karameli

Hopefully someone can help me out with this. We're hoping to go to Guanacaste later this year with our newish baby. We were planning to bring a Baby Bjorn and carry him on the plane (since it's a fairly short flight from the Northeast), but I'm worried about the 45-minute ride from the LIR airport to Guanacaste. Do any taxi services or car services in CR provide car seats? What about car rental agencies? Or would we be better off just bring our seat along and checking it at the gate? Any advice is much appreciated -- thanks!!

MonicaRichards

You will not easily find carseats of any type in Costa Rica. I would bring your carseat and NOT check it, all kinds of unseen damage can happen in the baggage area. Gate check it if you have to, but of course your baby is by far safer traveling in it in the plane. You do know you can't use a Bjorn on takeoff and landing, right?

karameli

Good point about not checking the car seat if we bring it. I'll have to decide whether to gate-check or whether to spring for the extra seat...

shillmac

For what it's worth, we've taken and baggage checked a car seat every year since 2005, will be going on 5 times this summer. Never have had a damage problem. Of course it could happen; I just don't think it happens with frequency. We never have used one on the plane. Perhaps it hasn't been as safe as it should have been, but it has always been fairly simple and our flying time with an infant/toddler have always been quite smooth. Hope it all works out for you--Costa Rica is very child friendly. We always rent from Tricolor. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't offer carseats. You might check with them.

www.tricolorcarrental.com

Try e-mailing them. They have an office at Liberia.

MonicaRichards

shillmac, all the carseat people I've talked to said it's the unseen damage that you need to worry about. The kind that you wouldn't find out about until you were in a crash and the seat failed. Personally, I wouldn't take the chance, just because it's a bit of a hassle to carry a carseat. Man, I'm so glad my kids have moved up to booster seats!

karameli

Thanks shillmac and Monica. I do worry about the unseen damage and hadn't thought of it before. I have a utopian image of baggage handling...haha I'll bring the seat on board, either at gate-check or in a seat. I went out of my way to buy a TSA-approved car seat -- I should use it! But the Bjorn is just so cozy and convenient...

shillmac

karameli,
I e-mailed Tricolor last night--needed to make a reservation anyway. I asked about the child seat. They have them, and they are $3 per day. As per the above posts, perhaps you might feel they would not be reliable, I don't know. It is a big concern, of course. Just thought I'd mention that you can get them there, and I would assume (you should check of course) that other popular rental agencies would have them as well. Anyway, that was your original question. Taxi services, no. Good luck!

shillmac

By the way, those carseats are transported (when checked) wrapped in a gadzillion layers of wrap. Ours has never arrived looking as if that protection had been compromised in any way. Perhaps something could still occur on the inside that would render them ineffective? I just don't know.

MonicaRichards

shillmac, the bubble wrap probably helps. I've usually seen them just tossed into the baggage claim or in a tote with no protection at all. That said, I would sooner trust my own baggaged checked carseat over something they might have in a Costa Rican car rental. They don't "get" carseat standards there, I hate to think what they'd give you.

motmot

Yes, that's true, and I don't know never having rented a seat at the agency. Thanks, bubble wrap--I couldn't think what it was called! Bottom line is: of all places one might need a secure carseat. . . .Costa Rica might be near the top of the list!

karameli

shillmac, THANKS for asking about that for me!
motmot, is the driving really that bad?

volcanogirl

shillmac and motmot are one and the same - she has dual identities!

shillmac

Yes, I'm 2 people. Take that how you will. . .it's very convenient!

No, the driving isn't that bad; we've never thought so. However, the accident rate is rather high as is the death rate--compared to a whole list of countries. Caution is essential, of course, as it is anywhere. And defensive driving. It seems quite normal to us now. Of course, when you grow up in the farmland of the midwest, well, Costa Rica isn't all that different from some of the paved country roads. By and large, most of the roads are quite decent. Sorry--no worries!

karameli

Oh, funny! I'm new to the Central America board Well, I'm used to driving in NJ and we just got voted the "2nd worst drivers in the US" so I guess my defensive skills are up to par!! Haha.

shillmac

You'll be fine. It's nice to have the flexibility of your own vehicle. Costa Ricans are fairly agressive drivers but very non-agressive when not behind the wheel. It's interesting. I think the road agression has to do with the necessity of trying to make the most of any small opportunity to get ahead and therefore gain a little time. We've always noticed that if we leave much room between us and the car in front of us, someone will race around us to fill it.