Camper vans and 4x4s for the volcanoes and both coasts of Costa Rica
Compare the 2 campervan and motorhome rental companies in San Jose to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a campervan in San José means starting from the Central Valley, in the heart of Costa Rica, a few hours' drive from both the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea. Arenal Volcano, the Monteverde cloud forest, the beaches of Manuel Antonio and the Nicoya Peninsula, Cahuita and Tortuguero can all be reached in a camper van or a 4x4 equipped for sleeping. 2 partner companies, Costa Rider Campervan and Nomad America, offer around a dozen models, from the Suzuki Jimny to the five-berth Campervan Family.
Their two depots are west of the capital, in Alajuela province, near Juan Santamaría International Airport: you hit the road without crossing central San José.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter January | Spring April | Summer July | Autumn October |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €123/day median €179/day | from €109/day median €179/day | from €99/day median €194/day | from €86/day median €140/day |
Daily prices observed on October 21, 2026 for a 15-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 2 rental companies compared. 100% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €1,069.
From Alajuela, the road climbs to Poás Volcano, whose crater can be visited with a ticket booked online, when volcanic activity allows. It then descends past the La Paz waterfalls to La Fortuna, at the foot of Arenal's cone: hot springs, hanging bridges and a lake. You then skirt the lake to Tilarán before climbing to Monteverde and its cloud forest, on steep roads where a 4x4 is most at ease.
Route 27 runs down to Jacó, then the coast leads to Manuel Antonio National Park and its monkeys. You head back up to Puntarenas to board the ferry to Paquera, at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula: Montezuma, Santa Teresa, then the coastal track to Sámara, cut by rivers that must be forded. The trip ends one way in Liberia, in Guanacaste, another departure city of our partners, like Jacó and Manuel Antonio.
To the east, Irazú Volcano, the highest in the country, towers over Cartago; you then descend through the Orosi Valley and Turrialba to the banana plains of the Caribbean slope, with a detour to the canals of Tortuguero, where sea turtles nest. Further south, Cahuita and its coral reef come before Puerto Viejo, with its Afro-Caribbean culture and jungle-fringed beaches.
The best time for a road trip from San José: little rain from December to March, ten to eleven hours of sunshine a day and dry tracks, including in Guanacaste and on Nicoya. It is also the tourist high season, with sights and accommodation in great demand. The first showers return in April.
The rains set in: 300 to 390 mm a month in San José, mostly as afternoon thunderstorms after sunny mornings. The landscapes are lush and the national parks less crowded. Set off early each day to reach your stop before the downpours.
The heart of the rainy season in the Central Valley and on the Pacific: October is the wettest month, with 550 mm in San José, and some tracks become impassable. Yet it is a good time on the Caribbean coast, in Cahuita and Puerto Viejo, where September and October are often among the driest months.
Most pleasant months: December to March.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 °C | 16 °C | 41 mm | 11 h/day |
| Feb | 26 °C | 16 °C | 27 mm | 11 h/day |
| Mar | 27 °C | 16 °C | 33 mm | 11 h/day |
| Apr | 27 °C | 17 °C | 113 mm | 10 h/day |
| May | 26 °C | 17 °C | 375 mm | 9 h/day |
| Jun | 24 °C | 17 °C | 389 mm | 8 h/day |
| Jul | 25 °C | 17 °C | 302 mm | 9 h/day |
| Aug | 25 °C | 17 °C | 390 mm | 9 h/day |
| Sep | 25 °C | 16 °C | 439 mm | 8 h/day |
| Oct | 24 °C | 16 °C | 550 mm | 8 h/day |
| Nov | 24 °C | 17 °C | 340 mm | 8 h/day |
| Dec | 24 °C | 16 °C | 86 mm | 10 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
In Costa Rica, addresses are given by landmarks rather than numbers, and our partners' depots, in rural areas around Alajuela, are no exception. Use the Plus Code or the GPS location sent by the rental company, and the Waze app, widely used in the country to avoid Central Valley traffic jams.
Towards the Pacific, Route 27 links San José with Caldera and Jacó; it is a toll road, with several toll booths where cash comes in handy. Towards the Caribbean, Route 32 crosses Braulio Carrillo National Park: steep gradients, fog, lorries and closures after heavy rain. Check road conditions before setting off.
This close to the equator, night falls around 6 pm all year round. Poorly lit roads, potholes, pedestrians, cyclists and animals on the road make night driving risky. Journey times are long in the mountains, often more than two hours for a hundred kilometres: plan short stages.
On the Nicoya Peninsula and in remote areas, several rivers have to be forded. After a storm, the water rises within minutes: wait, watch a local vehicle cross or turn back. Between May and November, landslides can also cut mountain roads.
Our two partner companies each have a depot in Alajuela province, west of San José: Costa Rider Campervan in Rincón Herrera, a few minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport, and Nomad America in La Garita, on Route 3. The exact address and meeting time are in your booking confirmation.
Our searches in October 2026, for a 15-day hire with mandatory fees included, found camper vans from €86 per day for an October departure (median €140), and from €123 for a January departure, in the heart of the dry season (median €179). Two rental companies and 68 offers were compared: run a search with your dates to get prices you can book.
Not for the main roads, nor for La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio or the Caribbean coast, which are accessible by camper van. A 4x4 becomes useful for the unpaved access roads to Monteverde, the Nicoya coastal track and many hilltop lodges. Our partners offer the Suzuki Jimny, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Toyota Hilux and Kia 4x4 Truck Camper, all with two berths.
Yes, Liberia, in Guanacaste, is also a departure city of our partners: ending the trip near the north-western beaches saves driving back to the capital. A one-way fee may apply; it is included in the displayed price as soon as you choose Liberia as your return city when searching.
No, no road serves the village. You leave the vehicle in a guarded car park at La Pavona, near Cariari, about three hours' drive from San José, then reach Tortuguero by boat along the canals, in about an hour. Plan at least one night there and a light bag for the stay.
First rental of this type of vehicle in a professional context where the rental must take place from France to Canada. Many questions and Cooldrive (Marlène) has been a valuable support in guiding my choices. Efficiency and responsiveness beforehand, and on-site a vehicle and service that met our expectations. No complaints. Great!
Too rigid computer system
Very good customer experience with Cooldrive. I highly recommend it! Thanks to the team who were attentive and available for organizing my trip to Canada.
A valid foreign driving licence is generally accepted for the length of a tourist stay, together with the passport bearing the entry stamp. An international driving permit may be required, especially if the licence is not written in the Latin alphabet. Each rental company also sets a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving, shown in the offer conditions.
Campsites are still few, but many hotels, fincas and lodges welcome camper vans for the night for a small fee, often with a shower. Camping is banned in most national parks, and isolated beaches are not recommended at night because of theft. Always ask for permission and leave nothing visible in the vehicle.
All the offers found in San José during our October 2026 searches included unlimited mileage, a real advantage in a country where mountain detours soon add up. Conditions may still vary by rental company and length of hire: check them on each offer before booking.
The median excess of the offers found in October 2026 is €1,069. It varies by rental company and vehicle, and options often make it possible to reduce it. With tracks and fords ahead, read the insurance exclusions carefully, especially for water damage, before choosing your cover.
Both depots are close to the airport: allow about ten minutes by taxi to Rincón Herrera and a little longer to La Garita. Some rental companies arrange a transfer, so let them know your arrival time. After a long-haul flight, a night in Alajuela before getting behind the wheel is more restful and safer.
Several months ahead for the dry season, and especially for Christmas, New Year and Semana Santa, when Costa Ricans also go on holiday. With only two rental companies, the most popular vehicles, such as the five-berth Campervan Family, go quickly. In the green season, a few weeks ahead is usually enough.
The currency is the Costa Rican colón, but the US dollar is widely accepted in tourist areas. Cards work at petrol stations, supermarkets and most accommodation. Keep some colones in cash for ferries, guarded car parks, sodas (small roadside restaurants) and remote villages.
San José lies at the centre of Costa Rica, on the Central Valley plateau: no region of the country is really far away. In one day's drive you can reach Arenal Volcano, the beaches of the Central Pacific or the Caribbean coast, and the whole country fits into a single road trip of two or three weeks, from the central volcanoes to the rainforests of both coasts.
Our two partner companies offer camper vans and 4x4s with sleeping space, suited to Nicoya's tracks as well as mountain roads, with prices observed from €86 per day in October 2026. Jacó, Manuel Antonio and Liberia, other departure cities of our partners, open the way to one-way trips. And the Central Valley climate, with highs of 24 to 27 °C all year round, makes setting off pleasant in any season.
