When you plan on driving yourself in Costa Rica, renting a car, besides your flight tickets, is probably the most important aspect to have arranged before arrival. In high season, the availability of rental cars may be limited. Renting a car is not cheap, and rental terms and conditions and insurance can get technical. Don't take this lightly! Since driving conditions can be challenging in Costa Rica, my advice to you is to put some time and effort in the car rental process. As mentioned on the Travelling by Car page, even with full insurance, not everything is included like fording rivers and driving on the beach, make sure you are aware of these kinds of insurance conditions.

A personal tip when renting a car online. After receiving your confirmation, always check directly with the rental car company by e-mail to confirm the booking and ask them for any hidden mandatory fees or optional additions in terms of insurance and other questions you might have. 

To get a good idea of rental car companies, prices, terms and conditions and availability, I like to use Discover Cars. Discover Cars is a convenient search engine to easily compare and book car rentals in many countries, including Costa Rica. It might pay off to compare offers and renting conditions on a site like Discover Cars with the prices directly on the website of the rental company, and vise versa.  

Regarding search engine and booking sites, I prefer using Discover Cars because: 

1. It allows you to easily select the type of car (in Costa Rica, you might prefer an SUV type of car for high clearance).

2. You can apply other relevant search criteria (like a 4x4 type of car, which is preferred by many tourists visiting Costa Rica).

3. You are able to view and select the actual rental car supplier(s). This allows you to select the best rated suppliers and compare the Discover Car price and conditions with the price and conditions on the supplier's own website. 

4. Prices at Discover Cars are usually lower compared to renting a car directly via the rental car company. This is because Discover Cars is able to make long term price agreements with these rental car companies. 

5. In many cases, you have the option of free cancellation up to a couple of days before arrival.

When renting a car in Costa Rica, it's important to understand the insurance requirements and options. Not all rental car companies are transparent about this and/or quote these insurances when you make a booking online, leaving you confronted with technical insurance stuff and additional (sometimes overcharged) payment of insurance when you pick up your car.

• Third Party Liability Insurance (TPL) is a mandatory insurance. All rental car companies in Costa Rica are required by law to provide basic liability insurance coverage to their customers. Note that if this insurance is not mentioned to you during the quotation stage, you will have to pay this eventually when you pick up your car.  This insurance covers damages to third-party property and bodily injury, but it does not cover damages to the rental car itself. 

• Therefor, a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) offered by the rental car company is needed to protect yourself from any damages to the rental car. Any damages? Well, be sure to read the fine print of your rental car insurance policy, as there might be deductibles, exclusions, or restrictions. For example, damages caused by driving off-road, or by fording rivers, or damages to the undercarriage of the car are probably excluded. Be aware of different types of CDW or difference in terminology between rental companies (basic CDW, full CDW, CDW+, LDW, etc.) and always read the terms and conditions of the specific waiver.

• Some people have a CDW offered through their Credit Card Company, but it's important to check the terms and conditions of your credit card agreement to see if it covers rentals in Costa Rica, also make sure that it applies to your rental conditions (type of car, rental period, etc.). If it does, you may be able to decline the CDW offered by the rental car company. 

• Is a Credit Card CDW recommended? Well, in my opinion, no! You are probably required to pay a higher deposit and in case of a claim you will be responsible for payment and paperwork, meaning you will most likely have to pay all expenses up front to the rental car company and have to follow through on the claim by yourself to get your expenses refunded by the credit card company. Worst case scenario, if you have a dispute over a claim payment with a rental car company in Costa Rica, they actually have the right to file a complaint with the authorities, and they might choose to investigate the matter before allowing you to leave the country.

• How about Third Party CDW? No, these third party insurances will not be recognized by rental car companies in Costa Rica, because these policies must meet specific requirements and be approved by the country's insurance regulatory agency. 

To sum up: it's recommended that you purchase CDW insurance directly from the rental car company to ensure that you have adequate coverage and are in compliance with local laws and regulations. Note that this is just a short explanation of the rental car insurance situation in Costa Rica. Check out more info by following the links to the websites of two well rated Costa Rican rental car companies where they also explain in more detail about insurance.

There are plenty of reliable rental car companies in Costa Rica. I always like to consider Vamos or Adobe. These are reliable larger Costa Rican rental companies with clear terms and conditions, and good service. They both also provide some clear explanation of the different rental car insurence options:

• Vamos: Car Rental Insurance Explained : Vamos Rent-A-Car (vamosrentacar.com) 

• Adobe: Rent a Car insurance coverage in Costa Rica (adobecar.com)