Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [499]
Rental rates fluctuate wildly, so make sure you shop around before you commit to anything. Some agencies offer discounts if you reserve online or if you rent for long periods of time. Note that rental offices at the airport charge a 12% fee in addition to regular rates.
Thieves can easily recognize rental cars, and many thefts have occurred from them. Never leave anything in sight in a parked car – nothing! – and remove all luggage from the trunk overnight. Park the car in a guarded parking lot rather than on the street. We cannot stress enough how many readers send letters to us each year detailing thefts from their cars.
Motorcycles (including Harleys) can be rented in San José (Click here) and Escazú (Click here).
All of the major international car-rental agencies have outlets in Costa Rica, but you can usually get a better deal from one of the local companies:
Adobe (2259-4242, in USA 800-769-8422; www.adobecar.com) Reader-recommended with offices in Liberia, Tamarindo and Quepos.
Dollar (2443-2950, in USA 866-767-8651; www.dollarcostarica.com) One of the cheapest companies in Costa Rica with offices in both airports.
Poas (2442-6178, in USA 888-607-POAS; www.carentals.com) Service centers in Liberia, Tamarindo, La Fortuna and Guápiles.
Solid (2442-6000; www.solidcarrental.com) The only agency with offices in Puerto Jiménez and Golfito.
Return to beginning of chapter
Road Conditions & Hazards
Overall, driving in Costa Rica is for people with nerves of steel. The roads vary from quite good (the Interamericana) to barely passable (just about everywhere else). Even the good ones can suffer from landslides, sudden flooding and fog. Most roads are single-lane and winding, lacking hard shoulders; others are dirt-and-mud affairs that climb mountains and traverse rivers.
Drive defensively. Always expect to come across cyclists, a broken-down vehicle, a herd of cattle, slow-moving trucks or an oxcart around the next bend. Unsigned speed bumps are placed on some stretches of road without warning. (The locals lovingly refer to them as muertos, ‘the dead.’)
Most roads (except around the major tourist towns) are inadequately signed and will require at least one stop to ask for directions. Always ask about road conditions before setting out, especially in the rainy season; a number of roads become impassable in the rainy season.
Return to beginning of chapter
Road Rules
There are speed limits of 100km/h or less on all primary roads and 60km/h or less on secondary roads. Traffic police use radar, and speed limits are enforced with speeding tickets. You can get a traffic ticket for not wearing a seat belt. It’s illegal to stop in an intersection or make a right turn on a red. At unmarked intersections, yield to the car on your right. Driving in Costa Rica is on the right and passing is allowed only on the left.
If you are issued with a ticket, you have to pay the fine at a bank; instructions are given on the ticket. If you are driving a rental car, the rental company may be able to arrange your payment for you – the amount of the fine should be on the ticket. A portion of the money from these fines goes to a children’s charity.
Police have no right to ask for money, and shouldn’t confiscate a car, unless: the driver cannot produce a license and ownership papers; the car lacks license plates; the driver is drunk; or the driver has been involved in an accident causing serious injury. (For more on what to do in an accident, Click here.)
If you are driving and see oncoming cars with headlights flashing, it often means that there is a road problem or a radar speed trap ahead. Slow down immediately.
Return to beginning of chapter
HITCHHIKING
Hitchhiking is never entirely safe in any country and Lonely Planet doesn’t recommend it. Travelers who hitchhike should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. People who do hitchhike will be safer if they travel in pairs and let someone know