Pinned

So I am likely going to fly into SJO and drive out to Playa Hermosa Guanacaste. At least, that is my plan so far. It looks to be about a 4 hour drive, which I am fine with. I have heard it is a very nice drive, but research about driving in CR seems mixed. Some say it's beautiful and easy with the new highway, others say it is very easy to get tickets and can be dangerous...which is it?

I am a reasonably experienced traveler, having been all over Europe, the US, and to parts of Africa. I have no qualms driving in any American city (plenty of time driving around LA, Boston, etc) and have driven in a few Western European countries. I'm cautious and have a safe driving record. From what I know, CR is quite safe. Will I have any trouble making this drive? Is it safe to drive in the dark in Costa Rica?

Thanks for any input.

SJOGuy

Why not fly into LIR? It's about 30 minutes to Playa Hermosa.

Plan on between four and five hours from SJO. You have the new highway, which is a straight shot west to the Pacific coast at Caldera, near Puntarenas. From there, you swing north and rejoin the Inter-American highway, and it becomes slower going again.

Obey traffic laws religiously, even if Costa Ricans appear not to. Fines are some of the highest in the world here.

No, it's not safe to drive after dark here. Sure, if you're in Playa Hermosa and are driving someplace nearby for dinner, that's one thing, but if driving between destinations, always, always plan to arrive before dark. The sun sets here about 5:30 year round, give or take 15 minutes on either side.

Pinned

The cost to fly into LIR from where I am, in combination with the ridiculous flight schedules, makes it pretty undesirable. Plus, I would like to spend a night in San Jose on the way back.

Is it not worth spending the time in San Jose? If this is the case perhaps I will just suck it up and deal with the absurd layovers and such of going to LIR.

CKizer

Driving in CR is not a big issue. The highways are very good and even the dirt mountain roads were not bad. I would not have a problem at night on the major roads.

I would (and did) take the full insurance offered by the rental car company.

flyernick

We drove from SJO to Poas to Villa Blanca to the Arenal area to the Pacific Coast and then to LIR to fly out. Driving wasn't a problem at all. Roads were mostly good. We drove small distances at night (e.g. into town for dinner, out to view hot lava at night) without problem, but wouldn't have ventured cross country at night.

We visited the city of San Jose for part of one day as a tour with our (suburban) hotel. We enjoyed the gold museum a lot and had fun in a big market, but it was probably the lesser experience of our whole CR trip. I would not recommend trying to self-drive into/around San Jose due to high traffic, confusing unknown streets, and generally not knowing where to go and park safely.

Pinned

Thanks for the advice all! I am going to try to arrive in SJO around Noon...so I should have over 5 hours to make it to Playa Hermosa before dark. I am planning on renting a small car unless a 4WD SUV is necessary...I've heard the potholes and such can be quite bad, though it seems all the roads I would be on are larger "Route xxx" types.

wolfie_cr

you are coming in the dry season, a 4wd for sure is not needed

however I also dont recommend getting a tiny car, while the odds of you having an accident are small the occasional pothole in a tiny car is not pleasant

a toyota camry would be the standard I would recommend

if you get a gps it will also make your life easier although you may get by with google maps on a smart phone (be VERY careful with those if you bring them here btw)

take the suggestions by SJOGuy about traffic laws and driving at night. its not that at night the zombies come out (ok well in san jose city yes they do) but if you are out on major expressways we all drive like crazy, dont obey the rules , you dont know where the potholes are etc etc

Antonio8069

Faced with the same choices, I opted to fly into LIR and take a car service. I hear the roads are terrible and a 4-wheel drive is a must.

We have one day free in Liberia before going to the resort. Can anyone recommend a tour company for a one-day eco tour. Am staying at the Hilton Garden Inn if this matters?

alamedaguy

We plan to drive from SJO to Manzanillo and stay in that area a few days. I opted for a 7 seater SUV instead of a smaller one since our three kids (two car seats) would be pretty stuffed into the smaller one. Will driving a rental vehicle like that attract attention?

One of the places to stay in Manzanillo recommends leaving San Jose by 2 to get in before dark, so we plan to do that.

JDiver

If you are going ff road up to Tilaran in the rainy season, yes, get a high clearance four wheel drive.

For more common roads, a mid-size will do fine. I've been driving in Costa for over four decades, and what I do have to do is slow down and drive the signed speed limit, be cautious because many roads to not have the kind of shoulders and barriers you might expect in the US, Canada, etc. and try to avoid driving at night - zombies don't come out, but animals, cars with malfunctioning or poor lights, breakdowns without reflectors, they do.

Also be careful with scams - particularly in the city. Sometimes folks will attempt to puncture a tire on the way out of the handy-oh-so-near-to-the-airport rental agency (they are likely to tell you this themselves) and then - a partner i crime will offer to "help" you with your resulting flat. Yeah, they will help themselves, not you.

Drive conservatively and do not budget your time on the road using average speeds you would use on the US Interstate system - it won't work out. And city driving is a bit wild, but it's not Cairo.

In the city particularly, park in a paid lot, and do not leave items of value in your car - even worse, visible in your car. ¡No lo hagas! Enjoy ¡pura vida!

alamedaguy

Thanks!

gates1580

Unless you know how to drive a stick shift , you will have to ask for an automatic.
We rented a stick shift 4wd and drove all over costa rica. It's a extremely scenic drive and thoroughly enjoyed being on our own timeline instead of sticking to hotel transfers.

hockeyinsider

Myself and colleagues are looking at each renting a car from Hertz at SJO and driving to the Los Suenos Marriott, as a rental car for 3-4 days will still be cheaper than going from and to the airport via a shuttle bus.

I read elsewhere that some of the main roads have detours at the weekend and the detours aren't necessarily posted. Is this still the case?

The car rental rates from Hertz are ridiculously cheap.

craz

Its a nice drive make sure to stop by the bridge over the Rio Tocales and look down at all the crocks and the size of them! Theres no actual bridge but simply the road going over the river. You will know its the place when you see all the cars parked along side the road on both sides


as for cheap rates no such thing, did you add in the Mandatory Liability Ins you must take, it doesnt list it but it will appear on a pop-up if you click T&Cs or something else. I Disputed many a car rental yrs ago each time a different company since it wasnt anywhere when I made my res, afterwards each company lost the dispute and put the disclosure on its site somewhere as a pop-up, that way they will win any other disputes since they can show where in fact it says you must take the ins. If you dont agree to pay it and you need not, then they simply wont rent a car to you.

No different then how many off airport cheap companys make you take out there Liability here in the US unless you brought along your ins policy proving you are covered. They have it listed under their ins T&Cs and is hidden , that way they lure you in with cheap rates and bingo hit you with $19.99-29.99 extra per day for the Liability coverage since you didnt bring along your ins policy. If you walk away it will cost more elsewhere last min, dispute it they win as it is stated and you agreed to it when you made the res

ariel_sjo

Driving in CR is no issue while you're OUTSIDE San Jose. The only problem are rent-a-cars, they try to sell all of their expensive coverages. They hate when you decline their CDW through the credit card insurance, plus the insane deposits.