Car hire in Pavas (San José)

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport

+506 2299 2000

Opening times not available

Tobias Bolanos International Airport

+506 2299 2000

Opening times not available

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

May 2021

Cons:

Worst value. Clearly has no concept of customer service or friendliness. Exceedingly overpriced.

8.0 Very Good

May 2021

Pros:

The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

Cons:

The price of the insurance is three times the price of the rental. Very different from the US and Canada. I found it quite absurd. I still haven't received the safety deposit!!

2.0 Poor

Apr 2021

Pros:

I never picked up the car? I asked for it to be canceled

Cons:

Cancelation of the car rental like the email said would happen

4.0 Mediocre

Feb 2021

Pros:

The extra charges for insurance were NOT transparent and more than doubled the cost of the rental

Cons:

See above

2.0 Poor

Jan 2021

Pros:

NOTHING

Cons:

EVERYTHING THESE PEOPLE ARE RIP OFF ARRISTS

2.0 Poor

Dec 2020

Cons:

Get insurance before you get down there

Thrifty

6.8

Okay

41 reviews

Cleanliness

8.2

Comfort

7.6

Pick-up/Drop-off

6.8

Value for money

5.7

2 locations in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Centro Comercial Guachipelin

+506 4052 5210

Monday	07:30 - 17:30
Tuesday	07:30 - 17:30
Wednesday	07:30 - 17:30
Thursday	07:30 - 17:30
Friday	07:30 - 17:30
Saturday	07:30 - 17:30

Juan Santamaria Intl Apo

+506 4052 5210

Monday	06:00 - 23:30
Tuesday	06:00 - 23:30
Wednesday	06:00 - 23:30
Thursday	06:00 - 23:30
Friday	06:00 - 23:30
Saturday	06:00 - 23:30
Sunday	06:00 - 23:30

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Apr 2024

Scam artists in disguise. Original quote was for less than $400, after 30 minutes, they would not let us leave the lot until we agreed to all sorts of expensive coverage, totally $860

5.6 Fair

Mar 2020

Cons:

When I arrived at the counter to pick up the car I was told purchasing the rental car's insurance was NOT optional, I had to purchase one of two plans, otherwise they would not rent the car to me. If the insurance was not optional, then it should have been shown in the original price of renting the car. A definite bait & switch which I didn't appreciate. $300 for the car, $250 for the insurance, kind of changes the value of the rental.

6.8 Okay

May 2018

Pros:

Car was nice, good on gas.

Cons:

If someone is renting from Costa Rica, you should tell them about the mandatory insurance purchase. My rental went from $63 to ~$400, by far my biggest expense this trip.

5.6 Fair

Feb 2018

Pros:

New car and easy drop off

Cons:

When I booked the car and chose Thrifty the price was 175. At the end it cost me 540 with all taxes fees etc. There was no way to get it for 175. I feel I was misled and will not recommend

10.0 Wonderful

Jan 2018

Pros:

Very friendly service. Threw in a GPS for $5

3.2 Poor

Jan 2018

Cons:

I had already bought insurance but was told it didn't work in Costa Rica and that I had to buy the insurance they provided. Nothing I said could change this. The insurance ended up doubling the price of the rental. I had also asked about the size of the SUV we were renting prior to arriving and was told it would hold 5 adults comfortably. Not hardly! Ended up having to pay an additional amount to have a somewhat larger SUV. Then on top of all that, they put a $950 deposit amount on my credit card making it unusable to me the rest of my trip. I have NEVER had a car rental company put that large of a deposit on my credit card. NEVER!! That pretty much wiped out my spending money as I only brought two credit cards with me for this trip. It really would have been nice to know all this additional expense before I arrived so I could have adequately planned.

Budget

5.3

Fair

62 reviews

Cleanliness

6.1

Comfort

5.9

Pick-up/Drop-off

5.2

Value for money

4.9

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Juan Santa Maria Intl Apo

+506 2436 2010

Monday	06:00 - 23:30
Tuesday	06:00 - 23:30
Wednesday	06:00 - 23:30
Thursday	06:00 - 23:30
Friday	06:00 - 23:30
Saturday	06:00 - 23:30
Sunday	06:00 - 23:30

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Reviews

4.0 Mediocre

Jun 2023

Only real thing I liked was how close it was to the airport and there being a shuttle. Otherwise, the first challenge was the insurance up sale. I purchased insurance during booking but then still had to purchase more insurance upon arrival. The first car I rented had such a small engine we had to return it. Then the second SUV was quite dirty and we could not connect the phone to it and while figuring that out the battery died. So, on the spot they had to replace the battery. Grateful they did then but imagine if we had drove off into the 4 hours drive ahead of us without a new battery? Basically, super mediocre if not sub par service.

2.0 Poor

Oct 2022

Be prepared to be taken advantage of. No matter if you have extremely good insurance through your credit card company these guys will try their absolute hardest to force the company insurance on you for an extra $40 a day. Windshield got cracked by a rock on the road and they took $1100 out of the $3000 deposit, $1100 to replace a windshield?? Get real. To top it all off they charged me $120 American to fill half the tank upon return. It’s standard practice with rental agencies to have an increased gas fee if they have to fill it upon return. But this is on a different level, not to mention I know this guy was just making up numbers in his head as I was able to haggle the price down to $120. He also insisted I pay him in USD with no explanation and eventually took payment in colones. Sketchy business practices at this establishment, beware.

10.0 Wonderful

Jan 2021

Pros:

Drop off was excellent

Cons:

Would have liked a better explanation of the insurance coverage and not a hard sell.

2.0 Poor

Apr 2020

Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

They refused to give back my deposit despite the trip. Ring cancelled due to Covid-19 A disgrace

4.8 Mediocre

Mar 2020

Cons:

Don’t use this car rental. A lot of hidden fees. They are crooks.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2020

Pros:

Nothing, did not like anything about this experience

Cons:

Staff was extremely unhelpful. Was the worst experience in Costa Rica. Outrageous price for a beat up old car with 150,000 miles on it, manual transmission, radio had been taken out, fog lights missing, horrible car, took us 3 hours to check in and get car, staff is inept and we stood in line for hours while no one could give us a clear answer on when we would get a car even though we had a reservation.

Europcar

4.3

Mediocre

38 reviews

Cleanliness

5.2

Comfort

4.9

Pick-up/Drop-off

4.2

Value for money

4.0

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Carretera Aeropuerto Internacional

Opening times not available

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Reviews

8.0 Very Good

Feb 2024

First car had a broken side mirror, so was given another car. Nicer car but rear wiper didn’t work, which was an issue when it was raining.

2.0 Poor

May 2021

Cons:

It was a total scam, they end up charging you just as much as name brand companies through forcing you to buy unnecessary insurance which is not disclosed when I made my non-refundable reservation.

4.0 Mediocre

Mar 2021

Cons:

Didnt have our reservation. Had to wait for hours.

10.0 Wonderful

Jan 2021

Pros:

Staff was super friendly!

Cons:

The advertised price is not what you end up paying when the mandatory insurance is added on. BEWARE!

4.0 Mediocre

Jan 2021

Cons:

The car was fine, but I left feeling like I was scammed. I had to pay for Liability insurance, which I was prepared for, but Europcar’s cost for this was twice as much as other rental places for no reason. And they wouldn’t accept my credit card’s CDW coverage (a first) and made me pay for that as well. Overall, it more than doubled the cost of the rental de me. A nasty surprise at the counter, but at that point, they know they’ve got you. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

7.6 Good

Feb 2020

Pros:

The staff is very nice and helpful. Taking the shuttle to the car rental was pretty easy.

Cons:

The insurance the is quoted by kayak versus what they charge at the car rental is much higher. We rented a car for one week for about 50 USD, which is very cheap, but the medium level for the insurance ran 450 USD.

National

9.2

Wonderful

4 reviews

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

9.1

Pick-up/Drop-off

9.4

Value for money

8.5

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

La Asuncion De Belen

+506 2242 7878

Monday	00:00 - 23:59
Tuesday	00:00 - 23:59
Wednesday	00:00 - 23:59
Thursday	00:00 - 23:59
Friday	00:00 - 23:59
Saturday	00:00 - 23:59
Sunday	00:00 - 23:59

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Jan 2018

Pros:

Car and experience was fine, but....

Cons:

After all was stated very clearly on the confirmation.... The agent at the desk required that I add insurance or not be able to rent the car. Of course, my credit card covers insurance, and this was a shock and dismay (and an extra hundred dollars!). Foul!!!!!!

2.0 Poor

Jan 2017

Cons:

they did not have the car ready and told us to call within 4 hours. this delayed our trip and exhausted us. Instead of waiting, we decided to go to their site and there were a multitude of cars available. They claimed that they did not have cars available, because many people had not returned them from the day before. Customer service was slow and it lagged the promptness needed to get in and out. Also, if you prepay insurance from the US, it will not work. You are obligated to purchase their insurance. Our reservation was worthless.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2017

Cons:

When I came there was no SUV's. So I had to wait more 5 hours to get one.

Dollar

8.0

Very Good

9 reviews

Cleanliness

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.6

Value for money

7.5

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Juan Santamaria Intl Ap

+506 2431 4865

Monday	06:00 - 23:30
Tuesday	06:00 - 23:30
Wednesday	06:00 - 23:30
Thursday	06:00 - 23:30
Friday	06:00 - 23:30
Saturday	06:00 - 23:30
Sunday	06:00 - 23:30

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Reviews

3.6 Poor

Mar 2018

Cons:

We got stuck in traffic because of construction in Monteverde. It was beyond our control. They shut down the only street in or out for hours. We called Dollar Rental to let them know and they told us NOT TO WORRY and that we would NOT BE CHARGED EXTRA for running late as long as we got there before they closed at 11:30 PM. We got there at 10:30 PM and the guy that was checking us back in said, "Don't worry, you won't be charged extra for being a few hours late." However, when we went to pay, the guy at the front desk charged my credit card for an additional $60.51 for the few hours we were late. I told him that both the guy on the phone and the guy who checked us back in told us we would not be charged extra. He gave me a funny look and said, "Oops, they didn't tell me that and I already ran your card, so I can't reverse the charge now. You'll have to email corporate when you get back to the US and they will fix it for you." I emailed corporate over a week ago and never heard back from them. I will never be using Dollar Rental again.

4.8 Mediocre

Jan 2018

Pros:

No restrictions on where I could go with the car. Air conditioning worked. Offered WiFi device for $5/day, and that worked great.

Cons:

Reserved an automatic, but their computer didn’t show it, so I was forced to upgrade. Paid for insurance via Kayak, but told that was no good and that we were required to get additional insurance that cost more than $100. The shuttle to/from airport is slow, and we waited almost an hour to get to the airport after drop off. Car’s brakes stuck and needs new shocks.

2.0 Poor

Apr 2017

Pros:

Dollar lured my family in with a low price listed on the internet. BUT it was only an empty promise as they made us pay nearly twice that amount upon our arrival to pick up our reserved vehicle.

Cons:

My family paid in full online prior to my trip. We received a confirmation of both our payment and reservation. After arriving in our destination (Costa Rica) Dollar made us pay additional insurance and fees to obtain our car. With our young children in tow and after pleading with them for 2 hours we had to pay the additional money to drive away. A formal credit discard dispute has been filed. Stay away from this dishonest company.

7.2 Good

Oct 2016

Pros:

Customer service at Dollar

Cons:

Kayak misrepresented the vehicle. I booked a vehicle that could fit 7 with insurance. When I got there I found out the vehicle only seated 5 and the insurance I paid for through Kayak wasn't even basic insurance for this country. Ended up paying 400 more than originally quoted!! Could have saved almost 200 going directly through Dollar.

U-Save

4.7

Mediocre

Cleanliness

6.3

Comfort

5.4

Pick-up/Drop-off

4.9

Value for money

3.8

One location in Pavas

Routes Car & Truck Rentals

3.6

Poor

Cleanliness

4.8

Comfort

3.6

Pick-up/Drop-off

3.2

Value for money

3.6

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

500 Mts East

+506 2430 0629

Monday	06:30 - 19:30
Tuesday	06:30 - 19:30
Wednesday	06:30 - 19:30
Thursday	06:30 - 19:30
Friday	06:30 - 19:30
Saturday	06:30 - 19:30
Sunday	06:30 - 19:30

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Aug 2022

This car rental agency is a total SCAM! There is no Routes Car Rental in San Jose Airport in Costa Rica. Avoid it at all cost.

Hertz

3.0

Poor

17 reviews

Cleanliness

3.4

Comfort

3.2

Pick-up/Drop-off

2.7

Value for money

3.0

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Juan Santamaria Intl Apto.

+506 4002 0713

Monday	05:00 - 23:00
Tuesday	05:00 - 23:00
Wednesday	05:00 - 23:00
Thursday	05:00 - 23:00
Friday	05:00 - 23:00
Saturday	05:00 - 23:00
Sunday	05:00 - 23:00

Filters

Reviews

2.0 Poor

Mar 2024

Hertz insisted that we pay more than the quoted amount, and told us we needed a letter from our insurance company which we were not informed of until we arrived at the rental office. So instead of the rental being the quoted amount of $480.25 CAD, they insisted that we pay $750 USD and provide a letter from my credit card company proving that our card covered insurance on a rental. When I showed the Hertz agent the booking through Kayak he just kept repeating "I work for Hertz, not Kayak" and showing me the Hertz agreement on their website. When I showed him the RBC credit care website outlining the details of our credit card (showing that rental insurance was covered), he say he needed a letter from our credit card company. All my other interactions with Kayak have been great, but this was an awful experience, and we ended up paying significantly more for a rental than the amount Kayak had quoted us.

6.0 Okay

Feb 2021

Cons:

Hertz pick up was awful. I don’t recommend hertz in Costa Rica. Our bill was double the quoted price due to Costa Rica specific insurance (and this is after fighting to wave other liabilities). The staff also made “errors” that included additional charges that they had said were removed... be very cautious when reviewing your bill especially before signing anything.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2021

Cons:

Surprise insurance charge when we got there. Also they said rental was in terminal and it was a shuttle ride away.

6.0 Okay

Jan 2018

Pros:

Car was in good shape

Cons:

The reservation price didn't include a $30/day mandatory insurance fee that is required I'm Costa Rica. So, my quote was for $7xx, and total cost was actually $1100. AND, the guy at the ciunter was a total dick and kept trying to sell us on the optional insurance to make us pay EVEN MORE. UGH.

5.2 Fair

Jun 2017

Cons:

We were given a very good rate when we booked but when we showed up we not given an option of taking out additional insurance. We discussed at length- the entire process of renting the car took a very long time. They tried to charge me over $500. After much discussion they wouldn't let us take the car for an amount that was over 3x the quoted rate. We really needed to get going and the Hertz facility is away from the airport so reluctantly signed. The front desk employee was rude and found VERY small print to justify the increase in the rate. I will not use Hertz again at this location.

3.2 Poor

Mar 2017

Pros:

Not much

Cons:

The internet booking site was COMPLETELY mis-leading. It made no mention of the exorbitant insurance fees. It felt like fraud. I'm not sure I'll ever use Hertz again, especially in Costa Rica.

Firefly

2.6

Poor

5 reviews

Cleanliness

3.6

Comfort

2.9

Pick-up/Drop-off

2.8

Value for money

2.6

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

Rio Segundo

+506 2443 4645

Monday	05:00 - 23:00
Tuesday	05:00 - 23:00
Wednesday	05:00 - 23:00
Thursday	05:00 - 23:00
Friday	05:00 - 23:00
Saturday	05:00 - 23:00
Sunday	05:00 - 23:00

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Reviews

4.0 Mediocre

Nov 2022

Their fuel charge minimum is $31 for missing .25 gallons of fuel! Rip off

2.0 Poor

Nov 2021

They did not even have a car for me even though I had a reservation

2.0 Poor

Feb 2022

They picked us up at the airport and drove us off site away from other cars companies then said they didn’t have any cars. Then said they might be able to find one but the insurance was gonna be triple. And the daily price was gonna be quadruple!!! We didn’t get a car. Then they said there was a local company next door that had cars. Then a really large deposit fee. It was a nightmare

3.9 Poor

Jul 2021

The "Firefly" at San Jose for us was basically just Hertz. They shared a counter at the airport, and the actual rental place was Hertz. There was a Firefly counter in a corner of the waiting room...with no one there. The Hertz guys took care of us. Felt like kind of a bait and switch but Hertz is a more reputable company, so we didn't mind.

easyCar

2.0

Poor

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

10.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

2.0

Value for money

4.0

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

San Jose Intl Airport

+506 2442 2422

Monday	05:00 - 23:00
Tuesday	05:00 - 23:00
Wednesday	05:00 - 23:00
Thursday	05:00 - 23:00
Friday	05:00 - 23:00
Saturday	05:00 - 23:00
Sunday	05:00 - 23:00

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Nov 2022

The car Rental experience was mediocre however it took an hour to do paper work. The site is not straight forward with fees. I asked for a different location drop off quote, and once I was at the rental place they charge $50.00 extra. Furthermore they won’t take the insurance protection provided by the credit card unless you bring a letter from the credit card stating that. So beware, a $40.00 dollars par day rent turns out to be over a $100.00 per day. What can you do better, so you ask? LET CUSTOMERS KNOW UPFRONT OF HIDDEN FEES, SO THYE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. (I am not intending to yell by using capital letters, I am just trying to help you do better)

E-Z Rent-A-Car

2.0

Poor

Cleanliness

2.0

Comfort

2.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

2.0

Value for money

2.0

One location in Pavas

Locations in Pavas (San José)

San Jose International Airport - Europcar

+506 2440 9990

Monday	06:00 - 23:30
Tuesday	06:00 - 23:30
Wednesday	06:00 - 23:30
Thursday	06:00 - 23:30
Friday	06:00 - 23:30
Saturday	06:00 - 23:30
Sunday	06:00 - 23:30