Cheap Car Rentals in San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
San José, Costa Rica - Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO)
6 Jun — 13 Jun
Same drop-off
San José, Costa Rica - Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO)
Tue 6/6
Noon
Tue 13/6
Noon
Driver's age:
Compare available car types for rental in San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Top rental agencies in San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Alamo
8.0
Very Good78 reviews•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
8.2
Comfort
7.9
Overall
7.9
Pick-up/drop-off
8.0
Value
7.8
Recent reviews
9.6
Wonderful|Mar 2020The staff was friendly and helpful. The car had an unbalanced wheel, causing shudder, but at an Alamo office the car was replaced in less than 30 minutes and the journey continued without technical problems.
The light of the back compartment was constantly on due to the faulty door switch, resulting to a dead battery during a one week long parking.
10.0
Wonderful|Feb 202010/10 would reccomend the Alamo in Belen near the San Jose Airport. Customer service was amazing, staff was super friendly and helpful, and facilities and cars are clean and well-maintained. We upgraded for a small extra amount per day and were so thrilled with our vehicle (Toyota Fortuner). Upon returning our car to Alamo at the end of our trip, we had no wait at all before our car was checked out, receipt confirmed, and our friendly driver dropped us off at the airport. Will absolutely be return customers for our next trip.
Everything was super!
8.4
Very Good|Jan 2020Nice suv
Overcharged me!!!! Over billing!!!
3.2
Poor|Jan 2020If you think your reservation is for 7 people and 3 luggage’s! Make sure it is only purses! We rented a car and the trunk space wouldn’t hold a backpack. Such a scam to upgrade to a bigger car and they tried to charge nearly triple the reservation price.
3.6
Poor|Jan 2020The staff in Manuel Antonio did their best to address the issue with the trunk not latching.
Reserved an intermediate car but was given a compact at the same rate! I had to argue to get the rate changed. Furthermore, the compact was in bad shape, dings and scratches, no hub caps, and the trunk wouldn't latch. And, they didn't fill it up with gas but gave me paperwork to the contrary. I had to return shortly after leaving the lot to point out the gas gauge.
9.6
Wonderful|Jan 2020Staff super friendly. HELD the reservation for almost 24 hours once our original flight was cancelled. Can't state enough what a LIFE SAVER this was for our trip. We had 6 passengers and needed a large SUV and I don't think there were any others available during the busy Xmas season. They literally SAVED OUR TRIP by holding that reservation for us...THANK YOU ALAMO!
Could have had a bit more room for luggage. It "seats 6" but honestly then there is zero room for luggage. We had to sit 2 in front, 3 in the middle any only 1 in back so that we could put down the seat for luggage in the back.
1 out of 26
View Alamo Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
La Asuncion De Belen
+506 2242 7733
Budget
5.7
Fair36 reviews•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
6.4
Comfort
6.3
Overall
5.5
Pick-up/drop-off
5.6
Value
5.1
Recent reviews
2.0
Poor|May 2023I booked my car , I bought extra insurance as suggested and when I got there they told me the extra insurance $65000 worth didn’t cover third party damages and therefore required a $3000 damage deposit . Why was this only brought to my attention upon arrival ?! I’m in Costa Rica at 8 pm and stuck with no car . I plan to make a lot of noise on social media about this experience and I will recommend everyone not ever use budget in any country !!
4.0
Mediocre|May 2023The ad never said that the insurance fee Is the doble of the rental. And the servir provide by the budget employee was unpolite and bad.
8.0
Very Good|Apr 2023Felt sort of corralled into the upgrade I got. Booked a 7p 4x4 online and was told in person it was only 2WD. Was then told the Land Cruiser I got was the only one left on the lot. 3 hours later my brother in law got a Land Cruiser and was told it was the last one on the lot.
4.0
Mediocre|Mar 2023Budget in Costa Rica, our flight was delayed so we called the 1800 number where an automated message told us that 'if your flight is delayed, not to worry they have the flight info and will hold on to your car, even if they don't have the flight number we hold your vehicle for 24hrs' So that was a relief until we got to the Budget booth in the airport where they told us they didn't have our car and that we should have let them know. I told them we called and heard the message and they responded with 'oh you didn't call the Costa Rica line' They ended up having a car we could use but it was a larger more expensive SUV and needed 'a better insurance package' so we had to pay more than we 'budgeted' for. Use another car rental place in Costa Rica there's lots to choose from.
2.0
Poor|Feb 2023Additional insurance charges; vehicle was in poor condiition; very long check in process
8.0
Very Good|Dec 2021Had problems with car. Kept jumping out of 4th and 5th gears. Caused delay, missed ferry. Causing further delays. Reported it.
1 out of 12
View Budget Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Juan Santa Maria Intl Apo
+506 2436 2010
Avis
5.5
Fair36 reviews•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
6.6
Comfort
6.3
Overall
5.5
Pick-up/drop-off
5.5
Value
4.8
Recent reviews
2.0
Poor|Apr 2023un desastre, nunca mas contrato ni con uds ni con avis nos quisieron cobrar cualquier cosa, me retuvieron 500 dolares que no me estan devolviendo, no pudimos contratar el auto perdimos mas de dos horas, malos modos y malos tratos una verguenza, nunca los voy a recomendar
8.0
Very Good|Mar 2023Pretty happy with the service including the shuttle to the airport. The location has a coffee machine on site which is nice for travelers, however, the trash can was way too full and the table where the sugar and cups were kept wasn't wiped. This area could be kept cleaner. All the rest was good.
2.0
Poor|Apr 2023Car battery died and it wasn’t resolved for 4 days. Switched to Alamo and it was night and day. I’ll never use Avis again.
2.0
Poor|Mar 2023Disappointing customer service: Never got an answer from Avis Costa Rica on the additional insurances despite few reminders. Cancelled the car rental booking and chose another company
10.0
Wonderful|Mar 2023Would have liked a little more clarity upfront on the total billing amount, otherwise it was a great experience
6.0
Okay|Feb 2023The car was great, clean and had a full tank. The efficiency of pickup and drop off is not very good. A lot of employees running around everywhere but only 1 at the counter.
1 out of 12
View Avis Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Juan Santamaria Intl Apo
+506 2293 2222
Ace
3.6
Poor51 reviews•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
4.5
Comfort
4.1
Overall
3.3
Pick-up/drop-off
3.4
Value
2.8
Recent reviews
6.0
Okay|Dec 2022Although it was relatively inexpensive they did not disclose the mandatory 3rd party insurance requirement you had to pay - I even had the letter from my credit card company saying they covered the collision insurance ( I had that after reading the fine print that letter was needed- full price of the rental should be disclosed at the time of reservation
2.0
Poor|Nov 2021Have travelled often but never experienced such a scam. We were told they had no cars when we arrived and there were none available anywhere. After an hour of pleading they somehow got us a car as it was a huge favor and it ended up being the same Toyota Landcruiser Prado which I had reserved 2 months earlier but at twice the cost. Have never been taken advantage of like this.
3.9
Poor|Aug 2021We had requested a 4x4 because we were going to drive through the mountains and in dirt roads in Costa Rica. They gave us a car that needed the wheels to be balanced, and when it rained the car would slide through the mud. It was unsafe, and we couldn’t return the car sooner because we were far away. When we went to return the car the staff explained to us that because it was high season that was the only car they had left. Instead of renting us the car, they should’ve been honest so we could find a car to rent elsewhere.
2.0
Poor|Jan 2020Nothing to like. I booked a Jeep for 5 people and they told me that they could only offer me a 4 seater with no trunk.
Have the car that you booked available.
3.2
Poor|Dec 2020Staff was available and responsive
I was told online my price would be $277. I get there and they charge me $530. They initially give me a car that brakes don’t work and my husband wrecks into a car in front of us. They show no remorse although the situation could have ended much worse (I.e wreck on the highway going 70mph). They bring us another car but it’s the exact same brand- we still feel very uncomfortable about the brake situation so we ask for a different type of car and they just give a hard no. Zero remorse. Deceiving prices and little remorse or attempt to make the situation right make this a poor experience.
4.4
Mediocre|Nov 2019They did finally change the car for us after telling us previously there weren’t any other cars.
When we were quoted for the price it was $34 total for 6 days. However, when we arrived we were told there was an obligatory insurance we needed to get (in-spite of my credit card having an international plan). The price quickly changes from the quoted $34 dollars (which supposedly included taxes and fees) to $300. We ended up paying an extra $50 more for the full insurance (since we were worried what they would try to charge us for if anything at all happened) so it came to $350. When we asked why it changed so drastically they said that it was because of the extra fees and taxes (which the website had said were included.) I had originally picked a Jeep but the confirmation email was for an SUV instead (So that was strange). When we got the Jeep it had no gps or even a usb charging port . When we asked about this the man told us he should go by Walmart in order to get one for the car. When we complained he said that they didn’t have any other cars and then finally offered us a carport charger that he had that we could borrow. When we left the seatbelt light turned on and wouldn’t stop beeping (even though we had our seatbelts on.) finally we had to turn around and return the car. We also realized there wasn’t even a middle seatbelt in the back of the car. They miraculously had a different car for us then. Overall- not a good experience. Would NOT recommend. We do speak Spanish as well fluently so it wasn’t like anything but was “lost in translation.”
1 out of 17
View Ace Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Across from Hampton Inn Hotel
+506 4036 7431
Dollar
8.0
Very Good4 reviews•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
8.0
Comfort
8.0
Overall
8.0
Pick-up/drop-off
8.0
Value
8.0
Recent reviews
3.6
Poor|Mar 2018We got stuck in traffic because of construction in Monteverde. It was beyond our control. They shut down the only street in or out for hours. We called Dollar Rental to let them know and they told us NOT TO WORRY and that we would NOT BE CHARGED EXTRA for running late as long as we got there before they closed at 11:30 PM. We got there at 10:30 PM and the guy that was checking us back in said, "Don't worry, you won't be charged extra for being a few hours late." However, when we went to pay, the guy at the front desk charged my credit card for an additional $60.51 for the few hours we were late. I told him that both the guy on the phone and the guy who checked us back in told us we would not be charged extra. He gave me a funny look and said, "Oops, they didn't tell me that and I already ran your card, so I can't reverse the charge now. You'll have to email corporate when you get back to the US and they will fix it for you." I emailed corporate over a week ago and never heard back from them. I will never be using Dollar Rental again.
4.8
Mediocre|Jan 2018No restrictions on where I could go with the car. Air conditioning worked. Offered WiFi device for $5/day, and that worked great.
Reserved an automatic, but their computer didn’t show it, so I was forced to upgrade. Paid for insurance via Kayak, but told that was no good and that we were required to get additional insurance that cost more than $100. The shuttle to/from airport is slow, and we waited almost an hour to get to the airport after drop off. Car’s brakes stuck and needs new shocks.
2.0
Poor|Apr 2017Dollar lured my family in with a low price listed on the internet. BUT it was only an empty promise as they made us pay nearly twice that amount upon our arrival to pick up our reserved vehicle.
My family paid in full online prior to my trip. We received a confirmation of both our payment and reservation. After arriving in our destination (Costa Rica) Dollar made us pay additional insurance and fees to obtain our car. With our young children in tow and after pleading with them for 2 hours we had to pay the additional money to drive away. A formal credit discard dispute has been filed. Stay away from this dishonest company.
7.2
Good|Oct 2016Customer service at Dollar
Kayak misrepresented the vehicle. I booked a vehicle that could fit 7 with insurance. When I got there I found out the vehicle only seated 5 and the insurance I paid for through Kayak wasn't even basic insurance for this country. Ended up paying 400 more than originally quoted!! Could have saved almost 200 going directly through Dollar.
1 out of 2
View Dollar Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Juan Santamaria Intl Ap
+506 2431 4865
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
7.2
Good10 reviews•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
8.1
Comfort
7.6
Overall
7.0
Pick-up/drop-off
7.4
Value
6.5
Recent reviews
2.0
Poor|Jan 2023Somebody crash me and leave it away. I call the insurance for nothing because at the finish I pay for all. The rob me 1000 USD
9.6
Wonderful|Dec 2019Staff was very friendly and provided good travel information
10.0
Wonderful|Nov 2019The entire process was excellent. I've forgotten his name, but the Enterprise Manager at the San Jose Airport had me on the road in short order. Gabriel Vasquez, the Enterprise Manager in Belen, CR was instrumental in writing an extended contract for for our car and getting us back on the road in very short order. I'M A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER TO DATE!
Nothing.
7.2
Good|Nov 2019The SUV we rented was great.
The price we were quoted online was very deceiving. We were quoted a little over $100 online. However when we got to pick our vehicle up, even with the cheapest insurance, we paid well over $1000. The price needs to be more transparent when you book online. Once you arrive in a foreign country and need a car to get around, you really have no choice but to pay. Very disappointed that the amount quoted was so inaccurate.
5.2
Fair|Mar 2019Staff was great
Our car was a total piece of junk. The rental was inexpensive but I had no idea we were signing of for what seemed like a 10 yr old beat up car.
10.0
Wonderful|Mar 2019The staff is very kind and the vehicle is in good conditions.
1 out of 4
View Enterprise Rent-A-Car Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
La Asuncion De Belen
+506 2242 7800
Economy Rent a Car
5.3
Fair21 reviews•2 locations
Overview
Cleanliness
8.0
Comfort
8.0
Overall
5.6
Pick-up/drop-off
4.4
Value
3.2
Recent reviews
5.6
Fair|Jan 2018The vehicle.. only.. it served us well as we traveled thru the country
The crazy price for insurance that they don’t tell you about up front. Paid a little over 120.00 for car and 500.00 for insurance. They try to scare you into buying it, and tell you how crazy the Ticos drive. Not true.. not crazier then many countries i have traveled.
2.0
Poor|Apr 2022I prepaid $700 for my rental car on line understanding that I would have a pay for insurance. Estimates from my guidebook indicated that it would be $10-$30 per day for a 9 day trip. When I arrived I was charged $825 or $90 per day for insurance alone. I had prepaid so I couldn’t change car companies and felt cheated. I was told I should have read the fine print. If that is the policy, it should be made very clear the the cost of insurance will exceed the cost of the rental.
4.0
Mediocre|Mar 2022Wouldn’t accept my credit card insurance coverage without a written letter—which is not a legal requirement but something they do so they can sell you their insurance. It was labeled as “on site” at airport. It was not. The car was pretty beat to hell.
9.2
Wonderful|Jul 2018Staff was great, car was great, pick up and drop was great!
The added fees and taxes adds up quickly!
2.0
Poor|May 2018I paid $65 for a reservation. When I got to their office, they informed me there's a $450 insurance surcharge on top. On top of that, they didn't cancel my reservation when I asked - the charge still shows up on my card.
2.0
Poor|Apr 2018nothing
renting a car through kayak was a complete fraud. online they give you one very economic price and then the final price was more than 3 times as much. kayak offered an insurance policy which I purchased and then the rental company told me that the policy there did not suffice and I had to get their own policy which was required by the government. Also, when they gave me the car it had less than half the gas tank. when i returned it on the same level they complained and charged me for gas which was double the price i payed for filling up the whole tank once. totally disappointed by the company and by kayak.
1 out of 7
View Economy Rent a Car Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
Airport Boulevard
+506 2299 2000
Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport
+506 2299 2000
easyCar
2.0
Poor1 review•1 location
Overview
Cleanliness
10.0
Comfort
10.0
Overall
2.0
Pick-up/drop-off
2.0
Value
4.0
Recent reviews
2.0
Poor|Nov 2022The car Rental experience was mediocre however it took an hour to do paper work. The site is not straight forward with fees. I asked for a different location drop off quote, and once I was at the rental place they charge $50.00 extra. Furthermore they won’t take the insurance protection provided by the credit card unless you bring a letter from the credit card stating that. So beware, a $40.00 dollars par day rent turns out to be over a $100.00 per day. What can you do better, so you ask? LET CUSTOMERS KNOW UPFRONT OF HIDDEN FEES, SO THYE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. (I am not intending to yell by using capital letters, I am just trying to help you do better)
1 out of 1
View easyCar Locations near San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
San Jose Intl Airport
+506 2442 2422
Car Hire FAQs
There are 10 car rental providers located at San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport. The following companies can be found near the San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport car rental counter:Alamo (8.0)Sixt (8.0)Dollar (8.0)Thrifty (7.7)Enterprise Rent-A-Car (7.2)National (6.8)Payless (6.1)Budget (5.7)MEXRENTACAR (5.6)Avis (5.5)
Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, Ace (10.0 rating), National (10.0 rating) and Alamo (10.0 rating) seem to be the best car hire companies at San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport.
Hiring a car at San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport for a week can be a great option for travel. Hertz, the most popular car hire company for this area, offers hire cars for around ฿8,769/week on average.
Our data suggests that booking early can save you up to 38% on a hire car at San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport. Take advantage of below-average prices by booking at least 90 days prior to your desired date.
Yes, renting a vehicle at San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport for a month is certainly possible.