Compact sedan
Toyota Yaris or similar- 5 seats
- 2 suitcases
- Automatic
- Gasoline
We book our guests with Hertz Costa Rica: seven offices near our villas, and quotes that include the insurance the law requires.
Plenty of the best villas here sit at the top of a steep road, and a rental that looked cheap online climbs fast at the counter once the mandatory insurance goes on. So we asked the big companies for real quotes on a real family's holiday week. Hertz came back with the lowest all-in price, and it was the only one that included collision cover.
They have offices at San José airport, Quepos, Uvita, Jacó, La Fortuna, Liberia, and downtown San José, so you can pick up where you land or where you stay. You book and pay Hertz directly. Hertz pays us a commission, so our help costs you nothing extra.
Pick how many are traveling, and tick the box if your villa needs four-wheel drive. Staying in one of our villas? We'll tell you whether it does.
Nothing in the fleet fits that on its own. For a big group, two SUVs, or a van with a driver, usually works better. See airport transfers
Pick up at one office and return to another at no extra cost: land in San José and leave the car in Quepos, Uvita, or Liberia.
Costa Rica requires third-party liability insurance on every rental, and many online quotes leave it out. The quotes we send include it, and we ask for collision cover too, so the price you compare is the real one.
Christmas, New Year, and Easter weeks sell out, 4x4s and 7-seaters first. Book as soon as your dates are set.
Don't. Roads are unlit, and rain, potholes, and people walking on the shoulder are hard to see. If you land after dark, sleep near the airport and pick up the car in the morning, or let a driver take you down: night transfers are fine.
Seven people and seven suitcases don't fit in a 7-seat SUV with every seat up. Count the bags, or send the luggage ahead with a driver.
Children under 12 who are shorter than 145 centimeters must ride in a car seat. Hertz rents baby and booster seats: tell us the ages and we'll add the right ones to your quote.
Hertz holds a refundable deposit on a credit card at pickup: $1,000 with the basic insurance, or $200 to $500 with their full protection package, depending on the car.
Some villas need a 4x4, no exceptions. If you're staying in one of ours, we'll tell you, and the quote will be for a car that can make it.
Planning the drive? Read the drive from San José airport to Manuel Antonio and where to charge an electric car.
Most of our guests don't need a car once they arrive: every tour we book picks you up at the villa. A private driver from the airport is often the simpler choice.
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