Wet season car rental in San Jose or Managua?

My husband and I are considering going to Costa Rica and possibly
Nicaragua for a couple weeks in August, during the wet season. The
primary thing we want to do is visit national parks - it seems like the
only simple way of doing this is by renting a car? Does anyone have
experience driving in Costa Rica or Nicaragua during the wet season?
I've heard the roads are pretty bad and a 4WD is highly recommended.
If anyone has had a good experience with car rental there, I'd like to
know the company name! Is it better to just hire a taxi when we go to
a park? Taking buses simply doesn't sound feasible to get to the
parks, but maybe this is incorrect.

We're considering flying into Managua instead of San Jose because both
the airfares and car rental prices seem a lot cheaper. Does anyone
have any advice about renting a car from Managua's airport? Driving
from Managua to northern/western Costa Rica?

And how bad is the wet season exactly? Travel guides seem to recommend
it for budget travellers, say it's less crowded, and euphemize that
it's greener and that there's usually one strong downpour per day. But
someone we know who went there in February thought THAT was the wet
season, which worries me. Are mosquitos a serious problem? (if it
looks anything like the Everglades in August, I don't want to go!).

Thanks for any advice.

Do you realize that you won't be able to take a rental car from Nicaragua
into Costa Rica?

--

Capt Gene Kelly
Tropical Fishing Adventures
800 280 5565
631 668 2019
fax 631 6682040
<rekuci@> wrote in message
news:1152186252.011752.255720@s26g2000cwa. o...
> My husband and I are considering going to Costa Rica and possibly
> Nicaragua for a couple weeks in August, during the wet season. The
> primary thing we want to do is visit national parks - it seems like the
> only simple way of doing this is by renting a car? Does anyone have
> experience driving in Costa Rica or Nicaragua during the wet season?
> I've heard the roads are pretty bad and a 4WD is highly recommended.
> If anyone has had a good experience with car rental there, I'd like to
> know the company name! Is it better to just hire a taxi when we go to
> a park? Taking buses simply doesn't sound feasible to get to the
> parks, but maybe this is incorrect.
>
> We're considering flying into Managua instead of San Jose because both
> the airfares and car rental prices seem a lot cheaper. Does anyone
> have any advice about renting a car from Managua's airport? Driving
> from Managua to northern/western Costa Rica?
>
> And how bad is the wet season exactly? Travel guides seem to recommend
> it for budget travellers, say it's less crowded, and euphemize that
> it's greener and that there's usually one strong downpour per day. But
> someone we know who went there in February thought THAT was the wet
> season, which worries me. Are mosquitos a serious problem? (if it
> looks anything like the Everglades in August, I don't want to go!).
>
> Thanks for any advice.
>

Gene Kelly wrote:
> Do you realize that you won't be able to take a rental car from Nicaragua
> into Costa Rica?
>

There was a rental car company, I believe Hertz, that specifically said
on its Nicaraguan website that they are "the only company" that allows
the cars to cross into Costa Rica - and I have a suspicion that they
aren't actually the only ones...but even if they are, they had pretty
reasonable prices...

This may be becoming a more popular option than say a few years ago.

I rented a small SUV type car (Daihatsu Terios) , in Managua, during the
early part of the rainy season a year ago. I didn't have any problems, but
this could depend on the actual amount of rain you encounter.

The roads are generally not well maintained - no shoulders and lots of pot
holes, but seem to be somewhat improved over the last several years. If
you're careful it shouldn't be too big a problem.

I used Budget and the airport; pickup and drop off was easy. I also think I
saw something about being able to take the car to Costa Rica, just check
the various web sites.


<rekuci@> wrote in message
news:1152186252.011752.255720@s26g2000cwa. o...
> My husband and I are considering going to Costa Rica and possibly
> Nicaragua for a couple weeks in August, during the wet season. The
> primary thing we want to do is visit national parks - it seems like the
> only simple way of doing this is by renting a car? Does anyone have
> experience driving in Costa Rica or Nicaragua during the wet season?
> I've heard the roads are pretty bad and a 4WD is highly recommended.
> If anyone has had a good experience with car rental there, I'd like to
> know the company name! Is it better to just hire a taxi when we go to
> a park? Taking buses simply doesn't sound feasible to get to the
> parks, but maybe this is incorrect.
>
> We're considering flying into Managua instead of San Jose because both
> the airfares and car rental prices seem a lot cheaper. Does anyone
> have any advice about renting a car from Managua's airport? Driving
> from Managua to northern/western Costa Rica?
>
> And how bad is the wet season exactly? Travel guides seem to recommend
> it for budget travellers, say it's less crowded, and euphemize that
> it's greener and that there's usually one strong downpour per day. But
> someone we know who went there in February thought THAT was the wet
> season, which worries me. Are mosquitos a serious problem? (if it
> looks anything like the Everglades in August, I don't want to go!).
>
> Thanks for any advice.
>

Ren wrote:
> I rented a small SUV type car (Daihatsu Terios) , in Managua, during the
> early part of the rainy season a year ago. I didn't have any problems, but
> this could depend on the actual amount of rain you encounter.
>
> The roads are generally not well maintained - no shoulders and lots of pot
> holes, but seem to be somewhat improved over the last several years. If
> you're careful it shouldn't be too big a problem.
>
> I used Budget and the airport; pickup and drop off was easy. I also think I
> saw something about being able to take the car to Costa Rica, just check
> the various web sites.
>

Thanks for your reply, that's great to hear that you managed it. I can
deal with potholes and some deterioration, but more concerned about mud
and getting stuck - were there many paved roads? I'm up for a little
adventure, just not disaster! How much did you pay per week for that
car?

Also, do you have any recommendations of what to see in Nicaragua? Due
to road conditions slowing things down, I would probably limit the trip
to southern/southwestern Nicaragua and neighboring areas of Costa Rica,
maybe 1 week in each.

Most of the main roads in Nicaragua are paved, some of the secondary roads
are dirt and those could be a problem in wet weather. Most of the areas I
have been to can be reached on paved roads; near Managua there is the Masaya
Volcano National Park and near Granada is a nature preserve on Mombacho
volcano, both these areas have hiking trails if you like that sort of thing.
In the southwest near Rivas is Ometepe Island, I haven't been there, but a
friend visited and said it is very quiet and relaxing. Also there are many
beaches around the area of San Juan del Sur.

The car was around $700 for 2 weeks including required insurance, you can do
a Goggle search of the rental companies for current prices.

There is a good guide book on Nicaragua by Moon Publications.
<rekuci@> wrote in message
news:1152272490.181042.170620@b28g2000cwb. o...
>
> Ren wrote:
>> I rented a small SUV type car (Daihatsu Terios) , in Managua, during the
>> early part of the rainy season a year ago. I didn't have any problems,
>> but
>> this could depend on the actual amount of rain you encounter.
>>
>> The roads are generally not well maintained - no shoulders and lots of
>> pot
>> holes, but seem to be somewhat improved over the last several years. If
>> you're careful it shouldn't be too big a problem.
>>
>> I used Budget and the airport; pickup and drop off was easy. I also
>> think I
>> saw something about being able to take the car to Costa Rica, just check
>> the various web sites.
>>
>
> Thanks for your reply, that's great to hear that you managed it. I can
> deal with potholes and some deterioration, but more concerned about mud
> and getting stuck - were there many paved roads? I'm up for a little
> adventure, just not disaster! How much did you pay per week for that
> car?
>
> Also, do you have any recommendations of what to see in Nicaragua? Due
> to road conditions slowing things down, I would probably limit the trip
> to southern/southwestern Nicaragua and neighboring areas of Costa Rica,
> maybe 1 week in each.
>