Nomad America 4×4 Costa Rica Camper Rental Review
Everything you need to know about hiring a Nomad America Camper Rental in Costa Rica.
(Updated 2024)
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Disclaimer: This article is part of a collaboration with Nomad America who kindly gave us a discount on our car in exchange for posting on our channels. All opinions are our own and not influenced by the discount. Thank you for supporting businesses that support us!
A land of great adventure, Costa Rica is teeming with lush rainforests, expansive landscapes, tropical beaches, volcanic reserves and biodiversity like nowhere else on Earth. Renting a 4×4 camper rental in Costa Rica is one of the most adventurous and exhilarating ways to explore this diverse Central American country. We’ve been sleeping our way around countries in camper cars for years with our first experience of a camper rental being in Australia. When planning our trip to Costa Rica, we knew there was only one way we’d feel we’d truly seen the spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife on offer – by camping in a car. This was our first experience with a rooftop tent and let us tell you, it did not disappoint. Roaming winding country roads, cooking on the beach, sleeping surrounded by nature and waking up to the sounds of local wildlife is by far our favourite way to travel. Read on to discover everything you need to know about hiring a 4×4 Costa Rica camper rental car!
What is a compact 4×4 camper rental?
A compact camper car rental is just like any other campervan, except it’s not a van – it’s a car! Being smaller, lighter and faster than traditional campervans, camper cars have a plethora of advantages that make them the ideal mode of transport for intrepid explorers. Not only do 4x4s allow you to explore even the furthest corners of Costa Rica, but they also class as a car when driving through tolls and crossing on ferries, so you’re bound to save a bit of money too.
Camper car rentals are your transport and accommodation all rolled into one convenient package. There’s no packing and unpacking, staying in a different hotel every night and worrying about arriving in time for check-in. As you travel, your home goes with you and you can pitch your tent literally anywhere you decide is a good place to bed down for the night. Camper rentals usually come with a variety of cooking appliances, sleeping equipment and everyday tools so you have everything you need with you all the time.
Who are Nomad America?
Nomad America is a Costa Rican car rental agency that specialises in 4×4 camper rentals with roof-top tents. Nomad America’s philosophy prioritises freedom. Having your own transportation and accommodation all in one car gives you the flexibility to travel how you want, where you want, when you want. Their cars come fully equipped with everything you need to live in and see Costa Rica. Camper rental cars are a great way to travel and there are very few companies offering anything like Nomad America’s cars. Their HQ operates out of Alajuela, a district just outside of San José, the vibrant capital of Costa Rica.
Find a list of the best campsites in Costa Rica in our complete Guide to Costa Rica Camping.
Nomad America’s cars
To truly experience the beauty that Costa Rica has to offer – rugged volcanic landscapes, pristine tropical beaches and lots of wildlife – you’ll need to go where no van can take you: off-road. For this, it’s going to be important to have a car. There aren’t many companies to choose from when it comes to hiring a camper car in Costa Rica. Despite being the most popular country in Central America, not many tourists make the effort to go further afield than the main cities and resort towns. But leaving the path most trodden can be incredibly rewarding.
Nomad America’s all-terrain 4×4 expedition vehicles are the perfect way to get around. With unlimited mileage, all-terrain tyres, halogen lights and OME suspension, Nomad America’s cars offer you the freedom to travel wherever you like. There are 3 tiers of 4×4 car: small, medium and large. All camper rentals are kitted out with a fold-out, roof-top tent and awning. Nomad America’s fleet includes 2-door and 4-door vehicles with both manual and automatic transmission. They also have a camper truck rental and Suzuki APV (all-purpose vehicle) campervan for larger groups or families who are looking to adventure together.
The Toyota Prado camper car
As a couple, there were two obvious options for our rental: the Suzuki Jimny or the Toyota Prado. Both cars sleep 2 people, but the main differences are that the Prado has a slightly higher clearance than the Jimny (which is useful in wet season and if you’re considering taking roads with river crossings) and offers more storage space inside, due to the extra seats in the back. We decided to go for the Prado (also known as a Land Cruiser), which we called ‘Prudy’. She was badass and treated us very well.
The Toyota Prado is a 4-door 4×4. It is typically a manual transmission, but the one we had was automatic. There are 5 seats inside, but the rear ones fold down to allow for more storage space. Off-road, she handled the pothole-y stretches and muddy roads with ease and made driving the windy country roads, tight corners and steep inclines easy. She handled really nicely, ran smoothly and we had no problems with her.
Picking up a Nomad America car
Picking up your car from Nomad America is a super easy process. Upon arrival, a staff member from Nomad America will greet you. The car will be set up already and you’ll be shown everything you need to know. You can practice packing up the awning and roof-top tent and get used to all the buttons, zips and catches. You’ll also be taken through all the contents in the car, shown how to use it and how to store it.
When hiring a car, we always recommend you opt for full insurance. This will make the total price of your rental higher but will be a lot lower than what you might have to pay in the event of an accident, damage or theft. We also recommend taking your own photos and videos of the car, in case you need to refer back to them later. Nomad America will go through all the paperwork with you, explain the legalities and check you’re happy with your insurance coverage. They will also do a damage walkthrough with you too, marking off any existing damage on the car.
Pick up and drop off are included from the airport area for free! If you need a lift to or from San José, it’s $25 (~£20) each way. For Liberia airport, there is a $85 (~£70) delivery fee.
What’s in a 4×4 Nomad America Costa Rica Rental?
When we were researching camper car rentals in Costa Rica, we noticed that a few companies offered essential supplies like bedding for an extra fee. With Nomad America, everything you could possibly need and more is included in your rental price! The car comes fully equipped with everything you might need to sleep, eat and clean. It also includes useful utensils and furniture that can make camping a lot more comfortable.
In the camper car:
- The roof-top tent, mattress, bedding, tent poles, spare rope
- Pull out awning, camp chairs, foldaway table
- Pump shower, hose and bucket
- Ice cooler
- Gas stoves and canisters
- Cooking equipment, utensils, cutlery and crockery
- European coffee maker
- Chorreador (Costa Rican drip coffee maker) and sock
- Hammock
- Beach mat
- Machete
- Torches and battery-powered lamps
- Electrics charging hub
Nomad America also provides a mobile phone with a local SIM card and pre-installed apps, giving you access to the internet. You’ll be a part of a group chat on WhatsApp with all the staff, where you can message any time of day for any reason, giving you 24/7 support. The iOverlander app is pre-installed too, which can be really useful for researching campsites.
You will also be provided with everything you might need in case of an emergency or breakdown.
Emergency equipment:
- Jack
- Spare tyre
- Reflective jacket
- Emergency supplies
- First aid kit
And, finally, Nomad America will offer you the chance to add on some fun extras. We opted for a bodyboard as we had our own snorkel gear. We’d highly recommend you get these as Costa Rica’s beaches are some of the best in the world and you’re going to want to explore them.
Optionals:
- Surfboard or bodyboard
- Electric cooler/fridge
- Portable internet WiFi
- Snorkelling gear
- Fishing gear
Is it necessary to hire a 4×4 in Costa Rica?
The answer to this depends on the season you plan to travel in and where you plan to explore. Costa Rica’s main roads are in good condition and, if you plan to just stick to the main cities, a 4×4 probably isn’t necessary. But if you want to explore further afield, and most of the best things to see in Costa Rica are off the beaten path, then we would recommend hiring a 4×4 camper. Costa Rica has lots of smaller roads that tend to be unsealed, meaning the road surface can be bumpy and riddled with potholes. If you’re travelling in wet season then you’ll definitely want to hire a 4×4 car with high clearance. Roads tend to get very muddy and rivers become very full, which can lead to flooding. If you plan to visit any remote areas then there’s also the possibility of having to do a river crossing too, for which you’ll need a 4×4.
How much does it cost to rent a 4×4 camper in Costa Rica?
You’re probably wondering ‘is it expensive to rent a car in Costa Rica?’. Hiring a 4×4 in Costa Rica typically costs $50+ (~£40) a day. This can increase dramatically during peak season (the dry season runs December-April) and public holidays, such as Christmas. This price will also increase when you consider adding on insurance, liability waivers, additional drivers and recreational optionals. Hiring a 4×4 camper rental with Nomad America really isn’t that much more expensive than just hiring a 4×4 car, and it includes accommodation for your whole hire!
The small 4x4s start at $85 (~£70) a day, medium at $95 (~£80) a day and large at $110 (~£90) a day. Your total will also depend on what optionals you choose. We always recommend opting for full insurance, including third-party liability insurance and damage waivers. While it will make your total more expensive, it’s always worth it to be covered in the event of an accident, damage or theft. When driving unfamiliar roads in unpredictable conditions, it’s best to have your back covered.
We travelled around Costa Rica in June, which is during the off-season. Our car was the Toyota Prado, which was the second tier of small 4x4s. And we also chose to include:
- Collision Damage Waiver
- Third-Party Liability Insurance
- 100% Tire + Window Insurance Coverage
- 1 Additional Driver
Our total for 8 days of hire (Wednesday-Wednesday) came to $1,195.90 (~£1030). That’s about $149.50 a day (~£130) or $74.75 per person, per day (~£65) if there are two of you. For all your transport, accommodation and cooking equipment, as well as having the freedom to go wherever you want, we think it’s a bargain.
Read next: The 6 Best Travel Insurance Companies
Nomad America does offer discounts for long-term rentals (over 4 weeks) and for early bird reservations if you book more than 100 days in advance! Keep an eye out on their website and social media channels and sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and offers.
As we mentioned at the top of the article, we’re thrilled to be able to say that this article is part of a collaboration with Nomad America. For full transparency, due to the discount they kindly provided us, we ended up paying less than the above total. The freedom of travelling in a 4×4 camper car is priceless and by far the best way to see a new country. If you’re on a tight budget, we’d encourage you to reach out to brands if you have a relevant skill (photography, videography, social media channels) or audience and see if you can work with them.
How long should you rent a 4×4 camper for?
How long to camp in a car in Costa Rica will depend on your travel style. We’ve easily done 2 weeks camping in a car and would say 2 to 4 weeks is the sweet spot, so long as you’re rotating sites with hygiene facilities with free sites. If you’re planning to camp in a car in Costa Rica for longer than a month, you might consider sprinkling in a few nights’ accommodation here and there to break it up a bit. This can be a good break to stretch and take advantage of air conditioning, and laundry facilities for washing and drying clothes.
We’ve found when backpacking we typically need to do laundry around every 2 weeks. We don’t like to use driers as they have a tendency to shrink clothing, cost more money and use unnecessary electricity. Instead, we have a handy travel clothesline (Amazon UK / Amazon US) that we can airdry clothes with. Doing this in a car can be tricky so having a night’s accommodation where you can stretch out and lay everything out to dry is advantageous – especially if it’s wet season and everything’s a bit soggier than normal.
Pros and cons of renting a 4×4 camper rental
Before booking a Costa Rica camper rental car, you may be wondering if the experience is right for you. Here are the pros and cons we discovered of hiring a 4×4 camper in Costa Rica:
The benefits of booking a 4×4 camper rental car:
- Camping is the best way to immerse yourself in nature, and Costa Rica has a lot of unique plants and animals.
- Ability to off-road to literally go off the beaten path and see secluded spots in rainforests and beaches. No worries about crossing rivers or following dirt roads.
- Complete freedom to control your itinerary and go where you want without reliance on bus or shuttle routes and schedules, or expensive taxis.
- All your facilities are included in the car, including cooking equipment and even a shower.
- Free or cheap campsites save you money on accommodation while cooking for yourself saves you money on eating out (CR is more expensive than other CA countries).
The drawbacks of hiring a 4×4 camper rental car:
- It’s more expensive than hiring a regular car (although it includes your accommodation and kitchen too).
- Personal hygiene can deteriorate if you don’t make the effort to regularly find sites with facilities.
- There’s not a lot of space – even though the car is huge, you lack the space to change standing up etc.
- You’re at the mercy of the weather gods – there’s no getting around it, camping is just a more pleasant experience in the sunshine. Rain and wind just add extra elements you need to think about and prepare for.
- It can be tiring – putting the tent up every night and packing it away in the morning can take time. The first time when you’re figuring out all the ropes and the order to do the zips can be fiddly. But after a few nights, you get into a rhythm and the process gets much quicker.
Road-tripping Costa Rica
Having a 4×4 means you can drive to literally anywhere you like, and that’s not limited to Costa Rica! Nomad America’s insurance covers all of Central America except Belize (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala). Mexico requires an additional $180/month (~£150) for insurance activation.
But Costa Rica has so much to offer, the likelihood is you won’t be crossing any borders during your time there. Costa Rica’s infrastructure is excellent. The main roads are kept in good condition and link all the major cities and towns. The smaller roads can be muddy with lots of potholes but are no problem for a 4×4.
No route planning app is perfect in Costa Rica but we found offline Google Maps to be very useful. Waze is also a really good app for route planning that can be used without an internet connection. The general rule of thumb when choosing a route is to be sceptical of the condition of the smaller roads. If it looks like your car won’t be able to cope with the conditions, do not continue down it.
We’ve covered how easy it is to drive Costa Rica’s roads, what you need to know and our top tips for driving in Costa Rica in our article: Everything you need to know about travelling Costa Rica in a compact 4×4 camper Rental.
Car camping in Costa Rica
Wild camping in Costa Rica is legal, safe and free! This means you can park up for the night literally anywhere. The only problems to be aware of are petty theft, which is very rare, and falling coconuts. Keep your valuables on you, your belongings hidden and always check what kind of trees are around. We mixed it up between wild spots and private campsites, depending on location and whether we needed facilities like a shower or kitchen.
The iOverlander app is wonderful for finding spots for camping in Costa Rica. It lists hundreds of spots, paid for and free, and has reviews and photos of each place. We found it useful to check the dates of the reviews as some of the info is outdated. Searching Google Maps for campsites is also a great way to find affordable spots and paid sites. Nomad America has also compiled a list of over 80 campsites, which is the most complete map of Costa Rica’s camping spots and super useful too.
Read next: The Ultimate Guide to Camping in Costa Rica
Things to know before you go
Packing for Costa Rica may depend on when you plan to visit, but there are a few staples that you shouldn’t leave at home:
- A jumper – The days may be swelteringly hot but temperatures can drop, especially at elevation.
- A raincoat – You don’t get the scale of luscious rainforest that Costa Rica has without rain… a lot of rain.
- Hiking shoes – Some of Costa Rica’s best hidden gems can only be unearthed by hiking, and for that you’ll need proper shoes. We prefer to hike in waterproof running shoes.
- Beach shoes or flip flops – Perfect for navigating beachside campsites, you can leave your beach shoes in the shoe sack that hangs below the rooftop tent.
- Towel – A quick-drying microfibre towel is perfect for drying off after a camp shower or dip in the ocean.
Under Costa Rican law it is illegal to drive on the beach. You can drive to the beach and park under the palm trees, but you must stay behind the high tide line (which can often be identified by a line of driftwood). This is to protect turtle nests and other beach-dwelling wildlife.
Water damages are not insured under any coverage, so be careful when crossing rivers and during bouts of heavy rain.
As is standard when hiring a car, a hold will be placed on your card during the hire (an amount of money that you cannot access but has not been spent. Any damage inflicted will be deducted from this before the rest is returned. If there is no damage, the full amount will be returned). Drivers must be 25 years or older or, for 21-25 year olds, double the security deposit is required. Children of any age are welcome and baby or child seats can be provided for free.
Useful resources
Ready to plan your next adventure?
So, is renting a car in Costa Rica worth it? Absolutely!
What are you waiting for? Check out Nomad America’s Costa Rica Camper Rentals.
Contact Nomad America and book your next adventure! Let them know we sent you and please tag us on Instagram so we can see what you get up to and re-live an epic, off-road Costa Rica adventure all over again!
Phone: (+506) 6259-6175 (Call or WhatsApp)
Email: nomad@nomadamerica.com
Web: www.nomadamerica.com
Opening hours: 08:00-17:00 CST
Address: Ruta 3, Provincia de Alajuela, La Garita, 20113, Costa Rica
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