Driving the mountain pass between San Jose and Jaco
Costa Rica Car Rental San Jose
You can rent cars, 4x4's, and even Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Adventure Tours in Costa Rica.
Most tour operators can arrange to get you a rental car. At Adventure Tours in Costa Rica, after years of working with virtually all of the agencies we decided a few yeas ago to offer exclusively one company to our clients. Economy rent a car. WHY? They have the largest fleet in Costa Rica with over 800 cars, vans and 4x4's. Our volume of rentals allow for some highly discounted rates... and for our clients only, we also include a free cell phone. This is useful for emergencies or making dinner reservations. Check out our low car rental rates for Costa Rica. For the latest specials or contact us at info@costaricauncovered.com
Airport Area Agencies
The rental agencies in vicinity of Juan Santamaria International Airport will get you from the airport's only exit from Immigrations to the parking area.
Most Costa Rica car rental agencies in San Jose are based near the airport and on Paseo Colon on the west side of town.The major chains such as Budget and Hertz are operating in Costa Rica as well as number of smaller agencies.
Driving Tips
The roads here, except for the freeways and Pan-American Highway, are extremely narrow. Therefore, you will see many small rental cars. A bigger car is recommended, with four-wheel drive if you are here in rainy season or headed for the cloud forests of a nearby National Park, such as Monteverde. Seat belt laws are back, after a year without them, so all passengers must buckle up or pay a fine.
Speaking of which, MOPT, the Costa Rican version of the Highway Patrol, uses radar guns in the metropolitan area and at key points on roads such as the one from the city to Jaco and Quepos.
Outside the city, it is difficult to find an agency that has anything to offer during high season. Manuel Antonio, for example, is usually sold out for two or three months. If you must get a vehicle, your best bet is in San Jose. Reservations are strongly advised for mid-December and January.
A rental car is vital for getting around in Guanacaste towns such as Tamarindo, Flamingo and the Cocos and Ocotal area. There are few if any local buses, and all the sights and tours in these outlying towns are spread too far apart to take taxis back and forth.
Quepos and Manuel Antonio, on the other hand, have excellent and cheap buses that go all the way to Manuel Antonio National Park. And the main part of Jaco is snug enough that you can get around in cabs.
