Traveling to Costa Rica During Semana Santa, Renting A Car?  Beware, Do Not Speed

If you are traveling to Costa Rica for Semana Santa (Easter Week) for fun in the sun and are planning to rent a car…a word of warning ..obey the traffic laws because there will be a lot of highway patrolmen  on the open highways esp Highway 1  better known as the Intermaerican  Highway.  Also the road to Jaco Beach will be filled with Highway patrolmen.  You will need your North American drivers license and your passport and of course the papers proving that you are renting the car.  Speeding tickets are very expensive, sometimes up to $100’s of dollars.

Penalties for  driving and drinking are very stiff in Costa Rica now.  Hugh fines!!  And sometimes depending on the severity of the situation even a jail sentence.

If you happen to get a ticket do not pay the patrolman at the scene.  Even if he tells you to do it.  Take the traffic ticket back with you to the rental car company and they will assist you in settling it.

Semana Santa is Costa Rican’s favorite time to go to the beach and this year all the government employees have been given the entire week off work.  So the beaches will be flooded with people.  As well as the highways.  Expect long lines of cars to get from San Jose to the northern Guanacaste beaches.