If you’re thinking about renting a car in Costa Rica for your vacation, this guide will be everything you need to understand how it works.
We’ll explain the details of Costa Rican car rental insurance, best car rental agencies, car rental costs and deciding the best car for your trip to have a smooth and stress free Costa Rica car rental process.
This post has affiliate links which we may earn a small commission from if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. Listed prices are quoted in USD and are estimates. More info: Disclosure
Mytanfeet Renting a Car in Costa Rica Guide
Mytanfeet is a licensed Costa Rican travel consulting company and we have helped thousands of readers rent a car in Costa Rica since 2014.
About Mytanfeet
Yeison, who is Costa Rican, has worked in the tourism industry for over 20 years and Samantha, from the United States, moved in 2012 to Costa Rica.
We’ve been traveling together throughout Costa Rica for over 15 years, gathering the most updated information to help you have the best car rental experience in Costa Rica.
Our website’s main purpose is to assist our readers plan their trip to Costa Rica: before, during and after, for a stress free, hassle free and worry free vacation.
Mytanfeet Costa Rica Car Rental Discount
If you’re ready to book your car, check out our exclusive Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits just for you!
We partner with Adobe Rent a Car and offer a minimum 10% discount off their rental car rate.
In addition, we offer freebies such as free additional drivers, free baby and booster seats, free luggage cover, free SIM card and a WIFI discount.
Furthermore, every single reservation made through Mytanfeet receives our customer service. We will assist you every step of the way to make sure your reservation is perfect.
Why Should You Rent a Car in Costa Rica
Here are some reasons why renting a car for your trip to Costa Rica will be the best option for you.
More Flexibility to Explore at Your Own Pace & Go Off the Beaten Path
The advantages of renting a car in Costa Rica are obvious: Go where you want, when you want.
As Costa Rica’s public transportation system is not very extensive, you won’t be restricted to anyone’s schedule but your own by renting a car in Costa Rica.
Having a rental car in Costa Rica allows you to go off the beaten path, stay at unique lodging, pick exactly what you want to do and see, leave when you want.
Explore and adventure at your own pace when you rent a car in Costa Rica.

To maximize your vacation time, minimize the time spent figuring out how to get around.
For Long Term Stays in Costa Rica
Many people are visiting Costa Rica for long term stays, whether they want to experience living in Costa Rica or scope out a potential new home.
You can rent one for the entire period or rent a car when you want to explore.
Car Rental Costa Rica Monthly Rentals
Are you planning to be in Costa Rica for one month or longer?
Contact us and we will be happy to help you get a monthly rate for your rental.
If you want to experience Costa Rica like a local, then renting a car in Costa Rica is something you should do.
Costa Rica Car Rental Prices Are Comparable To Private Shuttles and Domestic Flights
When you add up the cost of booking private shuttles/domestic flights vs renting a car, renting a car is not outrageously more expensive.
Full Itinerary Transportation Cost Example
A classic Costa Rica 10 day itinerary is San Jose – La Fortuna – Monteverde – Manuel Antonio – San Jose. With private shuttles, the approximate cost is around $1100 USD for 1-6 people.
During high season, you can rent a 2wd subcompact crossover SUV for about ~$1100 USD with PLI and CDW insurance.
Without a rental car, you need to take taxis, Ubers or book tours with transportation to get around. These are extra costs to take into consideration.
Domestic Flights
Domestic flights cost anywhere from $80-250 USD per person one way. You are also limited to how much luggage you can bring on the small jumper planes and the schedules.
Furthermore, there aren’t local airstrips in every destination.
Convinced? Check out our car rental discount to compare prices and get quotes.
What Documents are Required to Rent a Car in Costa Rica as a Foreigner?
These are the required documents to rent a car in Costa Rica as a foreigner:
1. A valid original driver’s license
2. A valid original passport with a valid tourist visa stamp given at immigration
3. A physical credit card with the cardholder present that has enough funds for the payment and security deposit.
Canadians and Americans can rent a car in Costa Rica with their US and Canadian driver’s license.
An international driver’s license is not required in Costa Rica for Americans, Canadians and most countries in general.
However, if your driver’s license is not in Roman (Latin) script, then you will need to get an international driver’s license.
For example, if your license is 100% in Arabic or Russian without any English translation, then you will need an international driving permit or license.
Temporary paper copies or photocopies of your driver’s license are not accepted. Your driver’s license and passport cannot be expired or will expire during your car rental period.
Even if you have rented with the same company before, you need to bring your original driver’s license and original passport with you every time.
Requirements for Driving in Costa Rica
What is required to DRIVE in Costa Rica as a foreigner:
1. Your valid original passport with a valid tourist visa stamp given at immigration
2. A valid original driver’s license from your home country
You must have your driver’s license and passport with you whenever you drive in Costa Rica as a foreigner.
Read our driving in Costa Rica post for local tips to stay safe on the road.
Minimum Age
The minimum age to rent a car in Costa Rica ranges from 21-25 years of age.
Each company has their own minimum rental age policies which you will need to check. Some companies allow drivers younger than the minimum age with an extra fee/insurance.
Our partner Adobe Rent a Car has a minimum age of 23. They don’t allow drivers younger than 23 even if they are willing to pay an extra fee/insurance.
As for maximum age, there isn’t really a maximum age to rent a car in Costa Rica, depending on the agency.
Adobe doesn’t have a maximum age limit and senior drivers don’t need to pay an extra insurance or fee.
Adobe also has another condition that the driver must have been driving legally for at least 2 years.
What Side of the Road Does Costa Rica Drive On?
Costa Rica drives on the right hand side of the road, same as USA and Canada.
Cost of a Costa Rica Car Rental
Costa Rica car rental prices are not cheap.
How much your Costa Rica car rental costs depend on many factors such as, but not limited to: the type of rental car, demand, availability and the time of year.
Also, car rental rates in Costa Rica are dynamic, like flights. They are not static prices, so the price you see 6 months before your trip, will change when it’s 1 month before your trip.
Whether the price goes up or down, depends on the market at the moment.
Most Expensive Time to Rent a Car in Costa Rica
The most expensive time of year to rent a car in Costa Rica is the high tourism season. This is generally mid December to April.
Christmas, New Years and Easter week have the most expensive prices (peak season).
If you are visiting during peak season, book your car rental at least three to four months out. Car rentals go very fast during these times of year.
A mid size 4wd SUV can cost around $800 USD for one week in high season.
Fluctuating price depends on availability and demand and I’m talking about just the car rental rate.
Cheapest Time to Rent a Car in Costa Rica
The cheapest time to rent a car in Costa Rica are during low tourism seasons months such as May, September and October.
October usually has the cheapest rental car rates as it is the slowest tourism month.
Cost of Gas
Gas prices in Costa Rica fluctuate constantly.
However, gas prices are the same at every station.
The cost of gas in Costa Rica is around 662 CRC per liter which is approximately ~$4.99 USD per gallon (regular).
Super is around 677 CRC per liter and is around $5.11 USD per gallon.
Diesel in Costa Rica costs around 566 CRC per liter which is around $4.19 USD per gallon.
*Gas prices change very often, so these rates may not reflect the exact prices today.*
On average for a 1 week trip, if you drive around 500 kilometers (310 miles), you may spend around $70-80 USD for gas for a mid size gasoline SUV.
Additional Costs
There are a few additional costs to renting a car in Costa Rica.
First, from San Jose, there are several highway toll booths. These costs from 100 – 1000 CRC, about $.20-$2 USD.
Second, if your rental car is dirty inside, you may need to take it to the car wash ($10-20) before you return it.
If you return the car extremely dirty (vomit/mud/food stains/wine stains/excessive pet hair/excessive sand), agencies will charge you a fee of around $113 USD since they have to get it professionally cleaned.
Third, you cannot smoke inside rental cars in Costa Rica. If you do, the company will charge you a fine for this, usually around $113 USD.
Fourth, if you pick up and return from different offices or a location without an office, there will be an extra fee for this, for most rental car agencies. This can be from $25-$300 USD.
Lastly, if you get any extras like child booster seats, Wifi hot spot, SIM card, these have an extra cost.
We offer some freebies like free child seats and free luggage cover with our Costa Rica car rental discount!
How to Save Money on Car Rentals in Costa Rica
- Travel during low season months like May, September and October.
- Create an itinerary that does not require a 4×4. Here is a one week family itinerary flying to SJO Airport that does not require a 4×4.
- Use your credit card car rental insurance to save money on insurance. It will be necessary to provide proof of coverage.
- Rent a diesel car. Diesel is cheaper than gas in Costa Rica.
- Avoid different pick up and return locations.
One more tip if you’re really counting pennies – rent a manual transmission car. Automatic cars can cost a few dollars more than a manual car a day.
You have to be a proficient and confident manual driver as Costa Rica has a lot of narrow roads, steep hills, mountain routes and unpaved streets.
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount to save on rentals and get extra benefits like 2 free drivers, free pre-paid SIM card, free cooler and much more!
The Process of Renting a Car in Costa Rica
Below is our recommended process.
Deciding Which Company to Rent With: Best Costa Rica Car Rental Companies
The first step is to decide which company to rent with.
Disclaimer: Mytanfeet has partnered with Adobe Rent a Car. They are Costa Rican operated and offer all-inclusive pricing.
Our partnership gives our readers car rental discounts and extra freebies such as free additional drivers, free child seats, free prepaid SIM card and much more.
However, you can find large international companies such as Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt, Thrifty, Economy and Budget in Costa Rica.
There are also a couple Costa Rican car rental companies like Poas and Vamos.
That being said, the first step when it comes to deciding the company is to comparison shop.
Then you need to make sure to note specific details about each rental car company. It’s not just about finding the cheapest car rental possible.
You need to check the model and year of the rental car, number of offices, quality of customer service, amount of the security deposit and the insurance options for every single company.
Just because the rate is much cheaper, you may end up paying more (time and money wise) in the long run due to unfriendly agents, slow/unresponsive customer service, poorly maintained vehicles and shady practices.
Number of Offices
Something else when deciding which Costa Rican car rental company to rent with is the number of offices.
This is because some companies may only have two offices: one at San José International Airport and the other at Guanacaste Airport.
Why does the number of offices matter?
For example, if you are in Uvita and you run into issues with your car, the closest office of your car rental agency may be in San Jose which is a ~3.5 hour drive away.
Since they are so far away, it will take a whole day out of your vacation to get them to come check it out. You may end up wasting even more time if they have to change your car or tow it.
If it’s an emergency after business hours, you will be in even more trouble because many small agencies do not have a 24/7 emergency line.
Adobe has around 15 offices in Costa Rica and an after-hours emergency line, so if you run into any issues, there is a good chance there is an office nearby and they can assist you quickly.
What to Know About International Companies
You may have read from other tourists that car rentals are a scam in Costa Rica.
We completely understand why they feel that way. This is because of the way international companies present the taxes, fees, insurances and deposit in Costa Rica.
The thing with those companies is that they aren’t fully transparent about taxes, fees, the deposit and insurance.
You need to contact the Costa Rican office directly to be 100% clear about all fees and insurances.
Third Party Booking Sites: How to Avoid Hidden Fees/Taxes/Insurances When Renting a Car in Costa Rica (Why Your Quote is So Cheap)
If you book a car on third party sites like Expedia, Kayak, Carrentals, an airline, Orbitz, etc. they usually only show you the car rental price, which can look insanely cheap ($5 USD a day, $10 USD a day).
This is because these third party websites only show you the car rental price. They do not include ANY of the insurances, deposits, taxes and fees.
So when you go to pick up the car, they will add on all these insurances, taxes and fees you didn’t know anything about and it’ll end up being way more expensive.
This is why many people feel like they got scammed when renting a car in Costa Rica.
To avoid this situation, check directly with the Costa Rican agency to get the final price and ask them about the deposit amount and insurances.
With our partnership to offer our readers a car rental discount, what you see on your reservation is exactly what you pay.
No hidden fees, taxes, insurances. All clear and upfront. All inclusive prices from the beginning to end.
Costa Rica Car Rental Insurance: How it Works
This is the most confusing thing about Costa Rica car rentals because every company sells insurances differently and uses different names.
Furthermore, there is a mandatory insurance in Costa Rica, so make sure that is included in your quote so you know your total price breakdown.
When it comes to our partner, Adobe Rent a Car, they offer 3 types of insurances online:
Liability (PLI), Car Protection (CDW) and Extended Protection (SPP).

They offer 1 insurance in person, called TPW, which is only for those who use their credit card car rental coverage to decline Car Protection.
Liability Insurance (PLI)
This is the mandatory car rental insurance in Costa Rica. The mandatory third party liability insurance from Adobe costs between $13-25 USD a day.
This Liability insurance covers up to $20,000 USD in 3rd party damages with 20% deductible and 3rd parties (not in vehicle) up to $100,000 USD with 0 deductible.
This mandatory insurance in Costa Rica cannot be declined or removed using credit card insurance since there are no companies that cover this exact insurance.
Car Protection Insurance (CDW or LDW)
This basic insurance covers the rented vehicle damage in a collision, rollover or theft.
You are still responsible for the $1000 + tax USD deductible (total $1130 USD) and the rental company then covers the rest. This insurance does not cover any third party damages, vandalism or tires.
You can decline this insurance by using your credit card world wide car rental coverage. You will need proof of coverage in order to decline the Car Protection Insurance.
My Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Infinite credit card offers worldwide car rental insurance and I can use it to decline Adobe’s Car Protection insurance.
Extended Protection Insurance (SPP)
This insurance is 100% optional. It goes on top of Liability and has 0 deductible and covers windows, vandalism, 24/7 road side assistance (one of the Mytanfeet benefits is 24/7 road assistance in every reservation), tire damage and tow trucks.
The insurance also covers 100% of 3rd party damages up to $2 million USD.
You can add this insurance when you sign the rental agreement if you’re not sure if you want to add it beforehand.
Third Party Waiver Insurance (TPW)
The TPW insurance is offered ONLY in person, and only to those who are declining Car Protection Insurance by using their credit card car rental coverage.
It increases your third party (Liability) coverage to $4 million USD from $20,000 USD. The Liability deductible goes down to $0 USD from 20%. This insurance costs $9.99 + tax USD a day.
You can read more detailed information about Adobe Rent a Car insurance in this post.
Flat Tires
Flat tire change are not covered under any of the insurances. You will be provided all the necessary tools and a spare tire to change the flat/punctured tire yourself.
If you need help, you can go to any gas station and they can help you change out the flat tire for a small fee.
Then, you can go to any of the rental offices of your agency to change out the spare.
Extended Insurance only covers damaged tires. It does not cover flat tire change. In order to be covered for damaged tires, you will need to get the LDW + CDW + SPP insurances.
Deposit
The security deposit is the amount the company will hold on your credit card during the duration of your car rental.
The Costa Rican car rental deposits have a huge range as they are based on the type of insurances your purchase. These deposits vary depending on the rental agency.
For example, if you purchase only mandatory insurance, your deposit may be $3000 at one agency.
If you get every insurance available, your deposit may be $500. If you waive one insurance and only get mandatory insurance, your deposit can be $5,000… or more.
So you will need to make sure the credit card you’re using has a big enough limit for the deposit and payment.
Some companies will allow clients to use one credit card for the deposit and another for the payment in case your card doesn’t have a high enough limit for the deposit and car rental.
The condition is that both credit cards must be the same brand. For example, they cannot accept one VISA and one Mastercard.
How to Pay the Deposit
Deposits and payment of the rental cannot be paid in cash in Costa Rica. Credit card holders have to be present to sign paperwork and pay for the rental.
This is another reason why we prefer working with Adobe Rent a Car. Their deposit is straightforward ($1000 USD flat). But we have a benefit for readers who book through Mytanfeet!
For Mytanfeet reservations, we offer a special deposit benefit. It is $750 USD for all reservations that decline Car Protection Insurance. It is $500 USD if you purchase all 3 insurances or purchase Liability and Car Protection Insurance.
Are Debit Cards Accepted for the Deposit?
Adobe does take debit cards if clients sign a waiver form.
However, the debit card deposit can take up to 7 business days to return to your bank account, whereas it is 24-72 hours for credit cards.
IMPORTANT: Our deposit benefit does NOT apply to those using a debit card. Your deposit will be $1000 USD if you use a debit card, no exceptions. Clients need to sign a form saying they understand these conditions when using a debit card.
Also if you have one of those cards that function as both a debit and credit card, then Adobe will treat it as a debit card.
Digital cards are not accepted, meaning no Apple Pay, Google Wallet, etc.
Airport Pick Up and Return
Can you pick up your car rental at the airport in Costa Rica?
Yes and no. San Jose International Airport and Guanacaste Airport are too small for car rental companies to operate inside.
Therefore, all the offices are located around a 10-15 minute drive from the airport. Rental companies offer transportation to their office to collect the car.
There are some companies that do offer their cars inside the airport but this is very few, mostly these are ultra VIP clients.
Even if the rental car companies has a counter inside the international airports, they will still take you to their off site office to sign the rental agreement and collect the car.

Adobe Rent a Car offers a complimentary meet and greet shuttle for their clients.
The Adobe agent will meet the clients outside the airport terminal exit, bring them to the shuttle and take them to their office to complete the rental agreement and collect the car.
You can watch videos of the pick up process for Adobe at San José International Airport and Adobe at Guanacaste Airport here.
Returning the Car
For airport returns, clients will return the car to their airport office. Then Adobe shuttles them for free to the airport. Most other car rental agencies also work this way.
Early Morning/Late Night Return to SJO Airport
At the San Jose International Airport, clients who have a flight at an odd hour can arrange to leave the car in the parking lot with the keys in the glove box for an extra fee.
Be sure to arrange this with your agency.
For those who rent through Mytanfeet by booking with our Costa Rica car rental discount, we will help you arrange this and take care of the details.
Gas and Mileage
Some companies have an option to choose for prepaid gas. Or clients can fill it up before returning the car, or they can return it at whatever level and the company will charge a fee to fill it up.
For Adobe, when clients receive the car, the tank will be full. For the return, clients can fill up before returning the car or the clients can return it at any level and Adobe will charge accordingly.
Read about how to get gas in Costa Rica here.
There may also be restrictions on mileage for some rental car agencies, depending on the type of rental car. Adobe has unlimited mileage for rentals under 30 days.
Costa Rica uses the metric system (kilometers) but it is the same when they say unlimited mileage.
Extras
Common car rental extras are additional drivers, GPS, Wi-fi hot spot, baby/booster seats, SIM card, dog seat cover, luggage cover, cooler and surf racks.
Prices vary between agencies.
With Adobe, our deal gives readers 2 free additional drivers, free baby and booster seats, free SIM card with 1000 CRC preloaded credit, free cooler (if available), free dog seat cover, free luggage cover and free surf racks.
We also have a Wi-fi deal that if you rent for more than 10 days, you only pay for the first ten days.

The Wi-fi hot spot is useful if you do not have an international data plan. You can connect up to 5 devices and it has unlimited data.
That way you’ll always have Internet on your phone so it’s useful if you don’t plan to get an international data plan.
The prepaid SIM card is also useful to have a local phone number.
What Kind of Car Should You Rent in Costa Rica?
Rental car companies have many car categories for all budgets and needs. The type of car you rent in Costa Rica will depend on your itinerary and the size of your group.
Here are some common cars and vehicle categories.
Full size 7 seater SUV: Mitsubishi Montero Sport, Toyota Prado, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Palisade.
Mid size SUV 5 seater: Toyota Rav4, Nissan Rogue, Kia Sportage, Ford Explorer, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Kona.
Compact SUV: Hyundai Venue 2wd, Hyundai Creta 2wd, Mitsubishi ASX 4wd, Suzuki Vitara 4wd and Geely Gx3 2wd.
Sedan/compact sedan: Hyundai Verna, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i10, Hyundai Gran i10, Suzuki Swift, Kia Soluto.
Vans (8/9 – 12 seaters): Hyundai Staria
Jeeps are not readily available to rent in Costa Rica. There are 4×4 cars and trucks, but not specifically the brand Jeep.
Convertibles are also not available to rent in Costa Rica. Trust me, you will not want to drive a a convertible in Costa Rica anyways.
Get more information on the type of cars to rent in Costa Rica here.
Automatic vs Manual
Make sure the car you rent is an automatic if you can’t drive manual.
Some companies will label the car as “AT” for automatic transmission and “MT” for manual transmission.
Manual transmissions cars are a tiny bit less expensive. Nowadays, most Costa Rican car rental agencies have automatic transmission for the majority of their fleet.
If you rent a manual transmission, you need to be a confident and proficient manual driver. Costa Rica has a lot of steep and curvy hills, potholes and unpaved roads, especially in the rural and remote places.
If you think you won’t feel comfortable driving manual in a foreign country, don’t. It will be worth paying a little bit more for an automatic to not have that stress.
Furthermore, if you’re from any of the countries that drive on the left side of the road, we highly recommend an automatic transmission.
Avoid worrying about driving on the other side of the road and changing gears with the opposite hand at the same time.
Car and Engine Size
Engine sizes in Costa Rica are smaller than the USA. A sedan in Costa Rica normally has a 1.6 L, 4 cylinders engines.
SUVs are typically 1.6-2 L, 4 cylinders engines. Full size SUVs with diesel engines are 2.4 L – 3 L.
If you want a bigger engine like a V6 or V8, it is not common in Costa Rica. If you find one, it will be much more expensive as they are considered premium/ultra premium.
You will pay more if you want to rent an automatic, V6 engine, American car.
IMPORTANT: Due to smaller engine sizes, your car may have trouble going up a hill, even if your entire group of 4 plus luggage fits in the sedan.
You may want to consider a bigger car in those situations if your accommodation is up in the mountains and you will be fully loading your car.
Rental Car Condition
If you notice a company offering very cheap rates, check the year of their rental cars. Some companies that have cheap car rental prices in Costa Rica use old cars (5 years or more).
You will need to take that into consideration because of the rough roads and how tourists drive.
The older the car, the more mileage it has, the more problems they may have and more incidents/accidents they may have been in.
Adobe changes their rental cars every 2 years or when they hit 100,000 kilometers (around 62,000 miles).
However, some car rental agencies with very cheap rates rent cars that are 5, 7, even 10+ years old with 300,000 kilometers or more (around 185,000 miles).
The condition of a 5 year old rental car in Costa Rica isn’t the same as a 1 year old rental car AT ALL!
I would much prefer to pay a bit more for a newer car in excellent condition and low mileage, rather than an older, less well maintained rental car with hundreds of thousands of miles on it.
Inspection
Some rental car companies no longer offer doing an inspection with the agent when you collect the car.
Do your own inspection, take your own photos and videos and document anything you see when you first get the car.
Is a 4×4 necessary in Costa Rica?
Some places may require a 4wd but in general, a car with high clearance is more important for many places in Costa Rica, particularly during the dry season months such as January, February, March and April.
In rainy season, it will be required to rent a 4wd for more rural areas or mountainous places with unpaved roads.
That time of year has bigger potholes and muddier roads. These are months such as May through December.

Here are some popular routes:
- Guanacaste to Arenal: 4×4 not necessary. See the Guanacaste to Arenal route here.
- Monteverde: High clearance car highly recommended due to the Monteverde roads. 4wd/4×4 recommended in rainy season if staying outside of the town center.
- Puerto Viejo: 4×4 not necessary. The road to and around Puerto Viejo is paved.
- Uvita: High car recommended and 4wd is necessary for many hotels up in the mountains.
We created two driving in Costa Rica posts with more information: Driving around Costa Rica videos and Costa Rica road conditions.
Other Important Things to Know About Costa Rica Car Rentals
- If you get a ticket, pay it when you drop off the car. There is a law that can prohibit you from exiting the country if you don’t.
- Child seats are required for children under 12 years of age.
- Rental vehicles cannot be driven across the Costa Rican border to Nicaragua or Panama.
- Keep the contract and car documents (registration). If you lose them, you may pay a fine.
- All drivers must have their passport and driver’s license (original, not copies or photos) with them while they are driving.
- For payments, you cannot use the credit card of a person who is not present.
- If you get into an incident, report it to the necessary authorities and the car rental company ASAP. If you do not, you can face fines or legal issues.
- Damage from driving through rivers or any body of water is not covered by any type of insurance.
- Damage from driving under the influence is not covered by any type of insurance.
- It is the law to wear seat belts in Costa Rica, front and back seats.
The Mytanfeet Costa Rica Car Rental Discount
Mytanfeet is very pleased to partner with Adobe Rent a Car to give our readers an exclusive Costa Rica car rental discount and extra freebies!
“Why Adobe?” you may ask.
When it comes to reputable Costa Rica car rental companies, Adobe Rent a Car is the leader.
They are a 100% Costa Rican operated company with the largest fleet of cars that are no more than 2 years old.
Furthermore, they offer all-inclusive pricing.
We also offer extra benefits: 2 free additional drivers, 0% deductible on Liability Protection insurance (up to $20,000 USD), road assistance on all reservations, a free prepaid SIM card for duration of booking, free baby and booster seats, free surf racks, free dog seat covers, WiFi deal, free car delivery and pick up, one hour car return leniency and a special deposit deal.
You’ll also receive Mytanfeet customer service, as we’ll help you make sure your reservation is exactly the way you want it and help you with any questions you have.
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount to book a car, have a trip of a lifetime and save money while doing it!
You can read about our experience with Adobe Rent a Car and why we recommend them.
If our renting a car in Costa Rica article was helpful, feel free to pass it along. Our goal is to give the best information and help our readers out as much as possible!

Ken Walden says
Hello,
My group of 6 would like to rent a Hyundai Grand Santa Fe 4×4 through you for Jan 5 through Jan 11, 2017. If we rent a car through your website can you tell me if there is a cancellation policy in case i can’t get all 6 on board?
Thank you
yeison says
Hello Ken!
Thank you for reading our blog, I will put a note on the reservation that you need to check the car upon arrival, also I will send you a detail description of the Hyundai Santa Fe 4×4. Please email us your confirmation number once you have it so I can put the note and talk to the office manager our email is on our contact page. Please let us know if you have more questions
Vivi says
Hi Sammi,
According to you experience, do I need a 4×4 or 4×2 car to drive all itinerary below?
SJO – FORTUNA – TENORIO – TAMARINDO – MONTEVERDE – QUEPOS – SJO
Is there any difference betwen Suzuki Jimnys or they are all the same?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Vivi, I recommend getting at least a 4×2 for Tenorio, they say it is also better for MOnteverde too since that road is really bumpy. It would be way more comfortable in a 4×2. ALl the Suzuki Jimny’s should be the same, and that is a good car for 2 people with small luggage.
Sammi says
Hi Blaine! We have a bunch of articles that will help answer your questions.
Here are our favorite beaches in Guanacaste that are around Coco all the way down to Nosara: Best beaches in Guanacaste.
The road from Guanacaste to Arenal is well paved, you can see what it’s like in this post: Driving Guanacaste to ARenal
And if you go down to Nosara, the road is well paved except for a short stretch towards the end at Nosara. You won’t need a 4×4 though, the road is not that bad.
And you can read about road conditions in this post: Costa Rica car rental tips
Then for snorkeling, the GUlf of Papagayo has some great snorkeling spots but are only reachable by boat. You can take a snorkel cruise/tour, we love doing that which you can read about here: Playas del Coco boating
And scuba diving is excellent out of Coco too. Rich Coast Diving is Padi certified and they do trips out to Bat Islands and local dive spots.
Blaine says
Hi guys, Thanks so much for all of your input. It is very helpful. My wife and I are flying in to Liberia on Jan.24th. We plan to rent a car for 2 week as we are staying in Playa Del Coco for 7 days, 3 days in Taramindo and 3 days in Nosara. Our first 7 days in Playa Del Coco first and then we are flexible for the last 6 days as far as where we stay. We may want to make a day trip to Arenal. Any recommendations on how we should book our itinerary to stay on the best roads. Would we need a 4x 2 or 4 x 4. What beaches do you highly recommend we visit from Playa Del Coco to Nosara. Is there any good places to scuba or snorkel? Thanks a bunch!
yeison says
Hello Pam,
Thanks for reading our blog!
The best full cover insurance we know is the SSP plan from Adobe rent a car, we have this helpful article about car insurances that you might find useful: Costa Rica car rental insurance and if you would like to check our special rates and benefits you can check them out here: Costa Rica car rental discount
Also if you are landing at 1:35Pm you might be getting out of the airport around 2:10 pm and then add another 30 to 45 minutes to pick up the car so in the best case scenario you will be departing around 3PM to Arenal the whole drive might take you 3 to 4 hours depends of traffic and it gets dark around 5:45 PM everyday so you might have to drive a little bit during the night. This article describes the drive from the airport to Arenal: Driving Guanacaste to ARenal
Pam says
Thanks – we have already spent quite a bit of time on your website and others looking at the drive. My husband just found out from our personal insurance agent that we have umbrella coverage that would cover liability anywhere in the world, so we shouldn’t need the supplemental through adobe. I really appreciate the pictures of the roads! Do you think we are foolish to attempt the drive at this time of day? When we booked the flight I was thinking the drive was more like 2-2.5 hours to Arenal. We already have our hotel booked for the 5th (Volcano lodge and springs) so kind of have to get there that night one way or another. I’m not sure what we will do if our flight would be an hour or 2 late…We will also have a not fun drive on our day of departure. We are driving from Manuela Antonio to catch 2:25 flight. That is about a 5 hour drive, correct? We should be ok if we leave as soon as there is daylight? (by 6 am at the latest?) Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Pam, the drive is not that bad from Liberia to Fortuna, it does get windy around the Nuevo Arenal area but go slow and take your time. It gets dark around 6 PM here and it’s about a 4 hour drive. I do recommend getting a sim card and using WAZE so you don’t get lost (the signage on that route is OK, not the best).
Pam says
It looks like we can request airport pickup of our vehicle through adobe to save time??
Sammi says
Hi Pam, yes you can request the car to be dropped off at the airport.
Pam says
Thanks so much for your reply. Do you think we are foolish to try this drive? Can we request car pick up at airport to speed things up a bit? We have our hotel booked at Volcano resort and Springs for Feb 5, so we have to make it there that night one way or another. We had looked at the drive quite a bit before booking flight and hotel, but thought it was closer to 2.5 hours than 3-4. On the way back on the 12th, we have to drive from Manuel Antonio to catch a flight at 2:30. Will we be ok if we leave at 6 am? Thanks!
Sammi says
Manuel Antonio to Liberia is about a 5 hour drive, I personally wouldn’t drive on the same day as my flight just because it’d be very tiring and you never know what can happen on the raod so for myself, I would drive back the night before.
Dave says
Pam – are you staying at the Volcano Lodge and Springs? If so, I literally did the same trip you just took about two weeks ago. Our flight (from Atlanta) landed about 1:30pm.
First of all, bring an unlocked cell phone, buy a SIM card at the airport and have WaZe installed. You can literally get anywhere you’re going.
The drive was totally fine. It was more like 3 hours for us and we got there before dark and were able to check-in and enjoy some hot springs before dinner.
I had Adobe bring the car to the airport. They met us just outside the terminal and had a sign with my name on it. There is a lot of construction on the road near their main office so they brought the car to the airport and we signed the papers in the parking lot. They gave us a few bottles of cold water and we were off. The Adobe guys spoke excellent English, were super helpful and friendly, and were there as soon as we stepped off the plane. I was nervous (first time renting a car in CR) but I’d absolutely use them again.
One tip: once you leave the main terminal area you’ll be in the lobby where the taxi drivers are. If you look to your left (inside the airport) you’ll see the Frog mascot of Kolbi cellular. For $20 I got a sim card with 2 gigabytes of data which was MORE than enough for a week of GPS and driving and emailing pictures back home. I can’t stress enough how important WaZe (or a GPS from the rental company) is.
Pura Vida!
Pam says
We have our flights and lodging booked for costa rica for Feb 5-12, but have yet to book car rental. We are leaning toward getting the supplemental insurance just for piece of mind. Do you recommend this? Is there any other travel insurance we could get that would cover liability of other vehicles if we were in an accident? We have been looking, but haven’t found this. Also, our flight lands in Liberia on Feb 5 at 1:35 pm and we hope to immediately drive to Arenal so we can arrive before dark. If our flight would be delayed and we cannot drive that evening, would we be able to book a private driver last minute and pick up our car in la Fortuna the next day? Thanks!
Mike says
Looking to rent from 11/25-12/1. How much per day is the Wi-Fi hot spot? That would be a great bonus!
Sammi says
Hi Mike! It’s $10 per day and then after 10 days it is for free with the Mytanfeet promotion 🙂
Mike O says
Great, thank you!
I reserved today but accidentally forgot to use your promo 🙁 🙁
I immediately followed up the confirmation email with an email of my own saying I wanted to use the “MY TAN FEET” fare so that we could take advantage of the 2nd driver discount and GPS discount. I asked if it’s too late to cancel since we arrive in 3 days, but all I’m trying to do is change the “promo” – I haven’t heard back from them yet.
Sammi says
Hi Mike! No problem, can you email us your reservation number and we’ll sent it to our Adobe representative to modify it and make sure you get the benefits. You can email us on our contact page
Andrea Johnson says
Hi Samantha,
We have booked all of our travel and the car rental is the last thing to book and I have read a lot of terrible reviews about renting a car in Costa Rica and then came along your blog and though I would give a local company a try instead and especially if the price given was the final price. I dhope feel like we need a 4×4 with where we are going and when I looked only had the option of a 4×2 manual. We prefer a 4×4 that is automatic is this something you can help with? We are flying into San Jose on 12/21/2016 and leaving on 12/28/2016. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Andy
Sammi says
Hi Andy! I’ll email Adobe and check to see if there is a 4×4 automatic, however car rentals are going super fast for Christmas/New Years and many cars are already reserved. I’ll shoot you an email once I find out!
Andy says
Awesome! Thanks so much for the quick response and help! Your blog has been super helpful in planning a much needed vacation!
Thanks,
Andy
Sammi says
You’re welcome! Glad to hear that! 🙂
Pedro says
Hello Sammi, great blog I always recommend to my friends and customer… keep writing and keep enjoying Costa Rica. Pura vida. Pedro
Sammi says
Thanks Pedro!
Heather H says
Hi there 🙂 Thanks so much for the info!
My mom, best friend and I are planning a trip 12/10-16 to CR, in and out of SJO. Planning to drive to Arenal/La Fortuna and then to Guanecaste via Rio Celeste. Do you think we will need a 4×4?
I was looking on the adobe site and I’m getting the same price via your discount link as I am without. Is the discount still available?
I appreciate your info!
Heather
Sammi says
Hi Heather! Did you try to clear your cookies? I’ll send an email to Adobe first thing tomorrow and get you a quote for some cars, I do recommend a 4×4 to Rio Celeste as that road is pretty bumpy but the road from San JOse to Arenal is nicely paved and then from Bijagua once you get onto the main highway is very nice. You can probably just get a 4×2 for the road from Tenorio Volcano National Park because by around December, it is the beginning of dry season. Look for an email from us soon!