Costa Rica is an incredible vacation destination. The destination is one of the most beautiful places in the world, with incredible sights, weather, and a host of attractions. When traveling to Costa Rica, you may want to find a way to move around while site seeing and exploring what the place is all about. For this reason, a lot of people opt for rented cars. Renting a car in Costa Rican can be different. This is because the requirements may differ from where you come from. Therefore, this post provides you with a guide for how to rent a car in Costa Rica.
Why should you rent a car in Costa Rica?
Before getting into how to rent a car in Costa Rica, you must first understand the benefits. Renting a car during your visit to Costa Rica will offer you the following advantages;
• You get to travel and do road trips safely, especially after the Corona pandemic
• The prices are cheaper than private shuttles and domestic flights
• You get to explore the destination at your own pace and enjoy all that it has to offer
Requirements for renting a car in Costa Rica
Naturally, before you can rent a Car in Costa Rica as a foreigner, you will need some things. Below are some requirements you must provide;
• An original passport
The first thing a rental company in Costa Rica will ask for is an original passport as proof of identity.
• Valid tourist visa stamp
You must also provide the rental company with a valid tourist Visa stamp to prove that you are in the country legally and the duration of your stay.
• Original divers license from your origin country
The best thing about renting a car in Costa Rica is that you can drive it without an international driver’s license. You can use a driver’s license from your country. However, if your license is not written in Roman script, then you will require an international driver’s license. Also, understand that a temporary paper or photocopy diver’s license will not do the trick.
• Minimum age
To rent a car in Costa Rica, you must not be less than twenty-one years old. It is worth mentioning that the minimum age usually differs depending on the rental company. Therefore, it ranges between 21-25 years.
• Insurance
Note that there is a mandatory insurance for car rental in Costa Rica. However, the different car rental companies also sell insurances differently. Therefore, you must discuss with the company about the insurance and set it up before getting the rental car.
The cost of renting a car in Costa Rica
The amount of money you have to pay to get a car in Costa Rica depends on the car rental company and the type of car you want to rent. It also depends on the insurances and the time of year you are visiting the destination. For instance, during the peak tourist seasons, renting a car is usually more expensive. The pandemic has also made car renting in Costa Rica expensive because of the high demand. However, this does not have to be an issue because Costa Rica features numerous car rental companies. Therefore, you can compare the prices and find one that suits your budgetary needs. The average cost of renting a car in Costa Rica is between 250 to 550 USD per week. Note that this amount does not include the cost of gas.
Renting a car in Costa Rica does not have to be as stressful. All you have to do is acquire all the requirements as listed above, decide on which company to rent with, get insurance, and you are good to go. Note that you cannot cross boundaries with a rental car in Costa Rica.