If you are looking at car rentals from Liberia Airport (Guanacaste Airport), you have several options.
We’ll talk about the best car rental companies from Liberia Airport, how airport pick up works, the best type of car for your trip, rental car insurances and how to return your car to the airport.
For general advice, check our “renting a car in Costa Rica” post for more detailed information.
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
Car Rentals from Liberia Airport Quick Info
We have a partnership with Adobe Rent a Car, a locally operated and owned Costa Rican car rental agency that’s been in business for over 30 years, offering all-inclusive pricing and easy to understand insurances.
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount and freebies with Adobe in the link!
Airport code
LIR. The airport’s official name is Guanacaste Airport and Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport.
Are the Rental Cars Directly at the Liberia Airport Parking Lot?
No. You will not pick up your rental car directly at the Liberia Airport.
The airport is too small to fit the rental car offices and does not have a dedicated rental car parking terminal.
The rental car companies have off site offices, about a 5-15 minute drive away which is where you will pick up your car and complete the paperwork.
Car rental companies from Liberia Airport have shuttles running between the airport and the office for clients.
Are There Car Rental Counters Inside the Terminal?
Yes, for major international companies like Dollar, Thrifty, National, Budget, Enterprise, Economy, Hertz, Europcar and Alamo.
They have counters in baggage claim and a meeting area in the hall after you complete customs and go through the double doors.
Budget, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo, Enterprise and National can help you make a reservation at their baggage claim counter if you do not have one. You still need to take the shuttle to their office to pick up the car.
Smaller agencies and Costa Rican car rental companies like Jumbo, Adobe Rent a Car and Vamos do not have a counter inside Liberia Airport. Their agents wait outside the airport for their clients.
Rental Car Company Shuttle Pick Up Process
If your rental car company has a counter in baggage claim, check in with them. Companies like Alamo, Enterprise and National offer a host service to assist you in the pick up process.
After picking up your luggage and going through customs, you will go through a set of double doors out into the airport terminal.
Walk straight through the glass doors by the mini mart, and look for the agent holding a sign with the car rental company name on it.
That agent will then bring you to the company shuttle to take you to their off-site office to collect the car and complete your payment and paperwork.
Some companies charge for this meet and greet, specifically the ones that have the airport counter (normally included in the taxes and fees).
Other companies, like Adobe Rent a Car, include the meet and greet as a complimentary service.
Rental Car from Liberia Airport Pick Up With Adobe Rent a Car
Here is our video of the meet and greet process with Adobe Rent a Car. This is ONLY for Adobe Rent a Car, no other car rental agency.
With our partnership with Adobe, this meet and greet is complimentary.
Don’t forget to get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra freebies!
IMPORTANT: Go straight to the Adobe agent. If you cannot find them, please seek the airport help desk agents for assistance, do not ask other agents or drivers you may see standing around. They may not tell you truthful information and try to mislead you.
How Long is the Rental Car Pick Up Process from Liberia Airport ?
How long it will take for you to get your rental car from Liberia Airport depends on what time of year and what time of day your flight arrives.
The busiest time of year is mid December through March and busiest time of day is from 11-1 PM. Many flights land at the exact same time, so immigration and customs may take awhile. Furthermore, there may be a lot of traffic.
If you are coming at the busiest time of day and year, we recommend to account for at least 2 hours for immigration, customs, shuttle, rental car collection, and paperwork.
In the lowest tourism season months, it can take around 30-40 minutes from landing to driving to your next destination.
How to Return Your Rental Car to Liberia Airport?
You’ll return your rental car to the agency office and then the rental car company will shuttle you to the airport.
Please make sure to arrive at the rental car office with plenty of time to be at the airport around 2.5 hours in advance.
Returning the car does not normally take very long, around 10-15 minutes if no incidents arise.
Is Early Morning Rental Car Return Available?
Yes, most car rental offices open around 5 AM. You can return the car around 450 to 5 AM and then get shuttled to the airport.
If you need to return the car before 5 AM, or do not wish to deal with that so early in the morning, you can return your car the day before and arrange your own transportation to the airport.
You can watch a video and get more information on this early morning return at Liberia Airport here.
Should You Have a Car Rental Reservation?
Yes, in the high tourism season. Availability is extremely limited so there is no guarantee there will be cars available and if there are, they will most likely be very expensive.
High tourism season is December to April. The busiest times are the weeks of Christmas, New Years and Easter. Please book your rental car at least a few months out.
We also recommend to make a reservation for low season, so that you are able to comparison shop and research about insurances before you arrive. The low season is from May through November, but June, July and August are a mini high season and are very busy.
Make reservations at least a month or so out for June, July and August.
Since insurances vary widely among different rental car companies, it is best to do your research beforehand to learn about how they work, rather than trying to figure it out on the spot.
Recommended Car Rentals from Liberia Airport
Each car rental company in Costa Rica operates their own way, especially when it comes to insurance pricing and deposits.
You need to do your research beforehand to check what is included in the rate you are quoted.
That is why we recommend to only book with companies who provide all-inclusive pricing, so that you are 100% clear on exactly what you are paying for and how much your security deposit will be.
We prefer to recommend Costa Rican companies to support highly rated local businesses, such as Adobe Rent a Car (which we have a discount for) and Vamos.
Though a worldwide corporation, Alamo is also a highly rated car rental company from Liberia Airport. They have a huge fleet of cars, particularly Toyotas and offer all-inclusive pricing.
Alamo, Adobe and Vamos rental car companies all accept credit card rental car coverage as well.
Have a question about car rentals from Liberia Airport? Feel free to contact us with any questions you have and we will be happy to help out!
Save Money On Your Car Rental from Liberia Airport!
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount with Adobe Rent a Car in the link. Mytanfeet readers receive a minimum 10% off the rental car rate and freebies such as 2 free additional drivers, free child seats, free surf racks, free cooler and much more!
You’ll also receive Mytanfeet premium customer service, with a guarantee 24 hour response time. We are happy to help our readers with their rental car to make sure it’s perfect and to answer any question you have, so you have a safe and stress free time in Costa Rica.
Private Car Rentals from Liberia Airport
There are some private car rentals from Liberia Airport. You might see their ads on Facebook. Some advertise they can have your car ready directly at Liberia Airport, and they may have cheaper prices, but there are some caveats.
- Many do not have an office.
- Most do not offer any type of emergency assistance or a 24 hour assistance line.
- Some do not have their own customer service department, and may be difficult to contact.
- Their vehicles may not be well maintained and may be much older with a lot of mileage.
- They may not be licensed, insured or registered companies in Costa Rica.
- They may accept cash and offer a discount by not paying the VAT tax (13%). **
- Many may not provide any support or assistance if you get into an incident.
Please DO NOT give business to “pirate” businesses who are not licensed to be tourism rental car companies.
**Please do not support the practice of not paying the 13% VAT tax, as they are avoiding to pay the sales tax and not be truthful on their business taxes.
It is completely your choice who to rent from, but we highly recommend to book only with licensed and registered car rentals from Liberia Airport.
Is It Easy to Drive to Liberia Airport and Surrounding Roads?
Yes. The Liberia Airport is off a main highway, so it is easy to drive to and from there. Liberia city is only a ten minute drive away.
However, there may be a lot of traffic during the high tourism season, so please pack your patience if you are.
How is the Road to La Fortuna from Liberia Airport?
The main route from Liberia Airport to La Fortuna is a paved highway and a very beautiful drive. The most common route is on Route 142, going through Cañas, Tilaran and going around Lake Arenal.
The section going around Lake Arenal is extremely curvy with no painted lines, street lights or raised pavement markets, so we do not recommend driving this route if you will be landing after dark.
It gets dark by 6 PM every day in Costa Rica.
You do not have to have a 4×4 from Liberia Airport to La Fortuna, but depending on your other destinations, a high clearance SUV or 4×4 may be required or highly recommended.
You can check our in-depth guide on the drive from Guanacaste to La Fortuna and watch our video, and get our recommended stops in the post.
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount here!
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List and Mytanfeet Amazon storefront for our personal recommendations
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Shirl says
Hello, I’m reading through the information you have provided about Adobe Rent A Car. You mentioned Pre-paid SIM. I feel like this is a silly question, but can you provide more information about this. I’m not sure I understand what you are referring to.
Thanks so much.
Sammi says
Hello Shirl, the prepaid SIM card included in our deal is for your phone, to have a Costa Rican phone number
Dave from California says
Rented a car out of Liberia Airport through Adobe using the MyTanFeet (MTF) link. It was a great experience. The shuttle was waiting right outside the terminal just like the MTF video showed. No waiting, we were whisked off to the rental office about 10 minutes away. The car was waiting, ready to go, and after a few minutes doing the paperwork with the bi-lingual staff, a stop in their clean bathrooms, and a refill from their water cooler we were on our way. One of the smoothest car rental experiences we’ve ever had. The freebies (SIM card, booster seat, 2nd driver) we got by booking through MTF were much appreciated.
Sammi says
Hello Dave, thank you for your comment and feedback, we’re glad to hear you had a positive experience with Adobe Rent a Car. We hope you enjoyed your time in Costa Rica and thank you for using Mytanfeet services!
Amy says
Hi, Do you know if the roads from Liberia to La Fortuna (and the surrounding area) are decent to drive on?
Sammi says
Yep, we have a full guide for this drive: Driving from Guanacaste to Arenal
Isabel Corugedo says
Hi! We were looking for a car from 27th December to the 11th January. We would like to rent it in Liberia Airport, do you have any car available? Thank you so much!
Sammi says
Hi Isabel, sure we have sent you an email
John says
We are flying into Liberia, how long does it usually take from arrival (mid December) and going through customs at the airport? We have a shuttle to pick us up and take us to our Airbnb, but still want to rent a car (there are 16 in our group). I really enjoy reading your blog and find it very informative and helpful.
John
Sammi says
Hi John, we’ve sent you an email
Ray says
Hello! I’m looking to book a van that can accommodate 4 adults and 3 kids. Are there any options for this at The Adobe in Liberia airport or even in La Fortuna?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Ray, we will send you an email shortly asking for your car rental dates.
Olga says
Hoping you can help. My husband made a reservation yesterday and on the last page it said it was confirmed and we should be receiving an email shortly. It’s been 24hrs and still no email. We checked all the folders. Is this normal? Should we try to reserve again?
Sammi says
Hi Olga, we will check and get back to you via email today!
Alanna Beaton says
Hello we are a young family with a toddler travelling to Liberia for the Christmas holidays. Trying to book a car now. Staying in playa hermosa and will explore day trip areas from there. Adobe doesn’t have any 4×4 just cars. What do you suggest? Is 4×4 needed? Would like to use Adobe if possible.
Sammi says
Hi Alanna (Sorry I responded to your comment on accident for someone else), we’ll be sending you an email with options soon.
Rebecca says
Hi looking to rent a vehicle for 5 preferably a 4×4 from March 10-22 but nothing is coming up on Adobe link. Any suggestions?
Sammi says
Hi Rebecca, we spent you an email a couple days ago with a quote.
Jeri Goodwin says
Hello, we are a group of 5 people and having trouble finding a available car with 4 wheel drive for March 11th. We want to drive to La Fortuna and wondering if we need 4 wheel drive? If we can’t get a car through Adobe, do you have another car recommendation?
I appreciate your blogs very much. Thank you,
Jeri Goodwin
If you have any other information to share, I appreciate, as I will be staying in Costa Rica for 2 weeks. Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Jeri!
We just sent you a couple of quotes.