Transportation in Costa Rica

If you are a foreign vistor, are 18 years old or older and have a valid driver’s license from your own country, you will be able to drive in Costa Rica for a period of 90 days. Nonetheless, you must keep in mind that some rent a cars in Costa Rica require you to be older. You will also need a proof of entry to the country for any police officer to accept a foreign driver’s license; therefore, you will always need to carry your passport when you drive around looking for the ideal property you wish to buy.

Remember that Costa Rica uses the metric system; this means all road signs will show distances are in kilometers (1.6 km = 1 mile). Usually, the speed limit on highways is 100 km/h. In metropolitan areas, the maximum speed varies from 40 to 60 km/h. 
  
While cruising around looking for real estate, the laws require for you to wear your seat belt. This safety precaution is necessary, especially since road conditions in Costa Rica vary greatly and are, in general, bad by international standards. If you decide to rent a car, remember that bumps and holes are often present in roads with no proper warnings.

You should also know that traffic in San José during weekdays is very heavy, especially during rush hour (from 7am to 9am and from 5pm to 7pm). The streets in the downtown part of the city are narrow. Nonetheless, most gas stations have 24 hour service available, as well as tire repairs and snack shops, which you will find a lot in urban areas. If you decide to drive out of the city in search of real estate by yourself, rural areas normally have adequate gas supplies, although not on a 24 hour schedule. Unleaded gasoline is available; you will find it under the name called “Super gasoline”. “Regular gasoline” is leaded.
 
Many destinations offering great value in properties often require off-road vehicles, especially during the rainy season. Like we mentioned before, road conditions fluctuate, therefore, you should always ask your car rental/hire agency in Costa Rica about current conditions. We’d like to inform you that for you to be able to rent a car, minimum insurance from the state controlled insurance monopoly is required by law regardless of what other insurance you may carry during your journey. All circulating vehicles must be insured against personal injury to third parties by law however, you do not need to insure your car against material damages to other cars. This translates to the fact that there are a great number of drivers out there without insurance to cover the cost of a crash. Not having insurance can be a very expensive decision, even if the accident is not your fault. It is up to you to purchase extra car insurance or it is possible that your credit card may give you additional coverage depending on your credit card company.
 
Buy Owner Costa Rica’s car rental partners are carefully chosen and the Costa Rica Rent a Car companies that we are affiliated with are very respected and possess a proven track record. These Costa Rica car rental companies have proven to be very efficient and have maintained the highest level of customer service and satisfaction. If you make the decision to rent a car and go off in search of your dream real estate properly, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

The car rental companies affiliated with Buy Owner Costa Rica are efficient and courteous; most importantly, they give the best maintenance to their vehicles and have the necessary years of experience to make your car driving safe and pleasant. On top of that, we have our own office in Costa Rica staffed seven days a week and at your service. Our San Jose booking office has over a dozen full time agents in case of any last minute modifications or emergencies.
Our affiliate car rental companies have offices all over the country, thus, no matter where you go to buy real estate, you may find a rent a car office nearby. Brach offices are located at Liberia Airport, Jaco Beach, Tamarindo Beach, Manuel Antonio and many other cities across Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has more car rentals options than you could ever need. Despite this fact, Buy Owner Costa Rica suggests a 4x4 vehicle even while driving around in search of properties within the city. Like we said before, Costa Rica is famous for their crater like pot holes, so you will need to be watchful at all the times. Keep in mind that driving in Costa Rica is not for the weak of heart since there is an every man for himself type of attitude out there on the roads. If you decide to rent a car to go out in search for property to buy, please remember to drive carefully!
 
If you do not wish to drive yourself and are looking for other means of transport, there are other options available for you:

BUSES
Buses are a great alternative to travel round Costa Rica. Services can be located all over, and include beach and out of country excursions. Bus fees are nominal, usually 50 cents to 1 dollar (¢200 to ¢500 colones) for intercity trips. Beach excursions are from 4 to 8 dollars (¢2000 to ¢5000 colones). Ticabus Company provides long distance service from within Costa Rica to neighboring countries for $100 to $300 dollars (¢55,000 to ¢115,000 colones).

AIR TRANSPORT
Nature Air and Sansa Airlines both offer domestic flights within Costa Rica, with limited Nicaragua and Panama itineraries. This is a great alternative for beach trips to Guanacaste regions where road travel time from the capital is over 4 to 5 hours. Costs are rational, starting around $75 to $100 for a round trip ticket.
 
WALKING
Walking can be an exciting way to see the particulars of a new place and of course it is great exercise. However, before you start walking you must keep something in mind at all times: in the streets of Costa Rica, drivers have the right of way, not pedestrians! Be careful out there.