Hi, My family is hoping to hire a private driver for our Costa Rica trip this fall, but I have a few questions.

1. From what I understand, some people will hire a driver who will stay with them for the duration of the trip. How does that work? Do you you pay for them to stay at your hotel and eat with you? Do they do activities with you? I'm OK with that, I just want to know what the proper etiquette is.

2. What can I expect as a daily fee for this?

3. Do you pay in advance when you book or pay when you get there or pay after the trip is over?

Thank you!

I would say it's pretty uncommon to hire a private driver to stay with you for the duration of your trip. We usually reserve drivers through our hotels when we book them and that driver only serves for that particular leg of the trip. You could also check with a company like Desafio. The fee depends on how far they have to drive. We've also used a company called Destinos Encantados, but I believe they've stopped operating since the pandemic.

Thank you! I've seen a lot of both online, so I was just curious what was more common really.

You can hire a private driver but you will pay for it, I know of one that runs out of playa flamingo with a defender D9 that speaks fluent english, knows all the local hidden treasures, etc for $500 a day. On a budget you can take the colectivo from town to town for 1000 colones. There are loads of local cabbies and tourismo van operators everywhere, you will find what you need for the price you want to pay... Pura Vida