MomInFl

It sounds like many of you are happy with Tricolor car rental - are there any other rental companies that you would suggest to use or stay away from? Also, is it best to take a cab to the hotel (we're staying at Orquideas Inn the first night) and have the car delivered to the hotel? I've heard that we would save on some taxes that way but is this a reliable alternative to picking a car up at the airport?

qwovadis

always do airport pickup

via free rental car shuttle...

save cab fare to hotel...

www.mapache.com is another good local...

cmerrell

The rental drop-off seems like a pretty reliable option based on feedback here on the forums. We've picked up the car ourselves first thing on both of our trips. The rental car agencies are pretty much scattered around close to SJO, but I'm not sure if any of them actually keep cars onsite at the airport.

We stayed at Orchideas on our last visit. We took a taxi to the rental car office (We booked through
Elegante which is apparently the same thing as Payless in San Jose). We then drove ourselves to Orchideas and getting there was a bit of an adventure through the bustling, poorly marked streets of Alajuela, although once we got our bearings, it was pretty easy to retrace our steps back to the rental agency when it was time to return the car.

We rented through Europcar on our first visit and had no rental issues on either trip. Driving can be a bit hectic (especially around San Jose/Alajuela), but it's also part of the adventure and quite enjoyable once you're out in the beautiful countryside!

cmerrell

Oops, I meant to say "Orquideas". I always want to spell it incorrectly...

MomInFl

I feel better picking up a car rather than having it delivered - just seems like you're more in control of the situation in case there's an issue with the rental. Heading back home, we've changed to a later flight so drop-off will be easier. Sounds like driving will be interesting! My DH is a pretty good navigator but would it make sense to include a GPS with the car rental?

cmerrell

I hear you on the drop-off situation. Seems to work well for most people, but you'd hate to be the one case in which the car does not arrive as expected...

We have not used a GPS in CR and have managed to bumble our way through 2 trips without any major issues. I've read a few trip reports by people who have rented GPS units, and it did seem to help keep them on track. I would consider it for the next time I drive down there, but it's not a necessity.

It's not that the driving is hopelessly confusing, but roads are not always well signed so it is easy to get a bit turned around at times. The worst part will probably be navigating to Orquideas after you pick up your car. Make sure you get directions from the rental car place and print out the location map from the Orquideas website. That helped us find our way.

Orquideas is a good jumping off point and a pleasant place to stay.

MomInFl

Thanks for the input, cmerrell. You've convinced me to go for it without the GPS (DH would probably be insulted by the suggestion anyway)! We've always managed to get to our destination - even if that meant taking the "scenic" route. We'll be certain to bring along plenty of maps, directions, and our adventurous spirit.

Jim_Boo

I can recommend you www.wild-rider.com in San Jose.