Panama Costa Rica
Panama 
Costa RicaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
The Paso Canoas crossing is the main Pan-American Highway route between the two.
Driving rules in Costa Rica
- Drive on the right.
- Mandatory state liability insurance on rentals.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- 4x4 advised for rural and rainy-season roads.
What to see when you arrive in Costa Rica
- the Arenal Volcano
- the Monteverde Cloud Forest
- the Manuel Antonio National Park
- the beaches of Guanacaste
- the Tortuguero canals
Once you're driving in Costa Rica
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
A valid home-country licence held for at least two years lets a tourist drive for up to 90 days (matching the tourist-entry stamp); no IDP is needed, though carrying one alongside the original is recommended for clarity at police checks.
Tolls & road charges
A handful of routes are tolled, most notably Ruta 27 (San Jose to the Pacific via Caldera) with several small booths; tourists pay cash in colones (typically a few hundred to ~1,000 colones per booth) at the cabin.
Parking in the cities
Curbs painted yellow forbid stopping near hydrants, bus stops and taxi stands; many town centres run paid street zones ('boletas de parquimetro') where you buy and display a paper ticket, and 'cuidacarros' informally watch parked cars for a small tip.
Fines & camera enforcement
Speeding tickets are notoriously steep (roughly 100,000-300,000+ colones, around US$200-450 for serious excess), and fines for phone use or no seatbelt also run into the tens of thousands of colones; transit police issue a ticket rather than collect cash roadside, and rental firms pass camera/photo-radar fines to the renter's card.
If you have an accident
Call 911 and notify the rental company immediately; by law you must NOT move the vehicles until the transit police (Transito) and the INS insurance inspector arrive and document the scene, even if you are blocking traffic.
Driving in the capital
In San Jose, avoid the chaotic 'La Hispanidad'/Sabana rotondas and note the city's restriction quirk: heavy congestion and one-way grids downtown make GPS essential, and parking enforcement around Paseo Colon is strict.
Sources: adobecar.com · twoweeksincostarica.com · costaricavibes.com · globalpetrolprices.com