MichelleY

No need for a 4X4 with your itinerary.

volcanogirl

Thanks, Warren - I hope you love it!

WarrenWST

Thank you.
Well I guess there is always one more question. This is about renting a car.
We arrive at SJO airport in the afternoon. I know we have to go through customs and then pick up our rental car.
Should I be concerned driving from SJO to La Fortuna considering we probably won't be leaving until almost 4pm? We are already booked for the hotel so I don't have any choice at this point other than to drive there. I prefer to rent a car as opposed to be picked up since as you may see we have other destinations that we must drive to.
What time does it get dark there?
Are the roads well lit?
Also, is it mandatory to purchase insurance even though we have car insurance in the US?
I was surprised at how low the car rentals are but now I am learning that I may have to purchase insurance which is very high. Is that true?

Thanks, Warren.

volcanogirl

No the roads are not well lit at all; some of them are pitch black with very little signage. It usually gets dark around 5:30-6:00ish when we've been there. You don't want to drive between cities after dark.

WarrenWST

Thanks! It's interesting because I just called the Springs resort and they assured me the driving at night will not be an issue. They say the roads are well lit and in good condition. They say the only issue is the lack of signage so they recommend a GPS but I assume I could use my phone. I'm assuming I may trust them. What is also interesting is that I learn something everyday. By the time I am done with all of this I may be as good as Volcanogirl with her help. Actually, I doubt I will ever be that good. My insurance agent mentioned that I should make sure I have money when we leave because there is a departure tax! Any other surprises? Should I be taking some Costa Rican money with me? Thanks once again. W

WarrenWST

Also, are there places on the way from SJO to The Springs resort that we may stop and buy some snacks, wine, and beer?
I realize by now we could have written our own book! W

volcanogirl

Well the roads are not well lit, so I'm not sure why they would say that. Also The Springs is not on the main road, so once you get to La Fortuna you'll have to take a side road for quite a ways. GPS is a good idea. Yes, there is a departure tax. You'll see the desk when you come into the airport. You have to stand in line to pay, and they'll give you a little stub that you have to have when you check in with your airline so pay the departure tax first. It's around $30 per person. You can pay it with a credit card, but they count it as a cash advance so better to have cash. U.S. dollars are widely accepted; we never exchange our money, but you'll get chance back in colones.

volcanogirl

If I were you, I'd just wait and buy everything when you get to La Fortuna. There's a grocery store there - I think the name is Super Christian, but may have changed. We were surprised how many American brands we saw in CR - cereal, yogurt, soft drinks, juices, etc. Saw Yoplait, Coke, Minute Maid among others. If you're in a restaurant and don't know what to order, a casado is the go to meal in CR; it consists of a meat like chicken or fish paired with rice, beans, plantains, salad, etc. Most of the food is good and very simple. Beef can be tougher and chewier than what Americans are used to. The go to beer is Imperial. And we also really like batidos - yummy fruit milkshakes made with mango and other tropical flavors. Try one if you get a chance.

WarrenWST

I think you have covered it quite well Volcanogirl. I will let you know how things turn out. Thanks so much. Talk soon. W

volcanogirl

Great, have an excellent trip!

WarrenWST

Hi everybody. Well, we did it and thanks to all (especially Volcano Girl!!). Ok, let's start by saying it was wonderful and YES we would go back next year. But there were some specific issues I want to warn any future visitor about.
The flights were great, everything either on time or arrived early. We flew from Boston to Atlanta to San Jose and then vice-versa on the way back. We stayed a total of 7 nights, 3 at the Springs and Spa Resort in Arenal/La Fortuna, 3 at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, and 1 at the Hampton Inn and Suites near the San Jose airport. All the resorts were wonderful. The most impressive thing we took away from this trip besides the beautiful scenery was how friendly the people were and how very proud they are of their country.
So, in summary, when we arrived at the airport in San Jose there were very long lines for both Immigrations and then Customs. Although they were very long they didn't take as long as they looked but still long enough. Then to the car rental. Even though the specific car rental company Alamo (other say the same thing) say they are located at the terminal that is not true. They have a counter at the terminal but no matter which car rental you choose you must shuttle to the actual location. At the car rental location even though we had made a reservation for a SUV with automatic there apparently weren't any and we were told to wait and one may be coming soon. While waiting they tried to talk us into a regular sedan based on where we were going but not in a bad way. We were firm with wanting the SUV. Well then they decided to offer us an SUV that was there and automatic. Oh, make sure you get a GPS. An SUV and a GPS is a must. You will not get cell reception in most if not all areas. By the time we left it was getting late. This next part was the ride from hell. Don't ever attempt to drive somewhere that you are unfamiliar with (even if you are familiar with) in Costa Rica at night. Everything that we were told and feared was true, in that the roads are very narrow, not well lit (if lit at all), very windy uphill and downhill, and you drive through cloud forests where you can only see about 10 feet in front of you. Picture going up the steepest narrowest windiest room without good visibility. Now, most of the driving was not like that but there were several times that we did. It took us 3.5 hours to get to the Springs resort in La Fortuna. We kissed the ground when we arrived. We had a fantastic tour/hike on the hanging bridges. Absolutely recommend a tour guide. Ours was Jihada. She was fantastic. They know the area and bring a scope with them where you may use your iPhone and get fantastic closeups. Other than the first night we went out to dinner in the town of La Fortuna. We went to highly recommended Don Rufino and Nene's. Both were outstanding! The resort was amazing. Had so much to offer. We watched the Patriots beat the Jaguars at the beach pool one afternoon and hit their private hot springs during the early evening. Those were amazing. They have several all with different temperatures. Then we were off for a 6.5 hour drive to Manual Antonio. At least this time we were driving during the daylight although there were a few scary turns (well ok maybe more than just a few). The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront was also amazing. Although the view of the volcano at the Springs was great this view was more so. They were able to hook us up with a tour guide for Manual Antonio National Park even though they were all sold out. The park is amazing. We saw plenty of wildlife, exotic birds, monkeys, sloths, and more. I have 365 pictures. Oh, forgot to mention the bridge over all the wild alligators. That was something to see. One day on our balcony a monkey climbed up the side of it. We saw plenty of monkeys in and about the trees at this resort. We saw a monkey run into kitchen at a restaurant and steal a banana. It was the coolest thing! We also went off the resort at night for dinner at Cafe Milagro, Ronny's Place, and El Aredo. All three were likewise fantastic. Had great Margaritas. One thing about this resort, you would not believe the road you take to get to it. It is short but not in good shape. On the last night we stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites and although they are not a resort like the other two, they were extremely helpful by calling the car rental company and had them pick up my car rental so that the next morning all we had to do was take their free shuttle to the airport.
So, I realize I gave a long summary but please believe me it was very brief to what I could have written. As I mentioned in the very beginning the things we will take away from this trip more than anything are how friendly the people are, how beautiful their country is and how delicious their food including fruits and vegetables are. And yes of course a few driving experiences.
Again, thank you all and Volcano Girl, you were right about everything!
Warren.

volcanogirl

That's awesome, Warren. See I told you they were lying about the roads! I'm so glad you had such a great time. We're headed back again for another trip soon. Can't wait! Glad you had so many great sightings. I forgot to tell you about the bridge over the Rio Tarcoles - happy you got to see it!

RAC

Thanks for the report. Always trust Volcanogirl when it comes to Arenal information! If it makes you feel any better, that route is foggy and stressful during the day too.