Thread: casa las americas

Has good reviews - has anyone ever stayed there? Also, how much should it cost to rent a suv for a week?

I've not stayed there. I know some people don't like the 3-flight walk upstairs, and some don't like their no-visitors policy. But yeah, the reviews seem good. If you want a B&B, there are many other choices: La Estancia, Le Chateau de Xello, Casa Sucre, Patty's Casitas, and more. (I'm not saying they're necessarily better -- just alternatives to check out.)

Re: the SUV: I'm not sure but I think it will be around $40-45/day for a small to mid-size, like a Toyota RAV4. A regular sedan is $10-20/day. (None of those figures includes taxes and insurance, which will add another $12-20/day, depending on what coverage you choose.)

However, why do you want an SUV? You don't need it in Panama, unless you plan to go seriously off-road. And if you're planning to do that in a rental car, be very, very, very careful. First of all, most of the SUVs at rental companies are not 4x4 -- so they're hardly better than a regular sedan. Second, your rental contract will have a clause that renders all insurance coverage null and void if you take the car offroad -- and any supplemental coverage you have from your home country will likely say the same thing.

I checked with both my car insurance company and credit card company about coverage and they gave some additional information:

The Visa credit card I will be using is the Infinity version and they state that they will provide collision coverage even for rentals in Panama. They do not cover 3rd party. The car insurance provider covers 3rd party up to $2,000,000.00. Both of them assured me that they would cover rentals in Panama. I'm renting from Avis this time.

You're right exilio about the types of vehicles rented. We've been quoted around $1,500.00 for 4 weeks rental. That is for a Rav4 type - automatic. There is another SUV we've been quoted on ( $950.00 for 4 weeks). It's a Ford product which isn't sold in North America but is apparently a best seller in South and Central America. Can't recall the model but it's a standard transmission but the reviews on it were generally pretty much the same: very basic, stripped down, functionality only.

When we get to Tocumen tomorrow I'll try and find out more and post it here.

Has anyone had any really negative experiences with rentals and not buying the Rental company's add on insurance?

Many rental agencies do not understand the concept of credit card insurance, and will give you a hassle about declining their insurance. In Panama City, I have heard that Thrifty is more knowledgeable than most. In any case, a) you will still be required to buy their liability, at about $12/day -- there's no way around that, it's the law -- and b) they will ask you to sign a separate waiver form for declining the other coverages.

I use Premium Rental Coverage from American Express. It's similar to what Visa and MC offer, but takes first position in the event of any claims (not all cc's do), and adds medical coverage for driver and passengers. Note that this coverage is *not* automatic with the Amex card; you have to sign up for it, and it costs $19.95 or $24.95 (depending on the coverage you choose) each time you rent a car. https://www152.americanexpress.com/f...al/coverage.do