Looked at many posts on drivers so far and plan to use one from Arenal area to Peace Lodge and then after 2 days there direct shot to SJO for flight home in Feb 2009

The drivers to pick from in this informal poll are as follows - including tour companies.

oscar chavarria -
[email protected]

Luis Chinchilla -
[email protected]

Leo Rodriguez
[email protected]

Orlando
[email protected]

Alberto Artavia
[email protected]

Sunset Tour

Jacamar Tours

When you respond, please indicate why you picked whom you did to help me and others on a go forward basis.

FYI - I find it interesting how the quotes to Peace Lodge from Arenal Nayara (our lodging) range from $120, $135, $165 and $175 respectively and from Peace Lodge straight to SJO airport are ranging from $90, $100 to $140.

Almost forgot, what did you tip on something already priced pretty good for the hours you used as suggested by my price quotes. I don't want to appear cheap but its a lot of coin already for about 2 1/2 hr trip to Peace and 1 Hr to the airport respectively.

Well for longer transfers I have only used 1 driver, lol so that's my vote right there of course for Alberto! Very conscientious, knowledgeable & friendly, both him & his assn't Carlos speak great English and I thought their costs were below the norm. I always feel well taken care of with them and will always plan to use Alberto if I need transfers.

I tip (maybe?) more than is the norm so I'm probably not a good person to ask. For my 2 hour drive to Bosque de Paz (and back) I tipped $40. I'm not sure what the norm is really.

You know, finding a car and driver anywhere in Costa Rica is not rocket science. All you have to do is ask the clerk at the front desk of your hotel. Trust me, he/she knows who is good and who to trust and how much is a reasonable price to pay. He makes his living by providing good advice to people, so why would he steer you wrongly?

You do not need to make these arrangements before you arrive, and you do not need to worry about security or reliability. Tourism is the number one industry in Costa Rica, and the people who work in tourism have it down pat! Just show up, and ask at the front desk. Tell them what you want to do and when you want to do it. You car and driver will be there. You'll see.

(Disclaimer: I am a resident of Costa Rica, retired from the U.S., and I travel extensively and constantly throughout the country. I know whereof I speak. I am not a travel agent and I do not work in the travel industry in any capacity. In other words, I do not have a horse in this race.)

raderbarbarian - Believe me hiring a driver is not like working for NASA as you pointed out. What I am trying to determine here is the best of the best from all the postings and peoples experience. Sure I can wait to hire in the middle of busy season and get pot luck but why do that when I can lock in the best driver possible and negotiate a rate in today's $ terms before gas prices become priced like rocket fuel.

I am a planner by trait and my preference is to know ahead of time I am locked down then fly by the seat of my pants. Its just whom I am and how comfortable I am with traveling - it has served me well in Australia, Hawaii, Alaska, Jamica, Mexico, etc

I do appreciate your viewpt though and advice.

This poll might be interesting and even valid if each one of the respondees has actually used each one of the drivers mentioned.

The list is very useful though.

Radar and Davy have very good points.

Hotels have a lot at stake and would not want a bad review based on a driver that they recommended. They also know the local prices better. Taxi costs can vary somewhat from area to area. Puerto Jimenez for instance used to be very high compared to most of the country.

We each think the driver we use is great or we wouldn't recommend them. Orlando is my pick but we fell in love with him years ago and just prefer to use him. For me anyway, it is nice to see a familiar face waiting for you in the sea of faces outside the airport. I have used Interbus and Anywherecostarica for less expensive shuttles when traveling without my husband. Quite by accident I had to use a taxi driver at the last minute to take me 3 hrs south on my last trip. Never saw him before but we had a great time together and I would recommend him as well but he does mostly work out of the airport. I have met Alberto and he was very nice. He comes highly recommended by friends. I didn't need his services at the time so haven't used him. Leo and Oscar have been getting great reviews for years as well but again I couldn't say if they are any better or worse or even cheaper. I wouldn't hesitate to use Leo, Alberto, or Oscar if Orlando wasn't available.

Another point I would like to make is that "locking in a price" at this time for any driver could end up being a hardship for them with the way gas prices are going up down there. Food prices are getting even higher than in the states for some things. They work hard for their money and should be able to make reasonable adjustments if a reservation is made way before. From one day to the next my airfare to Costa Rica went up by $40! Higher fuel surcharge. The opposite is true as well. If prices go down they should lower the price. This could be written into the contract.

I liked oscar for his low-key style and he had a nice and comfortable truck. We found Luis' truck to be a bit uncomfortable for a group of 4 -- I think he may have had access to a better vehicle but not for the leg of our drive from MA to Arenal so we ended up canceling and booking someone else. (i think it was oscar, i may have to go back and look at my notes to confirm...)

Susie2

Everyone works hard for their $ in regards to your post. I can't think of to many occupations where you don't need a college degree and are making upwards of $70-$80/hr to drive a car. I have a masters degree and I am about 1/2 this per hr fee for my job. I just look at fees of $170 for 2 1/2 hrs trip plus a good tip on top of that as a lot of coin and the sooner I can minimize my exposure to more expense the better.

But it as you pointed out is a negotiation and I would have to think these wise businessmen/drivers have factored some of that exposure into their rate quotes in the distant future.

I appreciate the service they provide given the deadly conditions of driving myself so I am willing to pay the fee for their work. Don't get me wrong I know they have maintenance costs and all that to cover so it might be really like $50/hr earning if they own their own cars. Just another perspective.

My apologies to the board and the drivers I may have offended by my last post. It does appear I was insensitive to their value and services they provide. I am very appreciative of the work they do, its just hard for me looking at costs given the economy to not think with my business hat on. If I could change it I would, again please accept my apology. Braz37

We do not use private drivers, but I think those who do would agree that the drivers do much more than just get you from point A to point B. They serve as guides as well, offering advice and information about their country. They can take you to out of the way places that the regular tourist may never see. They even invite people into their homes for meals or to meet their families. This is the nature of the Ticos--warm, welcoming, and generous with their time and energy.

We prefer to rent because we like the driving and getting ourselves around with all the flexibility we like. But for those who REALLY disdain driving (nervous about the routes or the roads or the whatever) drivers are a great choice. Why shouldn't those drivers charge well and offer a bit more in the bargain that just driving? Why shouldn't the people of Costa Rica grab the opportunities that are theirs due to increased tourism? It isn't price gouging in this case--it's intelligence.

Who thinks they could go to any other country and get a 3 hours private transfer with a driver/guide/traveling information desk! for less than $150? I'd seriously like to know!

No apologies are necessary in this case--everyone is stating it the way they see it. That's what this forum is about. It's just that, if you haven't actually BEEN to Costa Rica, it's a little premature to judge the drivers and the prices they charge related to all the services they provide--speaking English being one of them!

We were in Costa Rica for two months last winter and used a number of transfers, taxis and private drivers.

The very best by far was Fernando Javier.

He may not be suitable for some as he does not speak English, only Spanish.

He is dependable, considerate, honest and knows the city of San Jose like no other driver I ever met or used knew any city.

Fernando used to drive a beer truck and knows every back road in addition to the main routs, of course. A number of times we were stuck in rush hour but he would get us across town in no time at all. A gem when we were hot and tired at the end of the day.

My wife asked where she could buy some bug bite cream. He took us to a pharmacy so my wife could get what she wanted. Fernando bought one as well, to keep in his vehicle for his future clients.

We wanted to buy an English newspaper and he knew where to go and when we could get one.

He bought bottled water so we would have it while traveling.

My wife wanted some chewing gum. He stopped, ran in to buy several packs and would not take any money for them.

I forgot to bring some diabetic test strips with me. He ran around to find what I needed.

He was kind and considerate more so than I have ever experienced.

His rate was VERY reasonable. I will not quote it as his rate may change. We used Fernando for full days and he charged by the hour. We always rounded up the time to the next hour and gave him an hour's tip.

On one excursion in the country we came upon a road stand where the grower was selling fresh strawberries. We bought a bag for ourselves and one for him and his family.

We treated Fernando as an equal, not as a servant. He treated us very well in my opinion.

If we ever go back I would certainly use Fernando Javier.

Woodie

Georgewoodie -

Great experience and thanks for sharing. Do you have his contact info in case we want to use him as well on another trip to CR?

I think Braz37 realizes that these drivers are vital to travelers like us and he was just trying to get a good rate. Caught up on the business side and negotiations, kind of like I do with Ebay, want more for less.

I also think Braz37 sees the point that Shillmac raised about me more then a driver and adding value as a guide. Don't worry about it Braz37 you were just speaking from one perspective and there is always another side to look at and I think you now get that point from you last post.

So moving on, I would recommend Leo as well because of his easy going nature, fluent English and his reasonable rate. We used him twice on our trip and he was wonderful and I would use him again if available.

Good luck - Tucansam

Further to Braz37. I don't think that anyone thought you were "insensitive." it's just that the business hat you said you were wearing didn't have enough of the facts. If you hire a driver who takes you somewhere oneway, there is the time and fuel spent on making the retuen trip with no paying passenger. If you have the same driver for multiple days, the driver has to eat and stay the night somewhere between legs of the journey. Drivers are not engaged to drive every day of the year. During the low season, they drive fewer days than in the high season. A more pressing concern is whether or not you the passenger is covered by any insurance. I'd pay lots more for that!

I wouldn't bother mentioning this, except that this bit of information sort of rounds out the thread and will make a more useful business hat for you.

Whenever people accuse me of being insensitive, I just tell them I'm prophetic. Beside calling people insensitive is sort of passe, if not insensitive.

A tank of gas in my SUV in Costa Rica costs me $70-80 these days to fill it.

Many of the drivers will have to drive 7-8 hrs to do your short transfer which will use up a whole tank of gas no doubt unless they are based in Arenal and do an out and back from there which still comes to a good bit of time. Based on a $150 trip fee for example, that would leave the driver with a net of about $7-8 an hour if based in San Jose. This has to cover license fees, insurance, wear and tear on horrible roads, and the replacement of the vehicle down the road to be able to continue to give good service. That is all before his own personal expenses and many of the drivers have families to take care of with what little is left. I am sure you can make more than they do masters degree or not.

Many of them speak mutiple languages, Orlando for one, even without a degree. Many of them know their countries very well and can tell you so much. Do you have a good guide book? How much did you pay for that? A good driver/guide can tell you so much more, and give you a wonderful Tico smile while doing it. We sure wouldn't know as much as we do without him and I have a library of books about CR. He has taken us on some great adventures.

Okay gang. I think Braz37 gets the point and the error he made in passing judgment too quickly. Lets answer his original question and get back to the spirit of the board with some helpful information based on our own past experiences and a good driver we can recommend.

Suzie2 you are right there are a ton of other expenses and the "dead load" of driving no one to get there to meet us, which I should have taken into account. I wanted to thank you, Tucansam and others for forgiving me for being thick headed. I just want to get back to my question at this point.

Georgewoodie, I am curious to know more about how to get a quote from Fernando Javier, he seems like a great driver based on your experience. How can one get a hold of him - email, phone?

We just got back from Costa Rica and had the services of Carlos Bogarin for several long drives. He was great. Here is his website for more information....

http://www.destinos-encantados.com/index.html

tucansam:

And any other interested parties.

Fernando Javier cell phone number is 302 0082.

He was the guide/driver that we found to be the best.

As a recap. He was great finding his way through San Jose as well as the near by communities. He was also the most considerate driver using his local knowledge to our best advantage. I feel that he gave more than the average driver and certainly more than others we have used.

We found him to be most reliable.

Woodie