Do I need a 4x4 car in Costa Rica?

No. You can drive many of the main highways with a sedan or small SUV. You will want a 4x4 in the rainy season if you are going off-road.

Adobe Car Rental Costa Rica - The BEST Deals Around

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There are so many car rental companies in Costa Rica, all quoting different prices. It can be overwhelming to choose the right company, and the right vehicle, and be assured you are getting the best price. This post will help you understand Costa Rica car rental pricing, and tell you why Adobe Car Rental Costa Rica is the best option for travelers to Costa Rica.

Let’s start this article by saying that I think driving in Costa Rica is the way to go. I think that for the price of a rental car, the flexibility it offers, and the relative ease of getting around Costa Rica, it’s the best transportation option available.

Want a 10-20% discount on Costa Rica Car rental? Click here.

I’ve also been renting cars in Costa Rica for the past 20 years. We visit Costa Rica from the States frequently and get long-term car rentals. When we have been living in Costa Rica and people visit us, we usually have gotten rental cars since our car was only big enough for our family.

I’ve rented cars from all the major carriers in Costa Rica (Adobe, Poas), and the major multinational companies (Dollar, Budget, Hertz), and in the end, I stick with renting from Adobe Rental Car. That’s because their customer service is top notch and their prices are transparent. If I’ve already convinced you Adobe is the best, you can get a 10-20% discount off car rental in Costa Rica here.

If I haven’t convinced you, then this step-by-step review of Adobe Rental Car in Costa Rica should help you make your decision.

Booking Your Rental Car With Adobe Car Rental Costa Rica

The first thing you will probably do when planning your Costa Rica trip is to start by comparing prices on rental cars. And you’ll find that Adobe’s prices come in higher than almost any other rental car company in Costa Rica. And then you’ll say, “Christa, what gives?”

In Costa Rica, there is mandatory liability insurance that isn’t covered by your credit card. In order to make prices transparent, when you see Adobe’s rental car rates, they will give you the base rate and then the liability insurance price on top.

Most of the other companies only provide you with the base rate, and when you arrive they hit you with the liability insurance bill. It is confusing for clients and feels kind of like a scam to me.

Once you reserve your car, you’ll need to check your email for a confirmation email. You’ll want to check this right away because, in order to guarantee your reservation, you’ll need to provide your credit card information through a secure website.

Your card isn’t charged, but this holds your reservation. Other car rental companies don’t ask for this info, but they also won’t always hold your car when your flight is delayed. This happened to me once with Dollar Rental Car and I was left with two toddlers and no car late at night at the San Jose Airport. Never again, I said.

A note on choosing your car– I generally say that if you are staying in the Central Valley you’ll really only need a sedan. If you are venturing onto some dirt roads, get a 4×2. If you are crossing rivers, especially in the rainy season, you’ll want to have a 4×4. You don’t have to have a 4×4 in Costa Rica.

RELATED POST: 7 Days in Costa Rica – With Kids!

Adobe Rental Car Offices

Some of you won’t ever see the offices at Adobe (more on that in a minute) and some of you will head to them right away. In either case, it’s important to know what to expect.

Adobe Rental Car provides free shuttle service from the airport to their offices in San José or from the Guanacaste International Airport in Liberia. You simply give them your flight information and they will have an agent waiting for you. They even track your flight so they know if it is delayed and can be there at the right time.

If you are like me and arrive late at night and don’t want to deal with the rental car until morning, you can book a hotel near the airport, and an agent will arrive at your hotel. As long as the hotel is within a 12-mile radius of the airport, you are good. The agent will bring the car and paperwork with them. You can do everything right there and be on your merry way.

We stay at the Adventure Inn Hotel when we arrive in San Jose. When we arrive in Liberia we stay at different Liberia accommodations near the airport.

If you do go to the office, the shuttles are clean and have wifi, and the agents are all completely bilingual (Spanish/English).

Adobe has 15 locations throughout the country, which is awesome for a couple of reasons. First, it means that if you only want ot have your car for part of the trip it’s no problem. You can pick up your car at one location and drop it off at another for a small fee (I think it’s $50).

The other reason I like this is that if you get into a situation where you need help, there is an office not too far away so Adobe can send someone easily.

Getting Your Car

Once you are with an agent to get your car, you’ll present your passport and driver’s license to the agent. Most likely they will already know who you are based on the flight you came in on, but of course, they need to officially verify everything.

The next question you’ll be asked is what type of insurance you want to carry on the vehicle. You have to keep the liability insurance. The extended car protection is optional, and your agent will go over what that covers at the time of rental.

Adobe rental car also offers many extras for your convenience. They include:

Wifi hotspot
GPS
car seats and/or boosters
additional driver
ebooks
fuel tank refill
seat covers for dogs
cooler

Each of these is an additional charge, and since it fluctuates you’ll want to ask about the rates when you are there. I will note that if you book the rental car discount through Pura Vida Moms you can get an additional driver, car, and booster seats, and a cooler for free with your rental.

Once you have confirmed all of this, you will then proceed to pay for the rental. You will need to have a credit card to have a deposit placed on your card, but you can pay for the car itself with a debit card. Adobe does not handle cash.

You’ll sign paperwork acknowledging your rights and responsibilities, and you’ll be shown your car. You and the agent will check your car for any damages and note them on the rental car agreement.

You are ready to be on your merry way! The agent will hand you the keys and you are off.

If you are feeling nervous about driving in Costa Rica, make sure to read my post Getting Around Costa Rica for a ton of tips and tricks for driving.

If you want to book a rental car through Adobe Rental Car at a discount, you can use my rental car discount link here. Just fill in the dates and times you need your car and you will receive 10-20% off your rental car- just for being a Pura Vida Moms reader!

Adobe Car Rental FAQ

How do I get a discount on Adobe Car Rental?

You can get an exclusive discount from Pura Vida Moms by clicking here.

What type of Cars does Adobe have?

One of the best things about Adobe Rental Car Costa Rica is that they have a continually new fleet. The last time I rented with them I had a car that didn’t even have plates it was so new. They have everything from sedans to SUVs, it just depends on what type of car you need.