Renting a Car

When you plan on driving yourself in Costa Rica, renting a car, besides your flight tickets, is probably the most important aspect to have arranged before arrival. In high season, the availability of rental cars may be limited. Renting a car is not cheap, and rental terms and conditions and insurance can get technical. Don't take this lightly! Since driving conditions can be challenging in Costa Rica, my advice to you is to put some time and effort in the car rental process. As mentioned on the Travelling by Car page, even with full insurance, not everything is included like fording rivers and driving on the beach, make sure you are aware of these kinds of insurance conditions.

A personal tip when renting a car online. After receiving your confirmation, always check directly with the rental car company by e-mail to confirm the booking and ask them for any mandatory fees or optional additions in terms of insurance and other questions you might have. 

Many ways lead to Rome, or to your car to stay in topic. You can research which rental car companies are the best in Costa Rica and get quotes from them directly. Use reliable mediators, or use booking websites like Expedia, Rental Cars, Booking.com or Discover Cars to compare rates from different rental car companies. My advice, go for different options. I compare reliable rental car companies with rates offered on Discover Cars. Find out why I prefer to use Discover Cars on the Using Discover Cars page.

When renting a car in Costa Rica, it's important to understand the insurance requirements and options. Not all rental car companies are transparent about this and/or quote these insurances when you make a booking online, leaving you confronted with technical insurance stuff and additional (sometimes overcharged) payment of insurance when you pick up your car.

• Third Party Liability Insurance (TPL) is a mandatory insurance. All rental car companies in Costa Rica are required by law to provide basic liability insurance coverage to their customers. Note that if this insurance is not mentioned to you during the quotation stage, you will have to pay this eventually when you pick up your car.  This insurance covers damages to third-party property and bodily injury, but it does not cover damages to the rental car itself. 

• Therefor, a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) offered by the rental car company is needed to protect yourself from any damages to the rental car. Any damages? Well, be sure to read the fine print of your rental car insurance policy, as there might be deductibles, exclusions, or restrictions. For example, damages caused by driving off-road, or by fording rivers, or damages to the undercarriage of the car are probably excluded. Be aware of different types of CDW or difference in terminology between rental companies (basic CDW, full CDW, CDW+, LDW, etc.) and always read the terms and conditions of the specific waiver.

• Full Insurance or Extended Protection. When you have CDW you still have a deductible excess which you can cover with am Extended Protection insurance. This one you will have to decide for yourself. I personally prefer to have full coverage with the challenging driving conditions in Costa Rica. And I always arrange for the full coverage directly with the rental car company and not third part coverage. 

• Some people have a CDW and/or full insurance offered through their Credit Card Company, but it's important to check the terms and conditions of your credit card agreement to see if it covers rentals in Costa Rica, also make sure that it applies to your rental conditions (type of car, rental period, etc.). If it does, you may be able to decline the CDW offered by the rental car company. 

• Is a Credit Card CDW or Full Coverage recommended? Well, in my opinion, no! You are probably required to pay a higher deposit and in case of a claim you will be responsible for payment and paperwork, meaning you will most likely have to pay all expenses up front to the rental car company and have to follow through on the claim by yourself to get your expenses refunded by the credit card company. Worst case scenario, if you have a dispute over a claim payment with a rental car company in Costa Rica, they actually have the right to file a complaint with the authorities, and they might choose to investigate the matter before allowing you to leave the country.

• How about Third Party CDW? No, these third party insurances will not be recognized by rental car companies in Costa Rica, because these policies must meet specific requirements and be approved by the country's insurance regulatory agency. 

To sum up: it's recommended that you purchase CDW insurance directly from the rental car company to ensure that you have adequate coverage and are in compliance with local laws and regulations. It is recommended to extend to Full Coverage to waiver any deductible excess, since driving conditions and weather conditions might prove to be challenging in Costa Rica and you want a care free experience. 

Note that this is just a short explanation of the rental car insurance situation in Costa Rica. Check out more info by following the links below to the websites of two well rated Costa Rican rental car companies, where they also explain in more detail about insurance.

There are plenty of reliable rental car companies in Costa Rica. I always like to consider Vamos or Adobe. These are reliable larger Costa Rican rental companies with clear terms and conditions, and good service. They both also provide some clear explanation of the different rental car insurence options:

• Vamos: Car Rental Insurance Explained : Vamos Rent-A-Car (vamosrentacar.com) 

• Adobe: Rent a Car insurance coverage in Costa Rica (adobecar.com)