Driving is part of the sport, part of the adventure of visiting any country. At home we are used to our local commute to work and short trips to the mall and soccer field on weekends, but the notion of ‘going foreign’ is for some a bit daunting. With Costa Rica, some element of adventure is present, but it really is quite tame, so don’t be alarmed. The Costa Rican people are well educated, gracious and polite, and these qualities are reflected in their driving habits. It is frequent that you will receive some mobile kindness – a graceful bow and flourish of the cape, as it were – as they let you into line or forgive you some minor traffic transgression. No, it is not the drivers that will trip you up in Costa Rica, but the roads themselves. I like to think that the government has taken the road repair budget and built hospitals or schools or done something equally noble with it, as many of the roads remain rather rough. Its not the third-level unsealed gravel roads that will get you, but the sections of second-level paved roads that are the real hazard (the new roads are great!). I’m speaking here of potholes. Big, deep, sharp-edged VW bug-eaters always lurking where you least expect them. The locals treat their vehicles with respect and subsequently tend to drive slowly when prudent to do so. It is perhaps only natural, particularly when on vacation, for the guy from somewhere else in his little rental car to enjoy revving it out, snappy shifting, and exhilarating cornering. Who cares that you probably have a little sewing machine powering your car – its quite zippy if you push it a little! Those trucks in front of you certainly seem to be dragging their tails a bit, don't they? You did the math and read the map. You know that the trip was only x kilometers long and you should already be there by now, lazily stirring your umbrella drink at poolside, but you are not. What happened? Here’s some tips for young players:

Time and tires: It generally takes much longer than you think to get anywhere. That’s because you are used to roads with wide shoulders and safe passing lanes, and roads without huge holes in them. The drivers of those trucks up ahead know that slow means survival. Occasionally you can get a clear view ahead on what might be considered a window of opportunity. You downshift the little Singer, pull out and zoom past the truck. Opposing traffic appears as you might expect, so you swing over quickly, checking for clearance ahead and behind. What you didn’t anticipate was the series of craters that, due to your speed of advance, become simply unavoidable. Your knuckles go white squeezing the wheel and prior to impact your teeth slam shut to keep themselves all in place. Bang. The front tire splits and the wheel rim is dented. At this point your dreams of watching tropical sunsets, at least for that night, are shattered. Out comes the jack and the spare, which might be one of those mini-tires. If this is the case and you still have a long way to go to a tire shop, and if it is a front-wheel-drive car, you are well-advised to make the extra effort and put a big rear tire on the front and the little one back aft. This is the safer option, since all of the hard work is done by the front tires in these cars. But don’t be alarmed – treat it as an adventure and delight that you will get to see another slice of local culture – tire shops. By the way, you will be responsible for the tire repairs, regardless of the extent of cover you purchased when hiring the car. So take your time, enjoy the scenery, don’t stress yourself out, and make a day of it. Slow is good.

Navigation: You WILL get lost somewhere, eventually. Take along a navigator and a good map. As driver, you will be quite busy learning this new style of slalom driving and there are rather few direction signs. Don’t worry if you miss a turn – just stop and ask a local, who are invariably pleased to help (taxi drivers are excellent sources). Ask for the next major town on your route, not the final destination, and don’t bother showing them the map. In most cases (and this applies everywhere), that introduces a whole new element of wonder to their lives and your information gathering process is delayed as a result. Even if you have not a word of Spanish, your new friend's gesticulated directions are often good enough. If he simply shrugs, it might confirm that you are wildly off course. Use your trip-meter to alert you to the next turning, but also know that the distances shown on road signs can be a little inaccurate.

In case of accident: Be sure to get all particulars of the other driver, and wait until the police arrive, as they surely will. You must present a police accident report to the rental car people for your claim to be valid. There is a fine medical and ambulance system in Costa Rica, should there be any injuries. Again, trust the locals to get you sorted out.

City Driving: There is a kind of easy fluid motion to San Jose traffic. While we might be used to rules and structure and predictability on our roads at home, the Costa Ricans seem a bit more dynamic in their approach. Cars might cut you off, but will do so gently and with little aggression. There is an essence of give-and-take on the street and a feeling that we will all get there in time if we just flow together and keep the pace up. As said before, they are very forgiving, and if you make some error you might get a little toot as a friendly corrective measure, but you certainly won’t be the subject of road rage. San Jose is the antithesis of New York or Rome – emotions all very controlled. Beware of one-way streets. They are common in the towns and cities but occasionally their signage is hard to spot. A good habit when turning onto a new street is to note which way the cars are parked. The clues are there if you look. In some streets, there are rush-hour reversals, but of course if you venture forth in rush hour in a strange city, you just might get what you deserve! Often you will see a stop sign at a corner that also has traffic lights. Keep going if the light is green. If you come from North America you might believe that pedestrians have the right-of-way and your inclination is to stop to let them cross the moment their foot leaves the curb. If you do that here, it will only confuse everybody. Pedestrians are used to weaving around cars, and you should definitely remember this when walking yourself.

Parking: Parking can be a bit mysterious. There are no meters, but patrolling the road are fellows wearing orange-striped vests who sell ‘boletas’ (tickets) for parking on the street. There are others in black who issue parking tickets. I don’t know the cost per hour, but on occasion the striped fellow, sensing your confusion, might indicate that it is OK to leave the car where it was for awhile. This is just a guess, mind you, but I got the sense that rules get bent a bit sometimes in Costa Rica – very refreshing. In many cases, your hotel will have some rights to the road near them, if they have no car park of their own. A hotel staffer will assume the duties of the street monitors. There are many parking lots for overnight stays, and in any case, your hotel will advise you of their particular arrangement for guests. Underground parking does exist, but is not common. In all cases, parking fees are very low - $2/night for example. It is always best to carry some small local money. Please note that because in summer there are occasional torrential rains, the gutters on the side of the road are more like trenches and can sometimes be a hazard to the unwary. Do not park where there is a yellow line on the curb. Like anywhere, Bad People are attracted to tourist sites so don’t leave valuables in your car, and if you must, leave them in the trunk/boot hidden away.

In the Country: Most maps will indicate where to find fueling stations. The fuel prices seem to be uniform throughout the country, so maybe that is why so many stations offer extraordinary service to gain your custom. Young attendants will fill your tank, wash your windows, check your tires, oil, water, and anything else in there, smiling the whole time. Its like a time-warp. Tip them as you see fit, but it seems not to be mandatory. Gasoline prices were approximately the same as in USA or Canada, and given that the distances in this small country are not great, fuel will not be a big portion of your vacation expense. As with most of Europe, it is not customary to drive with headlights on during daylight hours. Other drivers may flash their headlights at you and pedestrians may gesture with their hands to let you know they are on. This rule does not apply if you find yourself in foggy mountain passes, of course. Beware that the shoulders of the roads may often be precipitous, so pick your rest stops carefully. It is not advisable to drive at night, not only because the road hazards are difficult to spot, but because there may be stock or wildlife on the road.

Toll Roads: You will occasionally encounter toll booths, and sometimes they are manned and sometimes not. The fees are very low – less than $1, and sometimes are even voluntary and anything you can contribute to the roading system will be sure to give you credits in heaven. A type of contribution you will not want to make is to the constabulary. They are frequently seen on main highways (usually in the shade) with radar guns, and speeding tickets can be expensive – over $100. The speed limits are quite low in Costa Rica, and for good reason. As said before – relax and take your time.

The Ferry: If you are going to visit the Nicoya Peninsula (Tambor, Santa Teresa, Malpais, Montezuma) and are driving, you will likely be taking the car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera. Keep on the main road through Puntarenas, which is built out on a long narrow spit of land, until you come to big ferry signs directing you to the right. You will find yourself in a line-up and eventually someone will appear to give you a plastic card. This you will exchange for a paper ticket at the sales booth when it opens about 30 minutes before sailing time. Be sure you know which company you are sailing with. Car+driver is one ticket (about $10) and each passenger needs one too (about $1.50). Passengers must walk on and off the ferry. The crossing takes around 90 minutes, depending on which ferry you take. Be careful you don’t get the other ferry which goes to the more northern port of Naranjo, or you will be faced with rather more dusty driving than would make you happy.