A little warning
Renting a car also adds additional responsibility. The road signs are bad or non-existant and there are many thefts from rental cars. The drivers are not the best in the world and driving in San Jose is a nightmare! The highways here are not like in the US, Canadaor Germany - there are sometimes hazards with little or no signage and you never can be toosure there's not a cow looming around the next corner. Most roads are just one laned per direction and thereare many older cars and bad drivers. Always drive defensively and stay alert. Excess speed is the cause of most accidents.
Speaking a little Spanish
can go along way in getting driving directions. You should find that Tico's live up to their reputation and will be happy to assist you on the road. Being a 'Gringo' (all foreigners are called Gringos it seems!) may get you special attention from "Traficos" (trafficcops) who may look to write you up a speeding ticket in an attempt to extort a little cash. This is a small hassle and does not happen that often. Just pay the tickets small fine from any bank in Costa Rica before you leave, don't pay them directly (always ask for a written ticket). And of course, never leave valuables in the car unattended!
Costa Rica has a reasonable public transportation system and there are shared shuttle companies that cater to transferring people from one tourist destination to another. Think about where you are going, will you actually need the car when you arrive at each destination or will you just use it to get from point A to B? Most tours now include transport. Taxis are also abundant all over the country. If you have questions on getting around Costa Rica please email us and we can try to help. We can provide private transport all over Costa Rica with trusted vans and drivers.