Car Rental Agencies in Costa Rica

For the independant traveler, renting a car is one of the best ways to get to know Costa Rica. It can also be one of the most challenging aspects of a vacation here. Roads are often in poor condition or congested, and Costa Ricans can be aggressive drivers, particularly buses and taxis.

If you will primarily be travelling on paved road in and around the Central Valley or going to major beach destinations, a car is probably a fine choice. If you will be travelling outside of major destination routes, we suggest renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle, or at least an automobile with excellent ground clearance. Our favoirte for getting to all parts of the country is the Toyota 4-Runner. Another good option, and less expensive to rent, is the Toyota RAV-4. Nissan Pathfinders also perform well. We advise against renting mini 4-wheel drives like the Daihatsu Terios--we have simply seen too many flipped over alongside the road.  Hyundai models can be less expensive, but do not have the durability and toughness of Toyota and Nissan.

CRTR reccomends the following two agencies for customer service, road-side assistance, and the general service condition & age of their vehicles:

Europcar

Toyota Rent-a-Car

Other agencies include:

Economy Rent A Car

Hola!

Mapache

Hertz

Budget 

Discount car rental. Instantly 
compare prices from over 70 car rental companies and book on-line: Car Rental Choice

If you would like to apply for a membership listing on this page, please click the “for the industry” link.