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REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RENTAL
The driver has to be at least 21 years old
Current driver´s license
Have a credit card with enough credit to cover the deposit
Three days rental as minimum to qualify for free mileage
A foreign valid driver’s license is required, which allows you to drive for 3 months in the country.
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OBLIGATORY DEPOSIT
A deposit is required for all rentals depending on the car´s model and should be guaranteed by a credit card with enough credit. This is done by signing a blanco credit card voucher. This deposit ( and credit card voucher ) is for damage or accident and it will be returned if the car is in good condition.
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INSURANCE WILL BE CONSIDERED VALID WHEN
Not driving under the influence of alcohol or psychotropics.
Having the police ticket or report.
The driver was expressly authorized on the rental contract.
Older than 21 years old.
Not driving on beaches, roads not shown on the map as driveable or not crossing rivers.
If car has been left in a parking lot with security.
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DAILY OBLIGATORY INSURANCE
The obligatory insurance (Collision Damage Waver ( Liability ) ), per day depending on the car’s model and it is not commissionable. It will be mentioned and paid separate from packages. Usually the client will pay them directly to the rent a car at the moment of renting the car.
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DRIVING IN COSTA RICA
Driving in Costa Rica is a very strenuous and exciting experience.
The routes are well signed and people are friendly and ready to help if lost. It is a mountainous country with many narrow roads and almost all of them have two lanes. In the mountains it can be foggy with heavy rain which will require conservative and careful driving. Roads in many parts of the country have rather poor surfaces at the moment, so great care is required, particularly at night. Roads are not at their best because of heavy rain and rural nature. In spite of the challenges to drivers, Costa Rica is a fascinating country due to its diversity of landscapes and constant changes in the vegetation zones, and with care, renting a car can be worthwhile.
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RULES AND REGULATIONS
On highways and secondary roads the speed limit is 60 k.p.h., unless otherwise indicated.
In urban areas, the speed limit is 40 k.p.h., unless otherwise indicated.
Under no circumstances give money to traffic police or other police officers.
If a police officer insists on stopping you or retaining your documents for no apparent reason, ask him to escort you to the nearest police station to clear the problem.
Driving on beaches is strictly prohibited everywhere, except when there is no other path connecting two towns.
Avoid accidents by driving carefully and defensively, that is, expecting the unexpected.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs is strictly prohibited. The law enables police officcers to perform alcohol test on drivers.
Check you car and make sure you are carrying the proper documents before you begin to drive.
Pull over if a police officer signals you to do so. Police officers may ask you to stop if there is an accident ahead, a checkpoint or if you are violating the law by not carrying a license plate or exceeding the speed limit, for example.
The law requires all car passengers to wear a seat belt.
On highways and secondary roads the speed limit is 60 k.p.h., unless otherwise indicated.
In urban areas, the speed limit is 40 k.p.h., unless otherwise indicated.
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CONSIDERATIONS
Do not, under any circumstances, allow a local Costa Rican to drive your vehicle. By law, only the person(s) on the permission slip can drive the vehicle. It is illegal for a Costa Rican to drive a tourist vehicle; the transit police have the legal right to compound the vehicle. A hefty fine could result, or even worse, they could force you to pay taxes on the vehicle.
Before shipping the vehicle, take the license plates off the vehicle and either carry them down with you or ship them with a mail carrier. Plates are often removed(stolen) during transport or when the vehicles arrive. If your plates get stolen, you will be required to make up fake plates to place on the car, as you legally need plates to operate the vehicle.
Check you car and make sure you are carrying the proper documents before you begin to drive. If you are given a ticket, please pay it at the nearest state owned bank and present a copy of the receipt to the car rental agency when you return the car. Never give pay your tickets with the police officer. They are not allowed to accept money.
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