danlotec

the wife and i are flying into san jose on 2/26 around 4. by time we pick up the rental truck and get on the road im sure it will be 5ish. has anyone out there done this drive from san jose to villa nicolas near manuel antonio? ive driven in costa rica before and never had a problem but i dont think i ever made a 2 1/2 hr drive at night. anyone got directions or advice.?

tully

I would advise checking into a hotel and hitting the road early in the morning, to be honest. Hitting the road by 5pm is very optimistic, most likely be closer to 6pm, and dark already.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Tully is right. I think it's a bad idea. Start out early the next morning.

ttraveler

Although I haven't been to Costa Rica in a couple of years we did a bit of night driving only because it started getting dark before we reached our destination. It was one of my worst rides ever as a passenger. People on bikes, people carrying things, children and animals all near the road and when you aren't used to the road it can be very dangerous.

volcanogirl

Personally I'd avoid it. Things are not well marked, and like everyone else said, there tend to be things in the road, and it's hard to see. I'd stay somewhere near the airport, relax and have a nice dinner.

qwovadis

Drive there a lot do not like to drive at night.

VERY dark lots of dogs and people on shoulders at night

hitting something might truly ruin your trip

as well as safety issues so

www.hotelvillacaletas.com www.casabellarita.com

usually for me the first night have a nice scenic drive

down the next day... www.insuremytrip.com always wise

shillmac

Agree with all of the above, especially tully who is spot on with the 6:00 on the road projection. There are so many nice places to stay near the airport, and in San Jose, for you to unwind from your travels and enjoy the evening. Sounds like a more relaxing (and safer) start to a great vacation!

drkathej

We just came back from a week in Costa Rica and stayed at Villa Nicolas!-- Lovely place, great view from the porch. We got to San Jose at night, stayed there and then drove to Arenal the next day. After two nights, we then drove from Arenal to Quepos. The roads were poorly marked and we got lost and had to backtrack once or twice. Once you get past San Jose and closer to Quepos, the signs are better. I agree that it would be more relaxing to do in the daylight. The map we got from the rental agency was only adequate, not great.