Road trip Cancun to San Jose
 

Hi All,

I have 30 days to travel after school gets over in June and would very much like to do a 6 country road trip if possible - kind of on the lines of this trip

http://www.adventurecenter.com/Geckos/trip/gscs

I was wondering what is the best combination of car rentals I could use? Is it safe to rent a car in San Jose and return it or to buy a cheap car? Would going by bus be a better option? What would be the best places to stop on the way?

I would really appreciate any ideas to get me started. Thanks a lot!

First of all, if you rent a car, you cannot take it out of the country. So buying a car might be the best way to go and give you lots more flexibility.

I looked at the proposed trip and for me, it's too much hopping around. You will be in something like 18 locations in 30 days - is this what you want? I would cut out at least half of these and concentrate on what interests you. Are you more interested in wildlife, adventure, culture, beach, mountains -- what?

I also noticed on this trip that they plan on hitting the most touristy areas in each country - except for Ometepe and maybe one other. Is this what you want?

I don't understand some of your questions: Is it safe to rent a car? what does this mean?

There are lots of missing pieces here - like what is your budget, are you a confident driver, what kind of lodging and activities are you looking for?

"What would be the best places to stop on the way." I don't understand this question either.

You will need to do some research and planning and put together a sample itinerary for yourself with all the details - where to go, how to get there, where to stay, what to do when there, how much will it cost, what is the travel time from place to place. Each of these various components will have options that you will have to factor in. For instance, riding the bus is inexpensive but time-consuming but having a car means you have to drive and buy gas and what happens if you car breaks down.

You might consider a combination of transportation ideas - bus, domestic flights, shuttles, rental car - in various places.