Here's What It's Really like Driving in Costa Rica
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- čas přidán 8. 08. 2019
- Every country has its own laws and more importantly driving styles. While Costa Rica does have traffic laws, they are really more of a suggestion than strict law. Because of this, you get some interesting tendencies and driving customs in Costa Rica. This week I take you for a drive in Costa Rica and let you know what I've learned about the driving culture here after my week long day.
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
Nice video, but as a Tico I feel the need to make a slight correction. Poverty is not pretty serious in Costa Rica, sure there is more poverty than in any first world country but Costa Rica has one of the lowest poverty levels in Latin America, let's remember the average wage in Costa Rica is about $18,000. And the poverty level is like 13%.
There's a middle class but some ticos act like they are poor because they are living in minimum wage, even though they are actually in the middle class, which is the more wide class.
The reason you see a some crappier cars is because since purchasing power isn't that big in Costa Rica (the country is quite expensive) some people can't afford to buy newer cars, and that's also why a lot of people resort in buying a motorcycle instead.
Really good information here, thanks for sharing!
BTW if I show you the pics from los Angeles, you will cry a lot, its worst than Haiti
@@hinojous039 You mean because of the traffic? Yeah that's understandable it's the second largest city in the US by population, and we are talking about an already very "car-centered" society.
I’m from Honduras and yes, I’ve heard it’s very expensive to live there. Really nice country tho, greeting from another Central American brother
Excited to go to CR later this year!
In Serbia the speed bumps are called "laying down policemen"
Same in England, they're called "sleeping policemen"
Same in Indonesia they're called polisi tidur (sleeping police)
Same in Jamaica they are called "sleeping policemen"
Same in Russia - Lezhachiy Policeyskyi
This is pretty much what I experienced while driving there as well - what I enjoyed most is that the roads are in much better condition than I anticipated (in better condition than in Montreal, at least lol). You did omit talking about the, sometimes quite dangerous "ceda el paso" situation on small bridges/viaducts generally found on smaller country roads. I did really LOVE driving there!!
Great detail and good delivery. Didn't feel like I needed to skip around at all. Thanks!
thanks, awesome video, some tips for driving safe in Costa Rica: Avoid driving at night, most of the roads out of San Jose are very dark and have people walking and bicycle riders on it, also you can be driving in the Interamericana (trans America road) and have cars coming out of some random farm or house along the road and just cut you out, very scary. Another thing to have in mind is when going during the rainy season(May to October), it really rains, heavy rain with very low visibility and huge trucks passing very close with no barrier between lanes, huge trailer trucks are everywhere, just be mindful. Drive early in the morning for long distances, and bear in mind that if you see on the map that the distance to your destination is 100-200km or more (60 to 120miles) that does not mean 2-3hours driving time is more like 5-6 hours even 7 hours drive. Enjoy beautiful Costa Rica.
Thank you for your professional, niice and polite video :) I loved it and it was very helpful to me!
Love your video bro! I'm costarrican (Tico) and yes, you're right, as much as we Ticos accept it or not, driving here is a mess but is not that terrible, you have to be very careful if you want to drive here, especially in rush hour and you must be very careful, because there are many reckless and aggressive drivers with very bad manners here, who do not respect our own laws, we Ticos know that we have to be extremely careful everyday when we drive in our own country, I feel deeply ashamed that you have to see some of the mess that we have here, if is worth it, please accept my apologies for any bad experience you had to go through here.
With all due respect, poverty is not pretty serious like you said, there are many people that belong to middle class, but this is a very expensive country, so people here have to be very careful when it comes to spending money on anything.
People here can't park anywhere they want, if a traffic police catches you parked in a forbidden place, you will be fined, but it's a shame that no all drivers here respect the law, as you can see.
And yes man, cars here are very expensive, but that depends on the brand that you want to buy, sometimes is better to get a used car and in some cases it can still can be more expensive than in the US.
At the end of the day, not everything is terrible here, there are so many beautiful places where you can go and have a pleasant holiday and we try or at least most of us try to be friendly and peaceful with everyone, but be very careful when you drive here.
Thanks Bro, you have a new subscriber here!
Pura Vida!
Totalmente de acuerdo contigo amigo,saludes de San Ramón de Alajuela costa Rica🇨🇷
This has been very helpful thank you!
I can say this, with admiration, about Tico’s I’ve seen three lanes of travel clogged with cars 4 wide and when an ambulance shows up with lights and sirens blazing, they always make way for it to get through.
Being an nyc native... I thoroughly enjoyed driving in costa rica...it just felt .. right lol
I've always felt, as a tico, that driving in Costa Rica is just what you see in movies about driving in NYC (I've only watched movies because I've never been) but yeah, lots of traffic, lots of buses, lots of movement, there's really no way to escape traffic unless you get yourself a bike, which is much more difficult in CR because the terrain is very sloppy, unlike NYC.
🤣🤣
Lol. Yeah I’m sure the years I lived in Seoul prepared me well for Costa Rica. I’m going next month
Preparing to drive in CR next month so this was helpful for seeing what it was like driving around the county and things to pay attention to
I enjoyed seeing that. Good content.
Take this and multiply by 100 and you get driving in India
Neerav Naik Philippines is like that but 600x
@@ranelgallardo7031 dami ditong kamote eh 😂😂
Fuck india
We are getting there man!
Hey dude excellent video ,I loved your good sense of humor ,everything you said is true, I mean the case is closed. PURA VIDA.
Really nice video, portraying very accurately what it feels like to drive in Central America.
Very good work. :)
Hi guys Since San Jacinto,California From a Costaricanamerican 🇺🇸🇨🇷;Yes Beutyfull Country 🇺🇸 USA too
Lots of fun watching this, thanks! +1
Just got back from CR (today!) , back to cold Toronto. Any how, loved the culture, the people, the weather but the traffic! oh man! just a nightmare. We rented a car and went up to the Poas Volcano, roads were very narrow, cars parked on the side, on curves sides, bicycles and pedestrians walking on the same lanes, with zero shoulder lane (ditches / water canals on both sides of the road!) , I saw a dangerous situation every 100 meters!!! I can bet there are lots of accidents on that road, the opportunity for accidents are everywhere...on the plus side, drivers don't speed much on those narrow roads, traffic is slow which was a relief!
So do you recommend getting a car there or getting around on buses/cabs instead? I'm ok with driving, just only drove in the US/Canada before.
In Panama speed bumps are called "Policia Muerto" and literally translates to "Dead Policeman"
We have among the most solid middle classes in Latin American and with better benefits than US... Nice video about driving in CR...
Sure u do
Thanks for the clip, planning on renting a car in a few months
My wife and I have been here for almost 20yrs. I love it. A Tico friend of mine always says "There is room for everyone.
Been driving in Costa Rica for a week. Its like a massive rat race. The worst is impatient drivers passing on curvy mountain roads. They have some crippling potholes in roads that connects highways as well. I see plants placed in some of the holes to give people a heads up.
Lol.
This is cruising compare to driving in Vietnam. It is complete chaos driving there.
there are pedestrian crossings in the middle of the highway 1 (to Liberia) lol. also when you are out of the city lanes instantly merge like behind a corner or a hill without warning. very scary
I've seen those, not very smart but at the same time I've never actually seen anyone use them because not many people live around those areas.
good observations on driving,...i think those bus stops are like courtesy stops because the workers work in those roadside areas otherwise they would need to walk a 1/2 mile to a mile back to their jobs...and someone commented that the average wage is $18,ooo a year..i 've been going to c.r. for years now (my wife is from there) and i don't know any tico that makes 18k a year. maybe 12- 13k a year.even the police make 550-600 a month...the average daily wage is 18-24 dollars a day there...any way nice video enjoy...
My maternal grandparents were Ticos and I was in and out of CR at least twice a year between 2012 & 2019. I rented cars while visiting. Driving in CR is an acquired taste, as they would say. It takes some getting used to. Ground transportation infrastructure is mostly mediocre to poor by US standards. There simply aren't enough streets and roads to handle peak demand and the pot holes ('macetas' or planters, slang) are everywhere in the older parts of the city during rainy season. Rush hour down town traffic in San Jose can only be described as nightmareish year round. I believe these circumstances are what make the Ticos drive the way they do. As mentioned in the video, you have third world trims (flimsy and underpowered) from world renown Chinese, Korean, and Japanese automakers on the roads with a sprinkling of high end European brands. This is great for fuel economy but not so great in a mountainous country renown for passing attempt deaths on two lane roads. Gas prices are slightly higher than what you'd see in CA or NYC. Optional minimum collision insurance is highway robbery and worth every cent. Summing things up, despite the government's attempt at getting vehicles off the roads by schedule or through expense, the roads always seem to be getting more crowded. Costa Rica is the most beautiful country in Central America with nice people and unmatched scenic beauty. It is still a great tourism destination with world class medical services. Sadly, its ground transportation infrastructure and burgeoning public sector (socialist government) make it just about intolerable for retirement, import duties, and tax burdens. Imported cars and electronics in particular are taxed at astonishing rates. I still recommend you visit and see it for yourself. If you have the wherewithal and the mindset to adjust to the place, more power to you.
Pura vida cool video
One more thing, about the police in Costa Rica, there's different types of police. The main law enforcement entity is called Fuerza Pública and they deal with pretty much all average things police do in every country, but they have no jurisdiction on traffic and can't give you a ticket. The only reason they can pull you over is if you or your vehicle is under suspicious circumstances (like involved in a robbery or something) or if they are asking for people's documents to make sure everything is ok.
Then the traffic police is called "Policía de Tránsito" or "tráficos" which are the total opposite of Fuerza Pública, their jurisdiction is strictly on traffic and giving tickets and all of that, but that's about it. It's like road police.
Then there's other kinds of specific duty police like immigration police or penitentiary police. But there is also Policía Municipal which is part of the local government (city or cantón) which does mix both Policía de Tránsito and Fuerza Pública duties. But are exclusive to some cities and counties.
And by the way, what the guy in the Hyundai Santa Fe did, can get you in serious trouble if the police see you (at least Policía de Tránsito anyway).
In restaurants the tip is included in the bill
Pura vida I love this kind of road that is part of adventure and drive a 4x4 car
A highway is often the only road. It is ot USA! In Cuba and even Portugal busstop is at highway.
I appreciate the information and video on driving in CR. I'm planning on a trip to CR and was wondering on the defensive driving there. Your on point with needing to have aggressive driving skills. If you take a trip to Puerto Rico it's VERY much the same despite it being a U.S. territory. I don't get it.
Very accurate video. I am tico born and raised in USA but tico parents. And you are on the money.
i was turning left from a roadside gas station, and a driver in the left lane stopped to let me out, on a major road, like a two lane highway
Those is Normal Hemet,Ca Buses Driving on the Highway too.;on one way too
We are going to Costa Rica in a couple of months and considering renting a car. Doing my research. For someone who grew up in Russia this looks like a piece of cake lol
@eatsleepdrive we are planning on going to Costa Rica for 3 months starting in December. Do you have any tips for getting a long term rental. We are thinking something like you are driving in this video.
Hey Jason. I’ll be traveling in December as well. After hours of searching I found Paradise Car Rental. I’ve read only good feedback on them.
The four damn good roads. We stayed near Manuel. Most of the roads were dirt roads, drop of cliff, and slim as hell. Going up the mountains in am adventure in I its self
It's something totally different to drive around the GAM and driving in the rural areas, but at least you don't have to deal with a shit load of traffic outside of the city.
6:17 hahahah go ahead Mr. motorcycle. Omg so funny
4:25 Why? lots of people commute on buses to their activities; in Costa Rica a much larger proportion of the population uses public transportation compared to any metropolis in the USA. Putting buses on major highways avoid them to lose time in small streets. If drivers would obey and follow those "slow" speed limits, the dangers on the road you described would be minimum. 6:55 Why? you have noticed there is almost no shoulder space in any road...then, it would be more dangerous to go to the side of the road ("smart" drivers would speed up because the lane is "open") than actually staying on the road.
I've been there in 2014...… what I hate about Costa Rica......ummm
NONE!!!! I loved Costa Rica.
people so nice, safe and fun!!!
cool, hope to have you back here bro.
SigmaTV see you in May !!
Beautiful country, traveled back in 2015 with the family and we flew into San Jose from Fort Lauderdale. Initial night didn't do much as it was very late when we flew in. Upon entering our room that night we were greeted by a Scorpion that was chilling on the wall. This country has nature as it's finest you can bet your butts that we did not sleep a wink that night in fear of having one of those creepy crawlies jump on our heads lol. Next day we made our trek to Liberia which is on the other side of the country facing the Pacific Ocean. The drive was amazing but also scary due to the drivers and numerous situations where you have water on one side and a cliff on the other. Safe to say we made it to our destination about 7 hours later. Did I mention nature, oh yeah we had to stop a few times on our way there due to howler monkey's stopping traffic on the one lane dirt roads. Like someone else previously mentioned earlier it is very dangerous to drive at night especially during the rainy season as there is a mountain pass that is treacherous that connects from Liberia to San Jose that has to be driven and shared with huge trucks. Highly recommend doing the excursions available as they are amazing just keep an eye out for local wildlife as most of Costa Rica is surrounded by vast rain forest and volcano's.
Does the car speedometer show kilometer or mph? If so did that adjustment throw you off?
here we use the metric system, the rental vehicles use km/h because of that, but some cars that are imported from US have mph and a small numbers with the km/h, so if you rent a car here, the most probably thing is you will see the speedometer in km/h
Nice video. Almost everything is true haha. But we do have a middle class. Much more than almost every other latin country. That's something that differentiates us and that we are kind of proud of.
Poverty is still a big issue here, I'm not denying that.
Red lights kinda confused me here. First day here, saw several people run red lights. It was around 9PM so maybe thats why?
So I'm going to be visiting soon. I heard some routes really need a 4x4, is this true? I've booked a sedan, good for all highways you think?
Ground clearance can definitely be an issue. It really depends where you go. If you stick to the touristy areas you probably don't need 4x4. If you venture off, it certainly helps.
@@EatSleepDrive I was thinking of driving myself to La Fortuna, Monteverde (cloud forest) and Tortugero for some tour. I figured I'll mostly be on the highways and main roads
@@theonlyaamir Hopefully I am not too late, but if you are planning on making the trip from La Fortuna to Monteverde a Sedan won't do, you need a 4x4 for sure, because the road goes through a lot of hills and it's mostly a dirt road.
You could do fine driving a Sedan to Guápiles but to get to Tortuguero you have to ride a boat, cars can't get there.
@@LuchoCastle_11 thanks, that's good to know! How about driving from San José to La Fortuna?
For Tortugero, I looked up this spot called La Povano where you can park and get a boat. Have you been there?
It doesnt look too far off from what I have seen in the states.
How are the gas stations?
Pura Vida! I spent a few weeks there and was happy not to drive. Bit of a free for all but could be worse.
Does the GPS maps work?
We just returned from Costa Rica and drove OK trafic compared with Curacao or other South American or the worst Cairo it is very good they keep while normal driving their distance to the car in front, my experience they only speed when over taking other wise maintain more or less the speed sign , also they are using their turn signal always and when you let them in from a side road they thank you by a short alarm blinker. Yes the America's do not drive like in Europe or the states with right of way in their mind, they are polite respectfull also on the road.
Speed bumps are muertos, yes, but I've been told it means dead cop, with the implication being that it's meant to slow you down.
Actually, you are not supposed to park next to the yellow curb. You could get a 100 dollar fine but most people don't care because traffic cops are not all over the place and they are usually busy with other major violations.
This is a very very mild version of driving in India lol...
All righ is true is say in some Freeway or Highway Only Buses;Rig here San Jacinto,Hemet,Ca too.righ.Hi from a Costaricanamerican 🇨🇷🇺🇸🌎🌍🌏
I think Dominican Republic is slightly worse - more motorcycles, less respect of the yielding. I went there for 8 weeks, and now planning to go to CR when I get a chance. Do they also have Car Wash + a bar combos? How in general is the attitude towards buzz driving in Costa Rica?
What sort of navigation did you use? Map or were you using GPS?
Google maps worked just fine. I did download the maps for offline use since service was spotty. Worked like a charm.
@@EatSleepDrive Who did you rent from? I assume you landed in San Jose and got the car there? I'm looking for details on the rental process if possible. Thanks!
Yep, San Jose. I booked a car online through Sixt because I didn't want the usual rental car "or similar" nonsense. I'd you book a specific car through Sixt that's what you get. Try and know some Spanish so you don't get taken advantage of and it's really no different than renting a car anywhere else. The insurance is an extra cost to keep in mind so when you book online budget some extra money for insurance. It's through the rental company but they don't reveal the cost at the time of reservation. It's mandatory down there since their laws are a little different.
@@EatSleepDrive Not to pry too much but what was the daily rental cost on the jeep you got? Thanks again!
Where in Costa Rica is this?
Culo norte
hi im very interested in this
Pura vida
The first motorcycle guy was giving me hella anxiety just wanted him to get the hell out the way
Does GPS/Google Maps work in Costa Rica?
Yes.
The video in not too accurate. 1- CR has a larger middel class the other countries in the region, 2- There isn't an accident, however there is a traffic police and it works like the D.O.T in your country, (check paperwork, check vehicle uptodate, issue tickets, road side inspeccion test, accidents reports and even arrest. The rest of the video is accurate....
Hola tatiana eres tica?
What about gps does it work Google maps ???
Waze works better in Costa Rica
Pura Vida is their motto and it basically means pure life. Not sure where you got your interpretation. Interesting none the less.
Well I am a tico And what he said isn't wrong, it's a motto, it's a lifestyle and it's also a phrase we use for everything, hello, bye, thanks, you're welcome, how are you?, all good, etc.
Just got back from Costa I’m 20 and I almost died there trying to pass cars 😂
While you were in Costa Rica did you see any eight legged creatures meandering down a dirt road. My understanding they grow tarantulas pretty big down there.
you are driving a manual, you are good
Yeah, In Costa Rica you get a 50/50 chance to get a manual or an automatic.
Lol crash statistics are pretty high, lived there for 7 years pretty much saw a crash every day
one more thing, their gps sucks. one time in downtown san jose it showed that we need to turn left and that was one way street. almost shat my pants. also I got lost couple times just by following gps.
For the people reading that is looking for an advise. Use WAZE app, it’s more accurate since it’s what all the people use in CR. Not sure, but probably you were using google maps or other gps option.
Cost Rica, Where everyone might as well have a Ohio License plate. (From a Ky driver)
Im from Michigan. Ohio & Canadian drivers are the worst. It's like they're completely confused.
Love Ky. Beautiful state👍
I'm from Costa Rica and I've driven in Ohio, personally I feel the worst drivers are in Florida.
It's not too bad, try driving in Vietnam... It's crazy!
Land Rover towing a Range Rover. If you miss the meters go back. They have the Policia Turistica, to protect people like you and you know what you guys have police for the whole Galaxy. Other countries can survive without it. Try Istanbul.
Can u make a free video when u get back plz
I am a tico. I think that you are exaggerating a little too much. Yes, there is poverty but as much as you ara saying. Most people in this country are middle class, about 15 per cent are rich and 19 per cent are poor.
Driving is not as bad as you picture it. Your comments are scarring the tourist that want to come visit us and rent a car.
Soy tico y si es una mierda manejar en Costa rica
El lo está comparando a lo que es manejar en Estados Unidos. Comparado a usa si es una mierda manejar en Costa Rica.
@@ticoman12 I'm very late but you gotta need to consider the shitty scarp geography of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has the largest road network of Central America despite been the second less populated country. Why? Well, because you gotta go around mountains and deep river canons every couple of miles no matter what direction you are heading to, adding tons of extra miles to our Road Network. It's an expensive - inefficient way of building roads.
speed bumps are "muertos" en CR
Where did you get that? You should ALWAYS TIP in Costa Rica. Especially in places where you are served (gas stations, restaurants, etc).
drinving here in brazil is not different
This is the tamest drive i've seen in Costa Rica! I found out that most folks don't have a license, and also found out that there is no driving test for the people who do! You pass an exam and a physical then they say "heres your license,,,,go learn to drive"!!! No joke! And for gods sake don't drive at night......ever!!
This is exactly like Nicaragua except there are no highways with ramps and stuff but people drive like idiots here like in Costa Rica 😂. Evrything is pretty identical driving wise (this is coming from a Nicaraguan 😂 )
You can get away with aggressive driving in Costa Rica
Try to drive in Philippines I don’t think you can do it ;)
Oh boy, driving there is nuts! . Funny thing is everybody seems like they are hauling ass., but then you look down and realize you are only doing 50mph down the hwy
Gee . It's like driving in San Diego
Hah!
bascially how it is driving in any non first world country...
Actually, it's just about the same as driving in any big North American city.
It looks like India.
none of this abnormal lol the roads look nicer than the US too
Depends on the state. Georgia has the smoothest roads in the country and Colorado and Michigan are worst to me.
Whatever.... I bet ya they are way better driver then you are.....
Oh please this is nothing - have you been to Vietnam or Italy 😂
First.
I love how Americans think that every country has to be like America🙄 #GTFOH
He is just making a comparison from their perspective, same when you go to another country and you said "this looks different from my country" same thing
You are putting Costa Rica down if you don't like it go back to USA
Fuck driving In Costa Rica.
Calm down
It didn't seem that way to me he was just helping prepare americans to drive their. Different isn't always bad. Different is just different
Dude, that's not bad at all. Lot better driving there than here.