Rental Car in Costa Rica

[Anonymous]

So some agencies (e.g., Ace-Rent-a-Car) are saying there is a mandatory $22 per day Third Party Insurance protection plan. But other companies (e.g., EZ-Rent-a-Car) are saying they offer the usual insurance options that you can choose to decline, except for a mandatory $8 per day Limited Liability Waiver.

What has been your experience with rental cars in Costa Rica? Is there any way around the extra insurance? We've always relied on our credit card coverage in the past.

[Anonymous]

We waived everything but a $5 per day mandatory fee. We had to put down a $5000 deposit though. Yikes! It was returned to our credit card when we returned the car.

[Anonymous]

When we rented a car in Costa Rica, we paid $15 per day in insurance because they said we had to. Now I am wondering if it is different "law" for different rental companies.

[Anonymous]

I just came here to post the same question. Can anyone recommend a specific company they used and detail how much they paid, including any required insurance?

I'm very confused but want to rent an SUV for two weeks.

[Anonymous]

I just came here to post the same question. Can anyone recommend a specific company they used and detail how much they paid, including any required insurance?

I'm very confused but want to rent an SUV for two weeks. Also need to include an additional driver (spouse) so that cost of that (if any) is a factor too.

[Anonymous]

I was wondering this too. We're going in the fall. Has anyone been there, done that?

[Anonymous]

Didn't Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez of the singing trio TLC die in a horrible rental car accident in Costa Rica?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez of the singing trio TLC die in a horrible rental car accident in Costa Rica?

I have no idea, but I'm looking for some recommendations of companies to use or avoid and an idea of the costs involved. Your post does not help with any of those things.

[Anonymous]

Chalk me up as another one interested in this. We're traveling there in the fall. Guess no one has had much experience with rental cars in Costa Rica?

[Anonymous]

When we went a few years ago, we were recommended to use Vamos rent-a-car by numerous people. They were great. It's a local company rather than a large chain and they were much cheaper than the others, with the same types of cars. I highly recommend checking them out. When we went again this year for Xmas, we tried to rent from them, but they were all sold out. Since it's a smaller company, they sell out faster.

[Anonymous]

We went to CR in Nov. We travelled with friends and they booked the car. I don't know the details, but they took a lot of time in the checkout b/c they tried to add fees on, so i'd say make sure to review the bill when you check in/out. Maybe not completely about your question but thought it might help.

[Anonymous]

I just reserved our rental car through EZ-rent-a-car. We will pick up and return at the San Jose airport. Only $13 a day with the taxes and fees! But, it looks like I will have to put down an $8000 (!!!) deposit if I waive their additional insurance coverage (waiving one type requires a $3000 deposit and waiving the other requires a $5000 deposit). We encountered a similar policy when we rented a car in Portugal two years ago. We had to put down a $4000 deposit over there. You get it back when you turn the car back in, but still... it makes you a little nervous!

The policy also states that you must bring a letter from your credit card company showing that they provide liability insurance for rental cars. Our credit card company said to call about 2 months prior to travel, and they will send me the letter.

So, anyway, you can get a great deal with EZ if you are comfortable putting down the deposit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just reserved our rental car through EZ-rent-a-car. We will pick up and return at the San Jose airport. Only $13 a day with the taxes and fees! But, it looks like I will have to put down an $8000 (!!!) deposit if I waive their additional insurance coverage (waiving one type requires a $3000 deposit and waiving the other requires a $5000 deposit). We encountered a similar policy when we rented a car in Portugal two years ago. We had to put down a $4000 deposit over there. You get it back when you turn the car back in, but still... it makes you a little nervous!

The policy also states that you must bring a letter from your credit card company showing that they provide liability insurance for rental cars. Our credit card company said to call about 2 months prior to travel, and they will send me the letter.

So, anyway, you can get a great deal with EZ if you are comfortable putting down the deposit!

Credit cards do not cover liability -- even if you have the expanded "premium" coverage. They cover the rental car only (CDW). Your personal policy may cover liability but it doesn't sound like they accept that in CR. If you want to avoid paying the CDW in Costa Rica you need to take proof from your credit card company but you will NOT have liability coverage from them.

[Anonymous]

We went last year and rented an SUV through Vamos. We ended up getting all the insurance they offered because our credit card didn't cover us if we were driving on unpaved roads (which we were).

Vamos was awesome. We had to wait awhile for them at the airport, but when they finally came they were great. We got an older model Toyota 4runner. I liked the older model since we didn't have to be as careful with it. We paid around $800 for 10 days including all insurance, 2 car seats and a GPS. (I highly recommend the GPS. There are no street signs and directions are similar to "At the rock, turn right.")

When we returned the car, one of the agents was taking care of another customer who had parked his rental on the beach. Well, the tide came in higher than he expected and ruined the car.

I recommend all the insurance. You never know what might happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reserved our rental car through EZ-rent-a-car. We will pick up and return at the San Jose airport. Only $13 a day with the taxes and fees! But, it looks like I will have to put down an $8000 (!!!) deposit if I waive their additional insurance coverage (waiving one type requires a $3000 deposit and waiving the other requires a $5000 deposit). We encountered a similar policy when we rented a car in Portugal two years ago. We had to put down a $4000 deposit over there. You get it back when you turn the car back in, but still... it makes you a little nervous!

The policy also states that you must bring a letter from your credit card company showing that they provide liability insurance for rental cars. Our credit card company said to call about 2 months prior to travel, and they will send me the letter.

So, anyway, you can get a great deal with EZ if you are comfortable putting down the deposit!

Credit cards do not cover liability -- even if you have the expanded "premium" coverage. They cover the rental car only (CDW). Your personal policy may cover liability but it doesn't sound like they accept that in CR. If you want to avoid paying the CDW in Costa Rica you need to take proof from your credit card company but you will NOT have liability coverage from them.

But the small print shows that liability coverage doesn't do much... there is a $3000 deductible and they only cover 40% of costs beyond that. So it doesn't seem worth it to me. I would rather just spend $13 per day instead of $60 per day, especially given that extra $$ gets me next to nothing in the case of an accident. All those extra insurance options are the same as in the U.S... just extra money-makers for the rental car companies.