Want to rent a car in Costa Rica? You may have heard horror stories from previous travelers or on other websites reviewing their renting a car in Costa Rica experience but it’s all about doing the proper research to prepare and prevent any nightmares.
The first thing you need to do is decide which car rental company to go with. And there are tons in Costa Rica! Although Americans/Canadians like to go with the big international or American companies, I prefer to go with local ones.
So when my friends came to visit and we needed to rent a car, I chose to rent with Adobe Rent a Car. Why? You can read my Adobe Rent A Car review and my experiences renting a car in Costa Rica as a foreigner to find out. After my experience, I’ll always rent a car in Costa Rica with Adobe Rent a Car!
*Still valid Nov 2019 – We’ve also teamed up with Adobe to give a Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits to our Mytanfeet readers. Click the link to read more about it*.
Adobe Rent a Car Review
What I checked for first: reviews and reputation
Renting a car in Costa Rica is NOT easy. Like you, I read so many reviews online and got tired and frustrated after a few hours. It seemed like every company that I read about, namely the international ones like Hertz, Budget, Alamo and Enterprise all had bad reviews and this was mostly due to hidden insurance fees and quality of the car.
I decided to take a look at local companies and was pleased to find good Adobe Rent a Car reviews. Their policy on their website stated they didn’t have any hidden fees and their fleet consists of cars with only 2 years of service. That automatically sounded a hundred times better than the other companies!
Insurances
The next thing I checked was their insurance and this is where Adobe really won me over. Some of the car rental companies insurance policies were not clear at all and had several options that covered this but not that, or get option 3 and it’ll cover option 2 but not 1 and so on and so on. I was also restricted with the credit card deposit, my limit is not that high and some companies were telling me I had to give a $3000 deposit!
Adobe Rent a Car only has 3 insurance options, one which you can decline with your credit card insurance. And since their policy is no hidden fees, insurances or taxes, I had the peace of mind that what I see on my reservation was what I was going to pay.
Pros About Adobe Rent a Car
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 Rica from the owners are Costa Rican to every employee. That also gave me a little more peace of mind since that means they know Costa Rican laws inside and out. They know the roads extremely well and gave helpful advice for which car to get for my itinerary.
Easy to Understand Insurance
With only 3 insurance options no matter how much my deposit was or which insurance I wanted, it was easy to understand exactly what covered what. Their website was also very clear on what each insurance covered.
Excellent Service
Their service is one of the best I’ve ever encountered. They really do keep the friendly Costa Rican vibe in every email and phone call. The agents were very polite and answered every question I had. They didn’t push me to get the optional insurance which I appreciated.
Great car maintenance
The car we rented was in excellent condition, despite having around 50,000 kilometers on it already. We had no problem with it at all during our trip.
Transparent
No hidden fees, no surprise taxes. What I saw on my reservation was exactly what I paid. This is the difference between Adobe Rent a Car and other companies in Costa Rica.
When my friend rented a car through Budget, he had to pay an insurance that was not included on his reservation and they only told him about it when he went to pick up the car. At that point, there was nothing he could do and had to pay it.
Adobe doesn’t do that at all.
Overall Experience – Our Adobe Rent a Car Review
My experience with Adobe Rent a Car was excellent. Fast service, very communicative and super nice. Prices were competitive compared to other companies and there was no confusion at all about insurance which was the most frustrating part about finding a company to rent with.
So if you’re going through the same kind of situation I was, comparison shopping and trying to find not just the best price, but the best service with the least stress, I highly recommend Adobe Rent A Car. And due to my great experience with them, Mytanfeet has a partnership with Adobe to give our readers a discount and extra freebies!
Click here to get your car rental discount
The Best Costa Rican Car Rental Company
Now we always rent with Adobe and it’s been awesome each time. We’ve rented a Hyundai Tucson for a recent trip to Turrialba, a Kia Sorento in San Jose and a Mitsubishi Montero in Tamarindo.
Adobe has 15 offices throughout the country and at each international airport.
I also wrote an extensive guide to renting a car in Costa Rica to help you even more and make your trip planning less stressful. We want everyone to have a stress and worry free trip in Costa Rica. As you can see, we know exactly what it’s like to be in your shoes when it comes to renting a car in Costa Rica – we know how confusing it can get!
We also wrote a post about Adobe Rent a Car’s insurance policies so that you can be 100% clear on what it covers.
I hope that this post and our discount helps you not only save money for your Costa Rica trip but also gives you more insight and peace of mind.
Click here to get your Costa Rica car rental discount
Read more Costa Rica travel tips below!
Tips for driving in Costa Rica
Tips for using Airbnb in Costa Rica
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 🙂
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
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. If you have any trouble making a quote, you can email us at hello@mytanfeet.com
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.
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! 🙂
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. We made some videos of the cars you can watch to see what they’re like. Here’s the Hyundai Tucson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAtCn_oWitw and the Santa Fe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV3uwzS-reM
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.
Let me know if you have other questions, you can also email us at hello@mytanfeet.com 🙂
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!