Car rental insurance

I know I have to buy the mandatory liability insurance when I rent a car in Costa Rica, but I'm trying to figure out if I should also buy the $9 a day comprehensive coverage offered by the rental company (National through Hotwire). Are the agents down there straight up, or do I need to worry about being upsold? I can buy the ($9 a day coverage on line in advance of my trip, but not sure if I need it. Thanks!

I'm assuming $9 a day is excess waiver?....at that sort of price its worth it for the peace of mind. Its very easy to pick up small damage when driving in CR (always examine the car VERY carefully before taking it and laboriously point out and record ANY damage, even scuffed rims and bumpers)....

Renting a car, and driving it, in a developing country, is nothing like back home. I will use this post as a reminder to other posters.
Please Note:

Costa Rica, has 2 million tourist a year visiting and has the most extensive car rental industry in the entire Central America region. All the players are there, and there are good local agencies too.

Having been to CR for over 40 visits, and renting cars at east 70% of the time, I am very comfortable on how things work there, so here is what you need to know.

First and foremost, driving in CR is the best way to see the majority of the country, though its not the only way to get around, its a nice luxury, especially if you enjoy driving. Its all mainly two lane roads, no shoulders, few road signs, and a you share the road with people & children walking in the roadway, no sidewalks. You also need to share the road with huge cargo trucks, farm equipment, and the occasional herd of cattle. There is slow moving, overloaded, and old farm trucks too, so you need to pass them, as its mostly mountains in CR, and where its a good stretch of highway, 80KM is the max, and the speed limits are radar enforced, especially on the main drags to the coastal areas and near the borders. (Police checkpoints too, for drugs, immigration and proper registry papers)

Add to this afternoon rains, it gets dark at 6pm, and the average driver in CR tailgates, drives nuts, and passes on turns. So, its takes some major defense to be alert to issues from all angles. Four eyes is better than two, so whom ever is in front with the driver, needs to stay alert too.

I get all the insurance for the following reasons. But first, even though my credit card covers damage to a rental vehicle in CR, I get the coverage anyway, and hear is why.

When you rent a car, the agency will take a $750-$1200 Deposit 'Hold" on your credit card. The reason is, should there be any damage to the vehicle, they need to claim it, and this deposit insures in the meantime, they are covered for loses. Also, the insurance is null and void if you take it on the beach and or across a river, so keep that in mind, and you will be liable for the total loss. This applies to driving DUI, this also will void the insurance. (Drugs too).

If an accident should occur, the process to fulfill the needs for the insurance claim is nothing like home. For one, you can not move the vehicle, until the police arrive, and possibly also an Insurance rep or the rental agency management. Then you need to have a police report, no report, no claim, and you pay for all damages, to all vehicles, personal property.

The other issue is liability, should you be found to derelict in your operation of the rental car, you can be liable for damages, outside of the insurance you have.

Lastly, I have seen more nutty things happen in CR to tourist in a rental than anywhere, and get around a lot. I have seen then in ditches, slide off mountain roads in rain and mud, stuck crossing rivers, stuck on a beach with the tide coming in, and oddball things like, a guy backed into a palm tree and the spare tire on rear tailgate blow out the window and damage the entire rear gate. I saw a guy having a beer next to his car at a beachside bar, and coconut fall off and break the rear window, while it was raining cats and dogs. I witnessed a woman going 5MPH on a dar muddy road, get one tire off the road into the small drainage ditch, the the entire car went in and on its side, damaging the entire side, bumper to bumper.

Lastly, I have seen countless head on crashes, and it aint pretty. The #1 cause of death in CR for locals, is car accidents and pedestrian being hit by vehicles. For tourist, the # cause of death is drowning in rip tides, mainly the Pacific side, so don't swim alone, swim where there are locals swimming, and know what to do in a Rip Tide.

So, get the insurance.

As for do's and donut's

Don't leave anything in the vehicle unattended. Secure passports/monies/electronics well.

Don't drive at night, gets dar 6PM, drunk drivers, hard to navigate roadways and poor lighting and signage makes this a drag. Fine to drive down the road to dinner, but no major travel from point A to point B.

Check tires, windshield wipers and spare/jack/tools.

I prefer a manual transmission as the gearing is better utilized in the mountains when passing, or to stop from riding brakes, keep in lower gear.

Renting a car outside a airport is much cheaper for taxes, but going to downtown San Jose is no fun either, and driving around SJ is a pain, confusing, congested and very easy to get lost.

I use Alamo and Mapache. Consider oneway rentals, as you don't need a rental car at the beach, and Corcovado.

Example: I am taking a rental this weekend, Alamo, oneway, from SJO to Pt Viejo, for $120 USD with the drop fee. all insurance, and a navigation unit. A shuttle for two is $110, and I need to make their schedule, and odds are my flight from Chicago in winter will be late/delayed.

Get a good latin american salsa CD and put down the windows, and have fun.

PS: Don't pay bribes for speeding or anything else. It just adds to the corruption, and also makes other tourist a easy target for a shakedown. Don't speed, you will be fine.

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