Is it Safe to Rent and Drive a Car in Costa Rica? 25 Things to Know
TRAVEL GUIDE: DRIVING IN COSTA RICA
Driving in Costa Rica is definitely safe, as long as you realize: the rules and road conditions are very different from what US drivers are used to.
I personally don’t enjoy driving, but renting a car is worth it in Costa Rica. I found driving here to be very manageable, from renting a car to fueling up. We use Discover Cars to book, since they include all of the international brands, plus local rental options in each country:
➡️ BOOK HERE: Rental Cars in Costa Rica
Challenges include animals, weather, and a lack of signage in cities. You can also just book a private driver.
📍 BOOK a Transport: Private Driver (from San Jose’s airport or hotels)
This is all the information I wish I’d known before we rented our car in Costa Rica.
The Basics: Renting a Car in San Jose
You’ll find process of renting a car to be pretty painless and efficient once you land at SJO Airport.
1. You Drive on the Right
I only mention this off the bat because a lot of people do search to find out which side of the road you drive on in Costa Rica.
With that out of the way, let’s continue …
2. International Driver’s License
In Costa Rica, you don’t need an international driver’s license to rent a car. It may be useful to have one, just as another form of identification. A 20-minute stop at AAA in the US before your trip is all it takes, and the international license is good for a year.
3. The Airport Shuttle
In San Jose, most of the rental car agencies will require a shuttle from SJO airport to an off-site lot, about 20 minutes away.
We found the shuttles to be very efficient, and running constantly.
4. Midsize SUVs are Best
Our last rental car in Costa Rica (in late 2022) was a Toyota RAV4. The cost was about $200 for five days.
Driving around, you’ll feel safe in one of the midsize SUVs, which seem to be the most popular rentals. You’ll see a lot of white RAVs and similar SUVs all over the country.
While we never had to use the 4-wheel drive, I appreciated the option. Plus, the higher clearance was very helpful on a few bumpy dirt roads we took along the way to waterfalls, hikes, and other sites.
5. Returning Your Rental Car
Returning the rental car in San Jose was even easier. Alamo, National, and Enterprise all operate out of the same hub, 20 minutes from the airport.
We pulled up, unpacked, and hopped in the shuttle within a matter of minutes. Just remember to add an extra half hour to your airport arrival timeline, due to the shuttle ride.
6. Specify “Automatic Transmission”
Be sure to specify “automatic transmission” when you reserve your car, since many of the vehicles in Costa Rica have manual transmissions.
Frankly, even if you enjoy driving a stick-shift, you might grow tired of it in the construction zones, in city stop-and-go traffic, and on the steep hills in the countryside.
7. Insurance is Up to You
Your credit card may include international car rental insurance, so check with them.
You’ll definitely be offered extra insurance at the counter at the airport.
The Police in Costa Rica
We had several police sightings while driving in Costa Rica, and never had any problems.
8. Speed Limits in Costa Rica
Speed limits are usually 25, 40, 60, or 80 kilometers an hour. That comes out to about 15, 25, 37, and 50 *miles per hour.
Sometimes you’ll see the speed limits on signs along the side of the road, but they’re more often painted on the roads and streets themselves.
9. Police Checkpoints
Driving around, you’ll come across several police checkpoints, both on highways and smaller roads outside of towns. We were never pulled over. I’m not sure if it’s because we looked like tourists in our standard white SUV rental, or if they were looking for someone specific.
The police seemed to be lenient when it comes to speed. No one I asked had ever been stopped for speeding. One person said he’d been pulled over for doing a U-turn over a double-yellow line.
That said, I wasn’t itching to speed while driving in Costa Rica at all. There are all kinds of potholes and animals and other hazards, plus the roads at night are pitch black.
As I mentioned, the speed limit tops out at 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour) and I thought that was really pushing it in spots, based on the dark, windy roads!
10. Emergency Kits
An emergency roadside bag is mandatory. It’ll come with your rental car in Costa Rica.
The guy at the counter told us, while police won’t pull you over for speeding, they might ticket you for not having an emergency kit if they do an inspection.
11. Flashing Lights
While driving at night in Costa Rica, you’ll notice people flashing their lights at you.
It was confusing at first, but several people later told me the drivers were warning me about police up ahead. That may be true, but several more times after the explanation, I was flashed and never saw the patrol cars.
Challenges of Driving in Costa Rica
My biggest problem was driving in downtown San Jose. It’s a major city, and Costa Rica’s capital.
12. San Jose
The highways and roads are often unnamed. Or, they’re named but not labeled.
Expect to come to major four-way stops, with no traffic control at all. Many intersections don’t have lights, and many don’t have clear signs as to which driver has the right-of-way.
The best advice is to just wait your turn, and move slowly. Over a few days, I grew to almost get used to it!
13. Google Maps Errors
Google Maps gave poor directions several times, just on our drive out of the city. It rerouted us unnecessarily, and sent us in loops.
Most of the time, the mapping apps were spot-on, but double-check!
Waze seems to be the most popular app used in Costa Rica. Have it downloaded on your phone before you go. All of the guides we met sent links through Waze to follow.
14. Construction Zones
The highway between San Jose and Limon has been under construction for years! Asking anyone about it draws immediate laughter and eye-rolls.
No one knows when it’ll be complete, and in the six hours I spent driving on it I didn’t see a single crew working.
When it’s finished, it’ll be a fantastic four-lane highway between the two cities, which is sorely needed.
However, in the meantime, it’s a two-lane mess, with the lanes criss-crossing over the median every few miles. Plus, the traffic is heavy. You’ll be driving with more big semi trucks than other passenger vehicles!
There are no lights on the highway (as I write this), so if you’re driving after dark, be prepared to go slowly so you can follow the arrows.
There are no lane lines in parts, and there are no passing lanes. So, be prepared to get stuck behind large trucks inching up the hills for miles at a time.
Warnings About Driving in Costa Rica
There are a lot of hazards on the road in Costa Rica to be aware of, but nothing you can’t manage.
15. Single-Lane Bridges
You’ll cross dozens of single-lane bridges when you’re driving in Costa Rica.
Many of them have “yield” signs and warning signs, while many have no heads-up at all as you approach.
I have to say: it’s remarkable how pleasant other drivers are when it comes to navigating the bridges and deciding whose turn it is to cross!
Some situations were hairier than others, and usually involved a big rig coming right at us, when I thought it was my turn to venture across. Don’t worry too much about the one-lane bridges, even though the concept is foreign to US drivers. You’ll be able to handle them just fine.
16. The Fog
It’s not a surprise that thick fog settles over parts of Costa Rica routinely.
Especially at night, it can play tricks with your eyes. Nothing really helps, other than slowing down on the dark, windy roads.
17. The Animal Crossings
You’ll be sharing the road with all kinds of animals. At one point, I was distracted briefly by a beautiful sunset, only to realize, a horse was feet away, tied up to a post on the side of the road.
Dogs are all over the place in Costa Rica, and while many of them are pretty street-savvy, they’ll definitely startle you while you’re driving through towns and by farms.
While driving in parts of Costa Rica, you’ll see unique “only in the rainforest” warning signs, to keep you on the lookout for sloths, chameleons, armadillos, and other animals.
➡️ BOOK HERE: Rental Cars in Costa Rica
The Joys of Driving in Costa Rica
While driving for me is not a joy, I do enjoy pretty scenery and getting to explore new towns, which you really only have the freedom to do if you rent a car and drive through a place like Costa Rica.
18. The Sights
I love seeing unique flowers and trees, and even though I was behind the wheel, it was really nice to coast along and take in the sights of the fog and clouds over the distant mountains and volcanoes
19. The Lack of Road Rage!
I learned to drive in New York, so I’m not used to people being so kind on the roads!
Despite all of the mistakes I made driving my rental car in Costa Rica, no one ever honked at me, or threw up their hands in annoyance. It was a pleasant turn from what I’m used to 🙂
Fueling up Your Car in Costa Rica
Fueling up in a foreign country is always a confusing challenge at first. Costa Rica makes it easy, as they have attendants pump the gas for you.
20. Helpful Gas Station Attendants
I’m used to this from driving in Mexico, but unlike the gas station attendants in Mexico, none of the guys in Costa Rica ever tried to over-charge me or rip me off.
21. Tipping at the Gas Station
They take most credit cards, including American Express at gas stations in Costa Rica (at least the few we stopped at). Just bring some cash to tip. The attendants who filled our tank had stacks of 100 and 500 Colones coins. As I write this, 500 Colones is less than $1 US dollar.
22. Gas Prices in Costa Rica
As an example of what you can expect to pay for gas in Costa Rica, it’s similar to what we pay in the US. It took 25 liters of Super (the higher level) gasoline to drive the 230 kilometers (143 miles) from San Jose to Puerto Viejo.
We used less than 26 liters of gasoline, or about 7 gallons.
So the price was about $4.70 for a gallon of gas in Costa Rica during our trip in late 2022.
Advice on Driving in Costa Rica
These are more of the differences you’ll find driving in Costa Rica versus the United States.
23. Sharing the Road
In smaller cities outside San Jose, from Turrialba to Limon to Puerto Viejo, expect cars, trucks, ATVs, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and anything else you can think of to be sharing the same streets.
24. The Passing Rules (or Lack-Thereof)
There aren’t always lane lines, and the “passing” rules seem to be: take a chance when you think you have an opening.
On highways outside of the towns, it seems you can pass anytime you’d like (regardless of the lane lines). This is especially helpful in farm country, if you pull up behind tractors and big cargo trucks slowly climbing the hills.
25. The Parking Rules (or Lack-Thereof)
When it comes to parking your rental car in Costa Rica, don’t worry too much. You really just “make your own spot” wherever you find one. In some cities, they’ll have prohibited areas, but for the most part, you can just pull the car into any space you can squeeze it into next to a sidewalk!
Also, at beaches, locals will remind you: don’t park under the coconuts! They’ll wreck a windshield if they drop. It’s another example of the friendly people you’ll come across in Costa Rica!
Costa Rica Road Trips
Puerto Viejo is a five-hour drive from San Jose’s airport, but it’s well worth the trip to the Caribbean Coast.
It’s home to great hotels, a series of stunning beaches, a fascinating animal sanctuary, and much more.
🌎 Jared’s Detours BLOG: Puerto Viejo’s Best Eco-Friendly Hotels
📍 BOOK a Tour: Cahuita National Park Guide
📍 BOOK a Tour: Jaguar Rescue Center + Punta Uva Beach & Jungle
📍BOOK a Tour: Jaguar Rescue Center + Cahuita National Park
➡️ BOOK: Aguas Claras (5-star hotel with private beach in Puerto Viejo)
➡️ BOOK: Shawandha Ecolodge (great deal and walkable to the beach)
I’d also suggest visiting one of Costa Rica’s coffee farms. You’ll love the coffee, and I really enjoyed learning about all of the efforts they’ve made toward sustainability and biodiversity.
🌎 Jared’s Detours BLOG: Costa Rica’s Best Coffee Farm Tours
🌎 Jared’s Detours BLOG: Biodiversity & Regenerative Farming in Costa Rica
I’d recommend staying near San Jose the night before you return the rental car. A night at Finca Rosa Blanca is perfect. It’s relaxing, interesting, and just a quick 20-minute drive to the airport!
I’d also suggest a visit to Aquiares, which is an easy drive from San Jose. They have a great tour, which can include a horseback ride through their coffee fields, and a hike to a waterfall.
Why It’s Worth Renting a Car in Costa Rica
The bus system covers the entire country, but is complicated and inefficient for tourists to use.
You might be surprised to see several bus stops in tiny villages along your way, and people waiting at them all hours of the day into the night.
Several people I spoke to said, while they rely on bus service, it’s unpredictable at times.
Trains aren’t an option either over the hilly, volcano-dotted countryside.
If you just don’t like driving, or would rather rely on someone else to handle the hassle of directions and navigating, there are transport options you can book, which will take you from the airport or hotel to basically anywhere you’d like to go.
📍 BOOK a Transport: Private Driver (from San Jose’s airport or hotels)
Check out some of the videos full of travel advice for Costa Rica:
