks, Hal01



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Till my next Costa Rican adventure<BR>