My girlfriend and I are planning on driving from San Jose to Monte Verde once we arrive in June. We will arrive at 8pm at night so we may have to do some night driving. Is it safe to drive at night there? I heard the roads can be a little adventurous! 
Or should be just stay in San Jose for the night and drive out early morning?
Any Advise?
Ali
You shouldn't drive at night when you don't know the roads! There are not many signs and most of the roads are not illuminated. The last part of the road is not paved. You can see it on this map ( Costa Rica Map ) which has directions, too. Stay the first night in San Jose or Alajuela. When you arrive at 8 PM you still need time to clear customs. After that you have to calculate some time for the paper work with the rental company. You would be on the road at around 9 - 10 PM.
Quoting crbound
My girlfriend and I are planning on driving from San Jose to Monte Verde once we arrive in June. We will arrive at 8pm at night so we may have to do some night driving. Is it safe to drive at night there? I heard the roads can be a little adventurous!
Any Advise?
Ali
absoultely not. ive lived in rica and can tell you this is a crime that happens a lot. there are street bandits that wait for a car to break down or will run u off the road.. costa rica fails to mention a lot of crimes for tourism purposes.(people do stalk cars at night and rob them quite often). i know many ticos that have been held up at gunpoint from driving at night.
one night at 7pm(which is completely dark there)...i was supposed to be up in limon helping my friend receieve his car. the week earlier it practically blew up and we were stranded n a limon slum. anyways, he asked if i wanted to go and i had a hunch that something bad was gonna happen. he went anyways(he is a tico)...he ended up breaking down at 7pm between cahuita and puerto viejo.. two dudes in a car rolled up, jumped out and held him at gunpoint. they robbed him of his stereo system, watches, phones, and everything. the one kid who was like 13 told the 16-17 year old to shoot my friend. the other kid said no hes a tico and to not kill the tico. if i had been there, then iam 99% sure i would of gotten shot because im white. these night bandits come out at 530pm and are out there all night. theres some horrible murders that have happened in rica because of this.
i would advise u even if you were with 3 other MEN to not drive at night. san jose is even worse. that city at night is scary as hell. it gets really really bad at night and the surrounding areas.
what u read on rica is not how it really is all the time. it can be quite dangerous. your with a girl so if this did happen, then u can count on a chance of your girl being raped, which you wouldnt want to happen. rethink this and dont EVER travel at night in rica...unless ur armed.