Guest reviews
Overall rating
8.0
Excellent
Based on 895 reviews
Cleanliness
7.8
Comfort
7.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.4
Value for money
5.8
National car rental prices in San José
| Compact | C$109/day |
| Standard | C$58/day |
Pros
"Nice car, friendly desk clerk."
(in 363 reviews)
"Very patient, helpful staff."
(in 150 reviews)
"Car was in great condition."
(in 344 reviews)
Cons
"Car promised, no cars available!"
(in 25 reviews)
"would not accept my credit card coverage."
(in 14 reviews)
"Car promised, no cars available!"
(in 176 reviews)
Recent reviews
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Find reviews that mention:
customer service
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pick up and drop
car was clean
car available
great car
great service
car was great
great experience
friendly staff
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drop off the car
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8.0
Pros: Staff was friendly and helpful.
Cons: The insurance prices are lower than most otehr companies, but still a rip off.
review from
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4.4
Pros: The staff was friendly and the shuttle was efficient.
Cons: The suv I received was an old model with over 75k. The car I reserved was a “Jeep Wrangler or similar”. Certainly, I understand that the actual SUV will vary but I received was nothing even remotely comparable. A tiny, old Dahaitsu is just plain false advertising. They don’t even have any Jeeps!
review from
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2.0
Disappointed - bait and switch
Pros: Car and experience was fine, but....
Cons: After all was stated very clearly on the confirmation.... The agent at the desk required that I add insurance or not be able to rent the car. Of course, my credit card covers insurance, and this was a shock and dismay (and an extra hundred dollars!). Foul!!!!!!
review from
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7.6
Beware of the Insurance
Pros: The service was great, staff was helpful and prompt.
Cons: It would have been nice to know the full price I'd be paying for a rental car before landing in this foreign country fully dependent on getting it. I felt very mislead by the pricing I was given in the reservation. In Costa Rica, insurance is required and this was never mentioned in the booking process. Therefore I ended up having to pay over $400 (with an extra $800 held) for the car I expected to rent for $83. I just thought that was very dishonest by the rental car company and the booking company.
review from
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2.0
did not have car ready
Cons: they did not have the car ready and told us to call within 4 hours. this delayed our trip and exhausted us. Instead of waiting, we decided to go to their site and there were a multitude of cars available. They claimed that they did not have cars available, because many people had not returned them from the day before. Customer service was slow and it lagged the promptness needed to get in and out. Also, if you prepay insurance from the US, it will not work. You are obligated to purchase their insurance. Our reservation was worthless.
review from
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2.0
Cons: When I came there was no SUV's. So I had to wait more 5 hours to get one.
review from
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5.2
More than quoted
review from
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6.0
Cons: They gouge You on the insurance. It can cost two to three times what the rental vehicle costs. The vehicle given was small for the classification we rented from (mid size).
review from
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6.4
Substantial undisclosed fees
Pros: The people I dealt with were professional and courteous. Great hard working employees, who understood the misconception led on by suggested prices listed on the internet. Great job explaining
Cons: I have rented cars in international locations and am aware that undisclosed fees exist (as they do in the us as well) however, I was quoted a great rate for my rental at 125 dollars. All said and done 495 dollars. You have to be kidding me. Be up front with mandatory insurances taxes and fees. Not disclosing 370 dollars is unethical. Seriously you guys are bums. Get with the program, enough of the three card Monte, people get that they are being fooled and no longer use services as a result. You may get a few hundred extra up front....but in the end you will loose all of your customers
review from
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4.0
Poor Pricing 2.0
Pros: The National staff in Costa Rica was fast and friendly.
Cons: However, the price quote I was given did not match the price given to me when I arrived at the desk. I was told there was mandatory insurance and the price more than doubled. I was also charged more than the agreed amount on my contract. So, as far as pricing and value, I will not use National again. And I would not recommend using this site (Kayak) for renting a car.
review from
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9.2
National - good car service in San Jose - Costa Ri
Pros: They are National - dependable, good, car company that won't jerk you around like a lot of other companies may. You walk in, present your reservations and out you go. You don't really get to choose your car like you do in the States but you do get the car you ask for in your reservation.
Cons: Costa Rica car companies should be transparent about what it really costs to rent a car. I knew there would be a mandatory insurance charge but I had to do a lot of research to find out how much it would be. Costa Rica National should be upfront and open about what those costs are so people that are renting a car for $94 knows that it really will be $300+ after all the mandatory insurances and stuff. It is annoying and I think poor. To be fair - most car rental companies do this sort of thing in Costa Rica (and Mexico) but I think it is a poor practice.
review from
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8.8
Relatively painless except for the insurance
Pros: I reserved the smallest cheapest automatic car available and ended up getting a brand new Yaris instead, which felt like a full size sedan and had all the latest technology including a USB port.
Cons: The deposit if you decline their CDW and take only mandatory insurance is $2000!! Between this and &265 for 6 day rental, I had to make a lot of early payments on my credit card to free up credit for purchases. If I had not been able to free up 2265 on one card, I would have had to take their crappy mid level insurance for $35 more and not get as much coverage from my credit card company (which frankly I trust far more). Their full coverage was $100 more.
review from
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9.2
National - good car service in San Jose - Costa Ri
Pros: They are National - dependable, good, car company that won't jerk you around like a lot of other companies may. You walk in, present your reservations and out you go. You don't really get to choose your car like you do in the States but you do get the car you ask for in your reservation.
Cons: Costa Rica car companies should be transparent about what it really costs to rent a car. I knew there would be a mandatory insurance charge but I had to do a lot of research to find out how much it would be. Costa Rica National should be upfront and open about what those costs are so people that are renting a car for $94 knows that it really will be $300+ after all the mandatory insurances and stuff. It is annoying and I think poor. To be fair - most car rental companies do this sort of thing in Costa Rica (and Mexico) but I think it is a poor practice.
review from
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8.8
Relatively painless except for the insurance
Pros: I reserved the smallest cheapest automatic car available and ended up getting a brand new Yaris instead, which felt like a full size sedan and had all the latest technology including a USB port.
Cons: The deposit if you decline their CDW and take only mandatory insurance is $2000!! Between this and &265 for 6 day rental, I had to make a lot of early payments on my credit card to free up credit for purchases. If I had not been able to free up 2265 on one card, I would have had to take their crappy mid level insurance for $35 more and not get as much coverage from my credit card company (which frankly I trust far more). Their full coverage was $100 more.
review from
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8.0
Pros: Staff was friendly and helpful.
Cons: The insurance prices are lower than most otehr companies, but still a rip off.
review from
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7.6
Beware of the Insurance
Pros: The service was great, staff was helpful and prompt.
Cons: It would have been nice to know the full price I'd be paying for a rental car before landing in this foreign country fully dependent on getting it. I felt very mislead by the pricing I was given in the reservation. In Costa Rica, insurance is required and this was never mentioned in the booking process. Therefore I ended up having to pay over $400 (with an extra $800 held) for the car I expected to rent for $83. I just thought that was very dishonest by the rental car company and the booking company.
review from
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4.4
Pros: The staff was friendly and the shuttle was efficient.
Cons: The suv I received was an old model with over 75k. The car I reserved was a “Jeep Wrangler or similar”. Certainly, I understand that the actual SUV will vary but I received was nothing even remotely comparable. A tiny, old Dahaitsu is just plain false advertising. They don’t even have any Jeeps!
review from
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2.0
Disappointed - bait and switch
Pros: Car and experience was fine, but....
Cons: After all was stated very clearly on the confirmation.... The agent at the desk required that I add insurance or not be able to rent the car. Of course, my credit card covers insurance, and this was a shock and dismay (and an extra hundred dollars!). Foul!!!!!!
review from
-
2.0
did not have car ready
Cons: they did not have the car ready and told us to call within 4 hours. this delayed our trip and exhausted us. Instead of waiting, we decided to go to their site and there were a multitude of cars available. They claimed that they did not have cars available, because many people had not returned them from the day before. Customer service was slow and it lagged the promptness needed to get in and out. Also, if you prepay insurance from the US, it will not work. You are obligated to purchase their insurance. Our reservation was worthless.
review from
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2.0
Cons: When I came there was no SUV's. So I had to wait more 5 hours to get one.
review from
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5.2
More than quoted
review from
-
6.0
Cons: They gouge You on the insurance. It can cost two to three times what the rental vehicle costs. The vehicle given was small for the classification we rented from (mid size).
review from
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6.4
Substantial undisclosed fees
Pros: The people I dealt with were professional and courteous. Great hard working employees, who understood the misconception led on by suggested prices listed on the internet. Great job explaining
Cons: I have rented cars in international locations and am aware that undisclosed fees exist (as they do in the us as well) however, I was quoted a great rate for my rental at 125 dollars. All said and done 495 dollars. You have to be kidding me. Be up front with mandatory insurances taxes and fees. Not disclosing 370 dollars is unethical. Seriously you guys are bums. Get with the program, enough of the three card Monte, people get that they are being fooled and no longer use services as a result. You may get a few hundred extra up front....but in the end you will loose all of your customers
review from
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4.0
Poor Pricing 2.0
Pros: The National staff in Costa Rica was fast and friendly.
Cons: However, the price quote I was given did not match the price given to me when I arrived at the desk. I was told there was mandatory insurance and the price more than doubled. I was also charged more than the agreed amount on my contract. So, as far as pricing and value, I will not use National again. And I would not recommend using this site (Kayak) for renting a car.
review from
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Where can I find National car rentals in San José?
Avenue 18th, National car rentals
Address
Avenue 18thHours
| Monday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
| Tuesday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
| Wednesday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
| Thursday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
| Friday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
| Saturday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
| Sunday | 07:30 - 18:00 |
Phone
+506 2242 7901Top tips for renting a car from National in San José
- 25% of our users found rental cars from National in San José for C$ 34 or less
- Book your rental car from San José in National at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Economy rental cars from National in San José are around 61% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car from National in San José
How much does it cost to rent a car from National in San José?
On average a rental car from National in San José costs C$ 52 per day.
What is the most popular rental car from National in San José?
Intermediate (Kia Sportage or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type from National in San José.
How many car rental locations does National have in San José?
National has 5 rental locations in San José. Take a look at our National rental location map to find the best rental cars near you.
Does National have a car rental location at the airport: Juan Santamaria Intl airport (SJO)?
Yes
Does National offer shuttle or airport pick-up services from Juan Santamaria Intl airport (SJO)?
Yes