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Driving in Costa Rica - the facts!
Driving in Costa
Rica is not like driving in the U.S., Canada or Europe.
Road conditions will vary from good double-lane highways
to dirt roads that go through rivers. Potholes are
everywhere and the insurance offered by most rental car
companies does not cover damage to tires or rims.
Most roads in Costa Rica are single-lane, without
shoulders and are winding. You must always anticipate a
cow, horse, oxcart, slow moving truck, cyclist or a
broken down vehicle around every bend. Certain roads
have the reputation of being particularly dangerous. The
stretch from San José to San Isidro El General and the
road to Limón are notorious.
A few roads still have a whitish asphalt surface, for
instance from Nicoya to Sámara. This surface gets very
slippery on rainy days. The road from Guápiles goes
through the Brauilo Carrillo National Park and is famous
for landslides and heavy fog.
Driving in downtown San José – this is something you
want to avoid. The streets are very narrow, the one-way
streets are poorly marked, there are virtually no street
signs and the traffic is very heavy. If you must drive
through downtown San José do so with your windows half
way up and with the doors locked, particularly if
luggage is visible. Don’t hang your arm out of the
window if you are wearing a watch.
Driving at night – this is something you want to avoid.
On coming vehicles will blind you with there poorly
aligned headlights and you will probably not see the
slow moving truck without tail lights in front of you
until you hit it.
Costa Rican drivers often consider stop signs (ALTO) and
traffic lights as colorful decorations to be ignored,
particularly at night.
Darkness falls in Costa Rica about 6PM all year ‘round.
If you must drive at night, drive slowly and stop if you
are blinded by oncoming headlights or the fog is too
thick.
Renting a car in Costa Rica
Book your rental car well ahead of time, especially in
the high season. Be sure to get a written confirmation
of your reservation showing the type of vehicle you have
reserved and the rental rate, including insurance.
When you rent the car the agent will inspect the vehicle
with you for dents, scratches, missing parts, etc. Don’t
be in a hurry! Inspect the car carefully and be certain
that the agent notes all defects, including missing gas
caps, radio, antenna, cigarette lighter and hubcaps. If
it isn’t noted you will be charged for the defect or
missing item when you return the car.
Be certain that you understand exactly what the
insurance offered by the rental car company covers (or
doesn’t cover). Your credit card company may provide
some coverage for rental cars – be certain to check with
your credit card issuer before leaving your home
country. Your home country automobile insurance will not
cover a rental car in Costa Rica.
Be certain you understand the rental car company’s rules
regarding who can rent and who can drive the rental car.
Commonly you will be expected to leave a substantial
deposit that can be paid with your credit card or in
cash.
If the rental car breaks down don’t get it fixed. Call
the rental car company and in most cases they will get
to you quickly with another car. Depending on the nature
of the required repair, you may be charged depending on
what went wrong. Don’t ever leave luggage in the car and
always park in a secure place or have someone watch the
car while you are gone.
Always carry a cell phone in case of a problem. The cell
phones offered by the car rental companies are
deceptively inexpensive on a daily rental basis and are
very expensive if you make or receive calls. We strongly
recommend Cellular Telephone Rentals (800)769-7137 from
the U.S. or 845 4427 or 290 7534 in Costa Rica. They
offer a low daily rate that includes all local calls, no
charge for incoming international calls and a reasonable
charge for outgoing international calls.
What to do in the event of an accident
Call 911 and never move the car until instructed
to do so by a Transit Police officer. In Costa Rica
vehicles involved in a collision must not be moved, even
if it is a minor scratch, until the Transit Police
arrive. This is the cause of many traffic jams as it can
sometimes take an hour or more for the Transit Police to
arrive at the scene.
Injured persons should not be taken from the scene until
the Red Cross Ambulance arrives. It is a good practice
to make notes and sketches of what happened and not to
make statements regarding the accident to anyone other
than a Transit Police officer.
In addition to a Transit Police officer, an inspector
from INS – the national insurance company – will appear
on the scene. The inspector is responsible for making a
complete report and taking photos of the vehicles. Never
accept responsibility for the accident.
Speed limits
in Costa Rica
Speed limits are posted in kilometers-per-hour (km/h).
If the speed limit is not posted, the unwritten rule is
80km/h on primary roads and 40km/h on secondary roads.
Speed bumps are common and are often not marked. Hitting
a speed bump at high speed can cause loss of control of
the vehicle.
Posted speed limits can change abruptly and without much
warning. Transit Police are often posted immediately
past these abrupt speed limit changes with radar guns.
If you do get a ticket don’t offer to pay the Transit
Officer on the spot – that is considered a bribe and can
get you into more trouble. Traffic fines are paid at the
Banco de Costa Rica and instructions are printed on the
ticket. The rental car company will often assist you in
paying the ticket but be prepared for an extra charge,
particularly if you don’t tell them about the ticket.
The Transit Police do not have the right to confiscate a
car unless there was a serious accident; the driver was
intoxicated or was driving without a valid driver’s
license. Tourists do not have to have a Costa Rican
driver’s license. A driver’s license from your home
country and your passport will be sufficient.
The
best way to see Costa Rica
Don’t drive! Of course, we recommend using Avanti
for comfortable, safe transport anywhere in the country.
If this is not practical for you, we suggest using
public transportation (taxi, bus, airplane).
Click here to make your
reservation! |
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