Costa Rica....Is a 4x4 necessary?
 

Thanks again everyone for the advice on Bosque Del Cabo. We are booked for 3 nights at Casa Blanca 7/11-7/14. As for the first part of our trip, we are probably going to be staying at Hotel Linda Vista and my question is this:

We are flying into San Jose, renting a car and driving to Arenal to stay for 4 nights, then back to San Jose to catch our flight to PJ. Is a 4x4 necessary to navigate through that bumpy road to Linda Vista or are we better off saving the money and renting a regular vehicle. Again, the only driving we will be doing is from San Jose to Arenal and back.

Thank you all again. This forum rocks!!

Hi howman -- I'll be leaving BDC on the 12th...maybe I'll see you there!

Oh, and I'm not sure how the road is to Linda Vista. I would make sure they give you a sense of that. If you were staying at AOL I'd say yes, a 4 x 4 is needed. Otherwise the roads around and getting to Arenal are good, it's just going to be that one getting to your hotel that might be tough.

It looks like we'll probably rent the 4x4 just to be safe.

Cool, we'll definitely see you there. I will be there with my wife, sister, and 12 yr old son.

See you there! I'll be there with my 13 yr old.

The road to Linda Vista is the same road as to the AOL. I would get a high clearance vehicle--getting a 4X4 may not be necessary, but it's never a bad idea.

If you are just going to Arenal a 4x4 is not necessary but certainly more comfortable. Not sure what the price difference is between the 2 but if it is not that great I would go with the 4x4.. If you are going in low season make sure you check around for the best price and make sure are getting a newer vehicle because sometimes as the expression goes "cheap is expensive in the end"