Renting a car in Costa Rica and have no idea which company to go with? In this post, we’ll share with you our personal recommendation for the best car rental in Costa Rica: Adobe Rent a Car.
This Costa Rican car rental company is 100% Costa Rican, have been in business for over 30 years and have offices all throughout the country. Want to know more? Read on below!
And for those of you who want a jump start on booking your car, we have teamed up with this Costa Rica car rental company to give discounts and extra benefits to our readers. Just click on our Costa Rica car rental discount link here to check quotes, availability and make reservations with our promo. Also check our renting a car in Costa Rica post for more tips!
Adobe Rent a Car: Best Car Rental in Costa Rica
There are international and local car rental companies in Costa Rica and for us, we personally like to support local companies. In this particular case, Adobe Rent a Car is the oldest car rental company in Costa Rica with over 30 years of experience and offer all-inclusive pricing.
With excellent customer service, knowledgeable agents and a well maintained fleet, it was easy for us to choose who we believe is the best car rental in Costa Rica and who to partner with to give Mytanfeet readers a Costa Rica car rental discount and extra freebies.
And below you will read more why.
The Importance of All-Inclusive Pricing in Costa Rica
What is all inclusive pricing and why is it important in Costa Rica? Well you may have heard that renting a car in Costa Rica is a scam and read many horror stories from previous tourists. Unfortunately, there are companies in Costa Rica that implement what we see as dishonest practices regarding insurance.
For example, if you check third party booking sites, you may see a crazy cheap car rental, like $5 USD a day for a SUV. When you go to book that car, your total will be only like $50 for a week. So you think that it’s super cheap and that you don’t need to pay anything else.
However, when you arrive in Costa Rica and pick up the car, the agency tells you that you have an additional X amount of hundred dollars to pay and that your deposit will be something crazy like $3000 USD. And that you have to purchase an insurance, it is obligatory. This happens because the third party booking site you originally used didn’t include any taxes, fees or insurance so you had no idea there were other charges to pay.
So you’re left with an incredibly awful experience and you feel like you were scammed.
Adobe Rent a Car doesn’t do ANY of that. They offer all-inclusive pricing so the total amount on your reservation is exactly what you pay when you pick up the car. No extra fees, taxes or charges. You know exactly which insurances you will pay for and which are optional. You also know how much your deposit will be.
They offer a stress free and trustworthy car rental experience in Costa Rica and for us, that makes them the best car rental in Costa Rica.
What to Know About Costa Rican Car Rental Insurance
Adobe Rent a Car’s insurances are easy to understand as they are very straightforward. Read more about Adobe Rent a Car’s insurances here.
Some agencies make it super confusing. They may have up to or more than 5 insurance options, use confusing language and just aren’t clear. Also some of them may offer options such as If you purchase insurance 1 but not 2, 3 and 4, your deposit is $5000 USD. If you purchase insurances 1, 2 and 3, your deposit is $500. If you purchase insurance 1, 2 and 4, your deposit is $2000.
SO confusing right?
Adobe Rent a Car doesn’t do that at all.
One of the benefits of renting a car through Mytanfeet is that we offer a $500 or $750 USD deposit instead of the original $1000 USD deposit.
Pros About Adobe Rent a Car and Why They are the Best Car Rental in Costa Rica
They are 100% Costa Rican
As a traveler, I much prefer my money to go to the locals than the foreign companies, especially in a country that depends on tourism so much like Costa Rica.
The entire Adobe Rent a Car company is Costa Rican, from the owners to all employees.
Being a 100% Costa Rican company also gives a bit more peace of mind because that means they know Costa Rican laws inside and out.
Everyone in the company knows the roads, knows what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica and knows what tourists are looking for when it comes to a good car rental experience.
Easy to Understand Insurance
It is easy to understand exactly what you are paying for and what insurance covers what. It is clearly written what the insurances cover so there is no confusion. They also clearly explain which insurance is optional and which insurance is not.
Excellent Service
When it comes to customer service, Adobe has excellent customer service. From their reservations department to their counter agents, everyone is polite and friendly.
Well Maintained Fleet
Another reason why Adobe Rent a Car is the best car rental in Costa Rica is their well maintained fleet. They have a fleet of cars that are no more than 2 years old and they keep them in very good condition.
This is something very important to consider when price comparison shopping. You may see a cheap car rental but keep in mind that that company may use really old cars, like 5 years or more. A 1 year old rental car vs 5 year old rental car is drastically different in Costa Rica due to the road conditions. The 5 year old car may have something like 500,000 kilometers on it and with all the gravel and unpaved roads in Costa Rica, the condition of that car will not be the same as a 1 year old rental car.
Transparency
No hidden fees, no surprise taxes, no last minute charges. Nothing. You don’t need to worry about any of that when you rent a car with Adobe!
As mentioned earlier, they use an all-inclusive pricing structure so clients pay exactly the amount written on their confirmation.
My Experience: Our Adobe Rent a Car Review
I first rented a car with Adobe Rent a Car many years ago and this was before our partnership with them. I wanted to rent with a local company and heard many great things about Adobe. My experience went flawlessly. They delivered my car to our condo in Jaco and picked it up there as well. I rented a sedan (Hyundai Accent) for me and 2 friends and we drove from Jaco to Manuel Antonio National Park and Playas del Coco.
The car worked great, was comfortable and clean. Everything was clearly explained to me by the agent and I had no confusion about what I was paying for. After my car rental experience with Adobe, we then knew that we wanted to partner with them and we’re happy that we are able to give our Mytanfeet readers a car rental discount and extra freebies to help them save money on their vacation.
If you have any questions about our discount or about Adobe, please feel free to contact us.
Read more Costa Rica travel tips below!
Tips for using Airbnb in Costa Rica
Carol says
Sammi
We are traveling to CR at the end of November and will rent a car. We are looking at Adobe for the rental. We will fly into Liberia but won’t arrive until 10:00pm. Is there way to get the car at that time?
Sammi says
Hi Carol, yes if you would like your car when you land, just put in your flight information and in the comment section when you’re making the reservation, write that you would like the car when you land at X TIME so that Adobe knows to station an agent at the airport to meet you.
Tammy M says
We had a great experience with both Adobe and using your blog. Thanks for all the great information. Adobe made the rental experience super simple. I’m so glad we decided to rent a car and explore!
Sammi says
Thank you for your feedback Tammy and glad you had a good experience 🙂
Judy says
We rented an SUV through Mytanfeet/Adobe in February of 2020. Our experience was great. When I was concerned about whether the car would fit 6 comfortably, they sent detail pictures of the car. They provided car seats for our two grandchildren and delivered and picked up the car at pretty much exactly the agreed upon time. We could’t be happier. The discount was great too. It was a simple no hassle process. I recommended to the concierge at our rental.
Sammi says
Hi Judy, thank you so much for your feedback and we’re very happy to hear you had a good experience with Adobe!
Chris says
Hi,
great blog and website. Helped us a lot in planning our first trip to Costa Rica!
I rented a 4×4 from Adobe and it was a really smooth operation. Can only recommend this company.
In downtown San Jose I got a car in good condition. They have clerks that speak an excellent English and they didn’t try to sell me any extra insurance or other stuff I don’t want or need. The only thing worrying me was the missing rear license plate. And returning the car at the airport was also fast and absolutely hassle free.
I did however book the car through a German agency because of insurance issues. Adobe answered my emails quickly when I double-checked if the reservation came through.
Driving in Costa Rica is very relaxed – outside of San Jose at least. I saw not more than five patrol cars in this one week, and they obviously didn’t care about the missing plate.
Sammi says
Glad you had a great experience and thanks for your feedback!
Yass says
Hi,
Thanks for your amazing blog!
You convinced me of renting a car with Adobe 🙂 I just have one concern – I am 23 years old, and when I tried to get a quotation, I was not asked for my age/DOB. I just want to know if/how much would the young renter fee be. Could you help me out with this please?
Thanks again
Sammi says
Hi Yass! We got your email but the minimum age for Adobe is 23 so you are good!
Carole says
Hello. Unfortunately we booked through a different travel company that does not offer all the perks that your site does. I would very much like to cancel my reservations and rebook through your site. But noticed that at this late date the 3 Hyundai Tucson’s we booked are not available. I wonder if you could assist in helping me switch since the cars we booked are reserved I wonder if we could transfer that reservation in order to receive your perks. We leave tomorrow!
Sammi says
Hi Carole!
We will be happy to assist you, we just sent you an email. (Let me know if you didn’t get it, sometimes it may have gone to Spam).
Niall says
Hello
Great blog and website…super helpful for planning my first trip to CR! I need to hire a car from Tamarindo and am going to Monteverde and then on to SJO aiport over 5 days. Can you recommend the best type of car for this trip ? 4×2 or 4×4 ? I will be travelling in December/January.
thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Niall, we just sent you an email!
Tammy Gaddy says
Hi Sammi,
We love your blog, it has been so helpful to us in planning our first trip! We are planning on flying in and out of San Jose, traveling to La Fortuna, then Playas del Coco, then Manuel Antonio and back to San Jose. During the Manuel Antonio trip portion, we were thinking about going to see the whales tail and possibly the Nauyaca waterfall. We’re trying to decide if these last two locations are going to be the only places that would require a 4×4? Also, does Adobe have rental locations near Manuel Antonio?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Tammy, the last two would be where a 4wd would be highly needed, the other destinations don’t. Adobe has an office in Uvita and Manuel Antonio. Let me know if you have other questions!
Luis says
Hello, just came across this page because I will be traveling with my wife in late June. I’m glad to know this rental company tells you the full price up front which many don’t! My question is in regards to the deposit, how will I be able to get the $750 instead of the $1000? Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Sammi says
Hi Luis, the deposit is automatically included for all Mytanfeet readers and it is in the Adobe system automatically 🙂 You don’t need to request it or anything. Let me know if you have other questions.
Julia Mcneal says
Hi! Does adobe accept debit card? We don’t have a credit card and are looking for the most affordable way to book a car without one
Sammi says
Hi Julia, they do except for debit cards they are classified as cash transactions, so if you use your debit card for the deposit, it can take up to 3-4 weeks to return to your account (depending on your bank) whereas a credit card returns the deposit 24-72 hours after.
Grace C says
Hi! Great blog 🙂 My boyfriend and I will be heading to Costa Rica in two weeks. We’ll be in Tamarindo from Mar. 19-22, La Fortuna 22-25 and thinking about Playa del Coco 25-27. I was thinking of just biking Tamarindo but renting a car for the rest of the way. Would you recommend purchasing/reserving it now or when we get to Costa Rica? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks!!
Sammi says
Hi Grace, I would definitely book your car asap. Adobe, our partner is already running out of cars for end of March and we have a pre-reserved amount of SUVS set aside for us because of this reason. But from Tamarindo, La Fortuna and Coco, you can rent a sedan, a 4×4 or big car is not necessary especially since it’s just the two of you. But I would definitely reserve it now because end of March is spring break for many North Americans and it’s an incredibly busy time here.
JZ says
Thanks, I was really glad I had taken your recommendation and rented through Adobe, and even more so when I got into an accident. They were so helpful and everything was smooth. Full insurance was a good idea too.
Sammi says
Hi JZ, glad to hear you had a good experience! We hope you enjoyed your time in Costa Rica 🙂
Mary Burtness says
What a wonderful resource your blog has provided. We especially appreciated the tip on using Adobe car rental. They are a great company! And it is always important to us to support the local economy.
Sammi says
Hi Mary, we’re glad the blog is helpful and that you had a good experience with Adobe! We always enjoy supporting local companies 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Josee, you can make a quote on this page here: Costa Rica car rental discount to see how much your rental would be and the widget on that page already includes our discount.
Josee says
Hi, i need 2 defferents quote amd i can’t find where to do it. One quote from 10 of february to 18 with a pickup at the airport. Or from the 11 to 17 at the office.
Thank you
Suzette Taylor says
Hi There,
This info is very informative. I had heard not to be fooled by rental car prices online because of the costly insurance. I am staying in Jaco via San Jose Sun Nov. 18 – Fri Nov. 23. There is 5 of us total. We’ll have 2 surfboards. We are planning on touring around the Jaco/Hermosa area. Definitely need racks and interested in the WIFI hotspot for GPS purposes. Would please recommend an appropriate vehicle and send a quote?
Thank you.
yeison says
Hello, Suzette I just send you a quote for the car I would recommend you which is the Hyundai Tucson. Here is a video of the car just in case you were wondering about the size of the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAtCn_oWitw
Please let us know if you have more questions and thank you for reading our blog.
Steve Watt says
Thank you MyTanFeet. The van you arranged for us thru Adobe was perfect. The final price was exactly as stated, service was fast, quick and professional. We left a small bag in the shuttle after being dropped at LIR and the driver came back and found us to return it. Will definitely use you and Adobe again.
Steve & Louise, BC Canada.
Sammi says
Hi Steve, I’m so glad to hear you guys had a great time in Costa Rica and experience with Adobe. They are a great company! Thanks for reading Mytanfeet and we hope to see you in Costa Rica again 🙂
Sarah says
Hello!
I want to rent a car at Liberia Airport for 4 or 5 days. Did you say that they can drop the car off in Playa de cocos? Is that included? And then can they pick it up there after as well?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Sarah! Yes with Adobe, you get free delivery and pick up at Playas del Coco. Their hours of operation for pick up and delivery is 8 30 AM to 430 PM. When you make a reservation on this page:Costa Rica car rental discount, please select the drop off location and enter your hotel name and in the comment section of the reservation, write what time you would like the car dropped off.
Aaron says
Hi! I’m heading to CR in a week and would like to rent a car, but possibly drop it off in a different location and fly back to the Liberia airport. I’ll be picking up a car in La Fortuna (spending a few days here), then driving to Tamarindo (3 days here), then to Mal Pais (5 days here)… then I finally fly out of Liberia. I like the idea of renting from Adobe, but to drop the car at Tambor airport would be $195. I’m considering a few different options; would you be able to provide insight?
1. Pay the $195, drop the car at Tambor and fly to Liberia.
2. Leave the car in Tamarindo for $90, bus to Mal Pais, taxi to Tambor and fly to Liberia.
3. Rent from another car company that doesn’t have a drop off fee (probably unrealistic).
4. Don’t fly from Tambor to Liberia, drive instead on the last day for trip.
5. Any other suggestions that you may have!
Thanks so much! This site has already been VERY helpful!
yeison says
Hello Aaron,
Thank you for your comment, I think the option you can do is to drive back to Liberia that will be the easiest way, the drive is not that bad is like 3 to 3 and half hours, if you take an airplane you might have to be 45 minutes earlier at teh airport and then the flight takes like 10 minutes, and you will have to pay the drop off fess for the car rental plus the airline ticket.
You can also take the last drive to get to know more places, maybe you can take the route 160 and check other beaches in the way back like San juanillo or any of the other beaches, it might take you longer by this route but it will be more fun than just drive the 3 hours.
Sammi says
Hi Anna! I’m glad that the blog has been helpful! For 4 people, either the Tucson or Santa Fe will be great. They are both very spacious cars and will have plenty of room for 4 people. The difference between the two is that the Santa Fe does have the last row of pull up seats but you guys won’t need that with 4 people.
When you make the reservation, the free drivers are automatically included and you can write in the comment section of the reservation that you would like the cell phone and we will will make sure Adobe includes one in your reservation.
Also enter your flight information in the comment section because how the pick up and return works is like this. Adobe will pick you up from SJO Airport in their complimentary shuttle to take you to their office to finish the paperwork and pick up the car. Then for drop off, you will return the car to their office and they will shuttle you free of charge to SJO Airport. Adobe monitors all the flights and they always have an agent at the airport.
Anna says
Hi! We love your blog and are so excited for our first trip to Costa Rica! I am planning to use your website to reserve a rental car for our trip in February. Since we will be going to Monteverde, we would like to rent a 4×4. There will be 4 of us, so we are debating between the Tucson or Santa Fe- which would you recommend? We do not need booster seats but we would like the free cell phone and two free drivers. When I tried to reserve our car, there was no place to indicated that we want a cell phone and free drivers- are they just included without having to select them as additional options? Also, we are planning to pick up the car from the airport and drop it off on the way to the airport on the return trip- do we need to let them know that we will need a shuttle from SJO to their office for the pickup and return? Thanks in advance for all your help and for the great blog! 🙂
Jennifer Roth says
How do I know if Adobe got my updated rental information? When I sent an updated request I immediately received an email which just copied what I sent them. I don’t think it has been mortified. I am not sure how to proceed from here. Also with the restricted driving in San Jose depending on the last digits of the license plates how do I request that I get a plate that will allow me to drive certain days in the capital city?
yeison says
Hi Jennifer!
I just sent you an email and regarding the car plates restrictions question, this law doesn’t apply to car rental you can drive with a car rental any day in San Jose
Trina says
Hello , does adobe drop
Cars off at el rodeo estancia . We are getting into CR at 9 pm . We want a car first thing in the morning on January 31st .
Sammi says
Hi Trina, yes they can drop off the car there and the earliest they can drop off is at 8 AM. Just write a note in the comments that you’d like to get the car dropped off at your hotel and we’ll make sure Adobe confirms it.
Ash says
Great Information!
I have a quick question, I arrive at Midnight and seems like all car rental places are closed. My family and I will be there for 7 days. We have an airbnb booked which is an hour away, how do we go about getting a rental at that time if possible? If not, should we stay at a hotel there until the morning? Thanks again for all the information you have provided.
yeison says
Hello Ash!
If you rent a car with our partner Adobe rent car, they always wait until the last client arrives and gets the car. We will also be able to delivery the car but it will depend of where your airbnb is locates. Feel free to check rates our Costa Rica car rental deal and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Sammi says
Hi Gary, I wrote a full breakdown of the cost in this post: 1 week Costa Rica travel expenses but it was around $350 with full insurance. If you see a very low rental cost, there is a super high possibility of getting a high insurance charge when you pick up the car so make sure to always ask for all insurances, fees and taxes. This is why we like Adobe, they put all the costs in your reservation so you know exactly what you’re paying for up front, they don’t add on any extra fees last minute.
Gary J says
Hi,
Thanks for the article!
If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me the approximate price you paid for 1 week rental of an SUV, and how much for insurance (and which insurance option)?
We’re heading to CR in 2 months and I’ve seen all sorts of prices quoted,.. from $5 to $60 per day. I hear the low price quotes will likely include a high priced tag insurance requirement.
Thanks !
Dave Bryon says
Hi, visited CR in April 2017. What a great country ! Two week road trip, Arenal- Brasilito- Nicoya peninsular – ferry back to Punta Arenus. Took advantage of your Adobe discount.I have to say they were fantastic… great communication.. and easy booking. Great to see the pickup guy at the airport looking out for us. Quick transfer to their airport depot. These guys really know what they are doing. Well staffed , friendly and efficient. Paper work was straight forward and clear. The Tucson that we had was immaculate and was ideal for our trip. The return was just as efficient with courtesy transfer back to the airport. Great holidays can be let down by hire car problems… not with these guys ! Highly recommended/value for money with MTF discount
Sammi says
Hi Dave, so glad to hear you had a wonderful experience with Adobe. They are an excellent company which is why we have a partnership with them and they treat Mytanfeet readers very well. I absolutely agree that car hire issues can really ruin a trip which is exactly the reason why we work hard to make sure each company we recommend is high quality and gives the best. Hope you had a great time in Costa Rica!