For our 3rd wedding anniversary, we visited our 3rd country—Costa Rica. We’ve been celebrating our anniversary by traveling to a new country in alphabetical order each year:
It was a beautiful trip and, for the most part, it went pretty seamlessly. But like any trip, there were a few hiccups. Some that could have been avoided, and others that just come with the territory of travel. That’s why we want to share them with you, so maybe you don’t make the same mistakes we did.
Every trip has its surprises. It’s to be expected. The key is not to let one little thing (or five) ruin your vacation. We’ve learned to just laugh it off and move on, and honestly, we’ve gotten really good at that. We’ve had our fair share of travel disasters.
Like when we were on our honeymoon and our flight from JFK to Aruba got canceled. We were transferred to another airline, but our luggage was not. It got stuck somewhere in Delta’s system and couldn’t be found. So we arrived in Aruba with nothing but the clothes on our backs, my laptop, camera, and our passports. We stayed for 10 days in a foreign country, and the luggage never came.
Or the year before that, during our western road trip when Shane proposed, our RV broke down and we had to completely re-route our trip. So yeah, these days, we kind of expect something to go wrong.
But honestly, compared to those trips, Costa Rica was a breeze. Still, we made a few mistakes that were totally avoidable, and that’s what we want to help you with. If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, here are five things we wish we had known sooner:
1. Don’t Skip Car Insurance—It’s Required
Costa Rica rental car insurance is not optional.
When we travel in the States, we usually don’t worry about rental car insurance because my State Farm policy covers it. But when we travel internationally, we know that coverage doesn’t apply. In Aruba and Bulgaria, insurance wasn’t required, so we skipped it to save money (risky and kinda dumb, I know—but I like to think I’m a good driver, ha!).
For Costa Rica, I vaguely remembered hearing that insurance was required, so I figured we’d just get it from the rental company when we arrived. I booked through Delta.com with Payless, and the car was something insanely cheap like $19 for the whole week—I was thrilled. Delta also offered third-party insurance for $88, but I declined.
Big mistake.
When we landed in Costa Rica and went to pick up the car, Payless wouldn’t let us leave without buying their mandatory insurance… for $360. Yep. That cheap car rental just quadrupled in cost. I had no WiFi, no data (more on that below), and no way to check alternatives—so we were stuck. And that price didn’t even include our protection, it was just to protect the other person. So, if we got hit and in an accident, that price wouldn’t cover our car; it would only cover the other person involved. Did I mention it was also a $3000 deposit?!
Sure, we could have paid a higher, premium price to be covered more, but it was upwards of $500+ and at this point we were already way over budget on day 1 so we stuck with the $360 and went on our way. Turns out this is a very common Costa Rica rental car situation. If you don’t do your research ahead of time, the sticker shock will hit hard. Lesson learned!
2. Prepare for Spotty Cell Service & GPS Issues
Costa Rica’s cell coverage is, well… unreliable. Shane’s cell plan offers a few “travel pass” days so we can use it while abroad, and I usually just stick with WiFi and that works fine. But in Costa Rica, even when we had service, it would drop out without warning—especially on long drives.
There were multiple times we were 5+ hours from our destination and suddenly driving blind because GPS just stopped working and wouldn’t come back on for hours. It made navigating tricky and frustrating.
We highly recommend (and now know) to Download Google Maps offline for the areas you’ll be visiting, or bring a backup GPS device if you can. Also, screenshot directions before you head out—just in case. Because you WILL LOSE SIGNAL regardless of your cell phone plan. It’s inevitable.
3. BRING A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
One thing we didn’t know before visiting was many of the parks don’t allow one-use containers and snacks. So, your plastic water bottles or chip bags won’t be allowed in.
When we arrived at Manuel Antonio National Park we quickly learned that single-use plastics are not allowed—including disposable water bottles and packaged snacks. That meant we had to leave behind our food and our water before entering the park. Not ideal when you’re planning to spend most of the day hiking and exploring.
I don’t do well without food or water for long stretches, so I was honestly kind of stressed out. I thought maybe I could sneak in a snack or a plastic bottle, but they search your bags at the gate—and depending on who’s doing the checking, it can be a pretty thorough search. So don’t even try. Just come prepared.
And here’s the kicker: scammers outside the park (will touch more on this in a minute) will try to sell you overpriced plastic water bottles, knowing you can’t bring them inside. They’re betting you’ll fall for it and end up tossing it at the gate. Don’t fall for it.
Instead, bring a reusable water bottle—and don’t wait until you’re in Manuel Antonio or any of the other parks to buy one. Prices near the park are insane. If you need one, and you are in fact going to Manuel Antonio for example – grab it in Quepos (the town next door) or earlier in your trip. That goes for snacks, groceries, souvenirs—everything is cheaper outside of the tourist-heavy park areas and down the mountain.
4. Understand the Tipping System
As Americans, we’re used to tipping at restaurants. So when we finally sat down to eat after a long travel day—and getting hit with that surprise rental car fee—we gave our waiter a 5mil bill as a tip. Sleep deprivation and get lag is a real thing even if you’re just two hours behind! We didn’t really know what it was worth (and didn’t have anything smaller), but he seemed thrilled. And we were just happy to finally have food.
Later, we realized why.
In Costa Rica, most restaurants already include gratuity in your bill. Tipping isn’t expected because it’s already built into the total. And that 5mil we gave him? Yeah… it’s about $10 USD. No wonder he was so happy!
Always check your receipt. If “servicio” is included, you don’t need to tip extra—unless you really want to.
5. Watch Out for Scammers Near Tourist Attractions
Scams exist everywhere, and Costa Rica is no exception. One of the most common happens right outside Manuel Antonio National Park. On your way in, you’ll be flagged down, waved over, and aggressively approached by men in “official” looking uniforms trying to get you to park—1 to 2 miles before the actual entrance.
They’ll try to sell you tickets and tours for inflated prices. And they’re convincing. If we hadn’t read about this ahead of time, we might have fallen for it too. We saw a lot of people falling for it and they seemed shocked that we weren’t having anything to do with them! They even walk into the road to stop your car—we had to speed past them because they were so pushy, even banging on windows.
This scam happens at other national parks in Costa Rica as well. Do your research ahead of time and know where the real entrance is—and who to trust.
Despite these few mishaps, our Costa Rica trip was magical. We hiked through the jungles, explored waterfalls, saw tons of amazing wildlife, walked along the hanging bridges, and spent our anniversary watching the sunset over a volcanic lake.
Travel isn’t about perfection. It’s about memories, even the messy ones. We hope our mistakes help make your trip to Costa Rica even better!
Planning a Trip to Costa Rica?
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