- Costa Rica Driving
One of the questions I get asked about most is “How is the driving in Costa Rica?” Most people like the freedom of having a car parked nearby for unplanned trips or just to know it is there. In general, there is no problem driving a car here, but there are things you should know to do this safely.
Are you planning a trip to the beautiful country of Costa Rica? There is plenty to see in this country including the beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, quaint colonial towns, and lush inland rainforests. It would be impossible to see all of this with buses and taxis so you should consider renting a car. Car Rental Costa Rica will give you the ability to come and go as you please and see places that aren’t reachable by other forms of transportation.
Since Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination there are several local and international car rental companies to choose from. Here are some tips on renting a car in Costa Rica.
Driving in Costa Rica
You might be worried about driving in a foreign country but Costa Rica is one of the most developed Central American countries and the roads are in fairly good condition. The road rules are about the same as the U.S. so it’s easy to get the hang of it after a few hours of driving around.
Check with the car rental company about what kind of license you’ll need. Sometimes you can just use your license from home but usually you’ll need to get an international drivers license. An international driver’s license doesn’t require a test and you can pick one up for a nominal fee from an auto club such as AAA. Even if you’re not required to have an international driver’s license it’s a good idea to get one since your information is translated into several languages.
Rental Car Locations
The majority of rental car companies have facilities at the Juan Santamar?a airport which is most likely where you’ll arrive and depart. Some also have offices in town which can be more convenient if you don’t want to rent a car right when you arrive. Smaller local car rental companies may only have offices in town but they usually offer a pick up and drop off service to make it more convenient.
Resort cities also have a few car rental offices in town. You can rent a car for just a day or two to explore the sounding area and get away from the chaotic city. Some offer one way rentals so you can drive it back to San Jos? and drop it off at the airport when you leave.
Special Offers
Costa Rica car rental always have special offers and discounts especially in the off-peak season. Visit individual car rental websites to find specials you may be eligible for. Most rental companies partner with airlines so it’s worth checking with the airline you’ll be traveling on. Discounts are usually available such as auto club, senior and corporate discounts. Make sure you have the discount code and supply it when booking your reservation.
If you are visiting Costa Rica, you may drive on the driver’s license issued by your home country so long as your visa has not expired. This is important! Depending on the country you are from, your tourist visa may be as long as ninety days or as short as thirty days. Once it expires, you cannot drive legally in Costa Rica unless you have applied for and received your Costa Rica driver’s license.
Driving Tips
Take taxis if possible, especially at night. They are cheap and everywhere. If you rent a car, which I actually recommend for a better visit, it is better to not drive at night until you get some experience.
You need patience because the potholes are big enough to swallow a truck so it takes longer to get anywhere. The roads are narrow and that’s one reason why everyone drives smaller vehicles. But there is simply no better way to enjoy seeing a country than to meander thought it at your own speed, stopping whenever something appeals to you.
If you rent a car, make sure you go over the car very carefully and make sure the attendant marks down every nick and scratch on his sheet. Failure to do this can result in huge adjustments to your bill when you return the rental.
If you rent a car, here is a common scam. Someone will punch a very small hole in your tire or loosen the valve stem before you take delivery of the car or perhaps while you are at a restaurant or shop. You leave and maybe 30 minutes to an hour later, you get a flat. Then, miraculously, some really nice folks appear to assist you. In this case, assist means to separate you and whatever valuables they can find.
Until you know how things work here, I urge you not to drive at night. I recommend not driving at night until you know the route first.
When in San Jose or in slow traffic, do not leave anything valuable on the seat next to you if the windows are open. A person can and will reach in and grab stuff. NEVER leave valuables in plain view in your car.
There are traffic laws here, but there are no police to enforce them. If you EVER drive defensively in your life, do it here. Ticos are creative drivers… and most traffic laws are flaunted. Just because there is a red light, don’t make the mistake of thinking everyone else plans to stop.
Be especially careful of motorcycles. They obey NO rules and can come out of nowhere. They also can be the vehicles used when snatching stuff from you car through an open window.
Businesses and restaurants use mopeds or motorcycles to make deliveries. No space between cars, buses or trucks is too narrow for a moped to try to get through. I have seen several accidents involving motorcycles.
Pedestrians and animals use or cross the highways everywhere; even where the speed limit is 80 kilometers/hour, pedestrians, bus riders, cyclists are to be found on the highways. The highways around San Jose are notorious for people crossing the road anywhere. Many die each year. While hitting one of them won’t be your fault, it will ruin your time in Costa Rica.
Passing Slower Traffic is a national sport in Costa Rica. Many large trucks and busses, along with an assortment of ancient vehicles (usually pickup trucks) travel the highways at speeds well below the posted limit, especially in the mountains.
The mountain roads and highways provide very limited opportunity for passing and caution should be used. Exercise caution in your own passing strategy and be constantly aware of local drivers, most of whom are averse to following slow-moving traffic. This applies to cars, trucks and busses. Defensive driving is a must.
Roads can drop off suddenly. Over the years and several layers of resurfacing, roads get narrower and ditches gets deeper.
The country is blessed with great bus service ……… some buses stopping anywhere someone flags them down (including highways). Others stop only at assigned stops. You never know which one you are following
As you might guess accidents happen frequently and when they do, no vehicles involved can be moved until the police and the insurance inspector can visit the scene and record whatever it is they need to record. Traffic can be blocked up for hours and for miles around, probably causing other accidents.
Some licensed drivers have “bought” their licenses instead of taking the test.
Foreigners seeking a Costa Rican driver’s license can only apply at the transport ministry in La Uruca
Foreigners seeking a Costa Rican driver’s license can only apply at the transport ministry in La Uruca in northern San José. The office used to be based in Plaza Víquez, but in August 2007 was moved.
The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes said that foreigners who already have a valid driver’s license in their native country need not fear the application process in Costa Rica. Tourists can use their U.S. or European license for up to three months, except for driver’s licenses obtained in Colombia or Central America, which are valid for only one month, it said in a release.
After this time has expired, it is necessary to request a license through the motor vehicles office in La Uruca. Tourists must present copies of a valid passport, entry visa and driver’s license from his or her country. While Costa Ricans may apply for their licenses in banks, foreigners are required to apply in La Uruca.
Applicants have to take a medical exam that checks for eyesight or heart problems in advance of getting the license. This may cost up to 6,000 colons (about $11), and there now are doctors’ offices in La Uruca which conduct such exams specifically for the driver’s license application, said the ministry. Applicants must provide information about blood type, too.
Renting a Car in Costa Rica. Ask your Credit Card Company About car rental Insurance.
Renting a car in Costa Rica? First call up your credit card company and ask them what Insurance coverage they provide with car rental in Costa Rica? Each credit card company is different. But just for purposes of example- let me tell you about mine. I have a gold American Express card. I can be covered (for a fee of $24.95 ) while renting a car in Costa Rica EXCEPT FOR LIABILITY. So I purchase a separate liability insurance policy thru the rental car agency in Costa Rica.
Again: Every credit card is different. Call yours and ask .
If your credit card does offer car rental coverage, you will save money by buying the portions thru them that covers everything except the liability portion. A large portion of the money you pay to rent the car in Costa Rica goes to insurance.
New Safety Equipment Required for Vehicles in Costa Rica
A new law (”Ley de Transito”) will take effect in Costa Rica, causing sweeping, dramatic changes for drivers of vehicles in Costa Rica.
Safety and Booster Seats: Perhaps the most costly change for parents (and those who regularly transport minors) across the nation. As mentioned above, the following details are certain to be challenged and adjusted. (An example given is, people obligated to travel with several children falling in the same age group might immediately be forced to acquire a car with more than one rear seat, or risk a loss of the driver’s license for two years, according to these new changes. Some wonder if certain children will be left with no options to get to school legally, and others are concerned the change will flood the roadways with large,inefficient vehicles.) But as it was written, these are the new requirements:
Infants to one year: Must travel in an infant car seat located in the rear seat behind the driver, and with the infant facing the rear window.
Children 1 – 4 years: Must use a safety seat according to age and weight. Must be located in the center of the vehicle and secured with a two-point seat belt.
Children 4 – 12 years: Must use a booster seat (“cojin elevado”) which must be located in the lateral seats and secured with a three-point seat belt.
Older than 12 years: May travel in the rear and without a booster seat if the seat belt of the car does not reach their neck. The seat belt should always go over shoulder and crossing the chest. If the seat belt touches the neck, they may be strangled or cut in an accident.
Booster seats may not be used in the central seats where two-point seat belts are the regulation. MOPT has yet to elaborate on specifications for required
safety seats. Violations of safety seat regulations carry a fine of c227,00 and a loss of the totality of 50 license points, and thus a loss of the license for two years.
Hands-free cell adapters: Few are arguing with this change, which although it’s not a new law, will bring a new steep sanction. Required: a hands-free (“manos libres”) adaptor for cell phone usage while driving. Fine: c170,250 Points lost: 20
Reflective vest and triangles: Vest (“chaleco retroflectivo”) may be green, orange, or red, and must be used when performing any roadside maintenance, and is required clothing for cyclists of any kind (motor or otherwise) from a half hour before sunset to a half hour before dawn. Triangles must also be placed in the roadway prior to performing any maintenance. Fine: c68,100 Points lost: 15
Tool kit: Tire tool (“llave de ranas”), jack (“gato”), jumper cables (“lagartos”), and a questionably-termed “basic tool kit” (“juego de herramientos basicos”) which may or may not just be the tire-changing tools. Fine: c68,100 Points lost: 15 (same infraction as above, not separate infractions).
Fire extinguisher and First Aid Kit: Also included in fine above. There are no specifics of what size the extinguisher (“extintor de incendio”) must be, nor the exact contents of the first aid kit (“botiquin”). Included with infraction above.
Airbags: (“Airbags”) For those automobiles designed with airbags, although many are wondering how or if a Transit Official will inspect for a working airbag prior to an accident. Fine: c68,100 Points lost: 20
Three-point seat belts: For lateral seats and two-point seat belts for central seats. (“Cinturones de seguridad de tres puntos/dos puntos”) Must be worn. Fine: c170,250 Points lost: 20
Helmets: (“Cascos”) Regardless of age or whether the rider or cyclist has a driver’s license. It’s not yet determined how or what to fine minors who do not comply. Fine: c170,250 Points: 20
Bicycles: Cyclists must wear reflective vests from a half-hour before sundown to a half-hour before sunrise Fine: c90,800 Points: 10, affix reflectors to the frame of the bike and have a red light in the rear, and use a yellow or white light during the same hours. In rainy or foggy weather they must wear a yellow jacket/cloak/raincoat and illuminate the bicycle with a white or yellow light. Fine: c22,700
Reflective tape and triangles for heavy vehicles: Heavy vehicles must affix red and white reflective tape on both sides and affix reflective triangles to the rear of the vehicle. Fine: c68,100 Points: 15
Transponders for cargo vehicles: Starting in June 2010, all cargo vehicles will be required to circulate with GPS Transponders on board. The devices are intended to register load, speed, location, and travel times and will allow the Transito to fine violators without being present at the time of the violations, or determine culpability in a transit accident. Transit Officials will be able to perform surprise inspections of any business with heavy vehicles and request the Transponder data, download it to a central computer, review it for violations of zones, hours, speed, load, and issue infractions. The cost for each transponder is estimated at between $350 and $595. Fine for not carrying a transponder or for excess load: c90,800 Points lost: 10
