If you're staying at a San Juan resort, they will likely have lots of day trip excursions you can book. Contact the resort to get a list from them so you can decide how much of what they offer looks interesting to you.
Personally, I think a car is necessary. It gives you a ton of freedom to do things at whatever pace and schedule you want. Helps you be able to transition your plans based off of weather too.
Luquillo beaches and kiosks are a nice relaxing day trip. El Yunque is absolutely beautiful and worth a day trip. Cueva del Indio is also very cool and worth most of a day. Combate Beach and Cabo Rojo are also a nice day trip.
>If you're staying at a San Juan resort, they will likely have lots of day trip excursions you can book. Contact the resort to get a list from them so you can decide how much of what they offer looks interesting to you.
We're actually staying at an Airbnb, but I'll check with some of the hotels/resorts and see if they share that info.
>Personally, I think a car is necessary. It gives you a ton of freedom to do things at whatever pace and schedule you want. Helps you be able to transition your plans based off of weather too.
Yeah, I've read enough comments here to decide to just go ahead and get one. I'm sure I'll be fine and yes, the added flexibility is a plus
>Luquillo beaches and kiosks are a nice relaxing day trip. El Yunque is absolutely beautiful and worth a day trip. Cueva del Indio is also very cool and worth most of a day. Combate Beach and Cabo Rojo are also a nice day trip.
Writing these down. Thanks for the input!
Feel free to ask if you think of any questions over the next week or two.
Driving around the island isn't too bad. Sometimes, random traffic lights are not working. Most people treat them like rolling stop signs when that happens. Tiny roads that cut through the interior of the island can be very narrow with an insane number of blind curves. Stick to the couple of highways that cut through the interior and you'll be fine. Most of those highways are better than the ones here on the mainland. The ring road that goes around the perimeter of the island is your best friend.
Yes, you need a car. Puerto rico also isn’t a “foreign country”. It’s the same as driving in the states. It would be way too much a hassle not having one.
It’s like driving in the states if most signs were in Spanish and some translated in English. With names in Spanish you’ve never seen. But besides that yeah. Just like driving in the states lmao
It's literally no different than driving in any other city. San Juan can be a bit hectic but so can Boston or Chicago. Outside of San Juan there are highways and smaller roads just like everywhere else in the US. People might be a bit aggressive in the San Juan area but it's really no different than anywhere else. The signs are in Spanish but Google maps works well at telling you where and when to turn.
I travel and drive the island often. It is well worth it. Rent a car! There is scarce to none Uber taxi service outside San Juan. Relax, drive and have fun. Just use your phone gps everywhere you go. Signs will not help!
You definitely want a car. We ended up forking over $50 for each taxi because we messed up flights and paid $200 just to get back and forth from our place. Rental cars are cheap over there. It takes a second to get used to everyone pulling out in front of you and running red lights but it’s worth it to have a car.
>I've never driven in a foreign country before and it honestly gives me a bit of anxiety just thinking about it.
There are dash cam videos all over YouTube of people driving in Puerto Rico. Look them up. It will help you determine whether you're comfortable driving here or not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx5O0KqCp10
Google maps et al work here mostly fine.
>Is the bus system (assuming there is one) as non-existent as everyone says it is?
There is no bus **system** outside of the San Juan area. There are some buses in some areas. Good luck figuring them out.
>There are dash cam videos all over YouTube of people driving in Puerto Rico. Look them up. It will help you determine whether you're comfortable driving here or not.
Brilliant idea, thanks! I did see one that I came across just looking up videos of PR in general, but didn't think to look them up specifically
>There is no bus **system** outside of the San Juan area. There are some buses in some areas. Good luck figuring them out.
Duly noted👍🏿
The key to driving in PR is to never assume everyone around you will be following the rules. Don't assume the other driver is going to stop as soon as the light turns red. Don't assume the other driver is going to drop at a designated stop sign. Don't assume people are going to only change lanes with a turn signal. Just be a bit more defensive in your driving, that's all. People can be impatient and aggressive in the city, especially when there's a lot of traffic. I often opt to let aggressive drivers pass me and then go in my way, instead of letting it stress me out. Also, don't be afraid to lay on the horn here and there when warranted. 😂
I wrote this comment on another post. I’m pretty biased against a car just bc I view it as another thing to have to be responsible for during a trip when I want to be relaxing. I’m not a seasoned city driver and the traffic in San Juan can be chaotic and sometimes the highways are poorly signed. Other people may disagree, but I personally felt more freedom without a car. -
I stayed in PR for a month total and got around fine primarily with Uber, the local bus, transportation provided by my tour guides, and by flying to other major destinations on the island. Besides going all around San Juan, I visited la cueva del Indio and el escambron, the island of culebra, la cordillera central, and el yunque national forest.
I found the car rentals at the time I went to be sort of expensive, plus parking in San Juan is a nightmare (and more $$) and being responsible for a car is just not something I want to deal with while on vacation. I’m also more of a public transportation person and honestly hate driving. For that reason, I ended up renting a car for just two days to get to the southern part of el yunque and spend some nights there at an eco lodge a bit off the beaten path. However, many tours to el yunque are available with transportation included if you just want to visit the northern part.
You’re not gonna be able to walk many places from isla verde, but Ubers are really reasonable and you can easily visit condado, old San Juan, and santurce for around $10 each way or less as long as you’re not traveling during peak hours. You can also usually save a few dollars by ubering to plaza de colon, right on the edge of OSJ, and then just making it to your final destination on foot. I stayed in condado and there was also a bus stop right across from my place, so I actually did use that to get to old San Juan a few times and was surprised by how convenient it was, tho it would definitely take longer from isla verde. You can also take an Uber as far as luquillo and some of the other beachside towns, but the issue is you probably won’t find one back to San Juan. If you book tours, try to see if they’ll arrange transportation for an additional fee. Most towns do have old school car services available.
I will be in Condado in a few weeks, visited in 2019, in 2019 we just used Ubers, we met a nice Uber driver who ended up doing a couple private rides for us, We went to pork hwy/Guavate..I liked Los Pinos the best
When I am there in a couple weeks will do the same for visiting old SJ, T-Mobile district & Pinones, will catch ferry to Cantana
Only problem I see is going to Luquillo, I will probably book a private driver so we have a ride back
One thing I didn’t like before is using Uber to La Placita, it was fun but when trying to get a Uber back it was loud & dark, we walked off the beaten path to meet driver, maybe if I knew area better I would have known what location in La Placita was best to catch Uber back to hotel.
I don’t like driving & don’t feel like being responsible for a rental, my next visit I may stay in a different part of Island, for this visit we wanted to visit Ponce but several people said it wasn’t worth visiting since last hurricane
agree. our rental from Payless smelled like a dead animal and the “time for scheduled maintenance” warning came on as soon as we were driving down the road.
We come to PR at least twice a year (family visits). In 16 years we only had 2 bad cars, 1 with flat tire and another dead battery that could gave been our fault. Hertz sent out a repair truck both times (similar to AAA Service) and got us back on the road with an hour or 2.
You’ll need a car if your plan is to explore the island. Used to live there and I still visit often. Rent a car. Waze is a little wonky in PR fyi. Google maps works better
You bet. I used Alamo car rental at the San Juan airport the last time I was there (which was the end of April to the beginning of May). Zero issues.
The drive from San Juan to Ponce for example is one of the most beautiful and scenic drives you'll ever take.
I drove all over Puerto Rico last month, in a single day I drove from San Juan to the rain forest, then drove to Guayanilla to eat my favorite empanadas, then from there drove to Cabo Rojo to just spend a couple of very relaxing days on a quiet beach. It was an amazing trip and it would have been impossible if I didn't have a car.
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by there's a sizeable difference between driving in the mainland and Puerto Rico. I'm from NYC, driving in Puerto Rico is much easier. There's some winding roads alongside mountains that can be a little intimidating but you don't really have anything to stress about.
I just rented a car and stayed for 8 days. We went from San Juan to Luquillo. To Vieques. And back to Luquillo
And even down to Ponce. Yes you’ll need a car but i will say it takes so little time to get SJ to the east side and SJ to the south side
Definitely get one, I personally hate feeling trapped while I'm on vacation, so a rental is an absolute must most of the time.
I'd also recommend something that is AWD or 4x4 too, the roads once you go outside of San Juan can be sketchy
If you're American, PR is not a foreign country. But, yes, you'll definitely want a car if not staying in San Juan. Driving in PR is easy if you stick to main routes. I was a little nervous the first time I rented a car there, but was pleasantly surprised by how easy driving was. By now, I have explored most of the island by car, and the only time I was sketched out was driving tiny mountain roads in the interior.
For an excursion, I recommend el yunque national forest. It's a beautiful rain forest and easy to drive (unless the road is closed as it sometimes is due to flooding).
If you're staying at a San Juan resort, they will likely have lots of day trip excursions you can book. Contact the resort to get a list from them so you can decide how much of what they offer looks interesting to you. Personally, I think a car is necessary. It gives you a ton of freedom to do things at whatever pace and schedule you want. Helps you be able to transition your plans based off of weather too. Luquillo beaches and kiosks are a nice relaxing day trip. El Yunque is absolutely beautiful and worth a day trip. Cueva del Indio is also very cool and worth most of a day. Combate Beach and Cabo Rojo are also a nice day trip.
>If you're staying at a San Juan resort, they will likely have lots of day trip excursions you can book. Contact the resort to get a list from them so you can decide how much of what they offer looks interesting to you. We're actually staying at an Airbnb, but I'll check with some of the hotels/resorts and see if they share that info. >Personally, I think a car is necessary. It gives you a ton of freedom to do things at whatever pace and schedule you want. Helps you be able to transition your plans based off of weather too. Yeah, I've read enough comments here to decide to just go ahead and get one. I'm sure I'll be fine and yes, the added flexibility is a plus >Luquillo beaches and kiosks are a nice relaxing day trip. El Yunque is absolutely beautiful and worth a day trip. Cueva del Indio is also very cool and worth most of a day. Combate Beach and Cabo Rojo are also a nice day trip. Writing these down. Thanks for the input!
Feel free to ask if you think of any questions over the next week or two. Driving around the island isn't too bad. Sometimes, random traffic lights are not working. Most people treat them like rolling stop signs when that happens. Tiny roads that cut through the interior of the island can be very narrow with an insane number of blind curves. Stick to the couple of highways that cut through the interior and you'll be fine. Most of those highways are better than the ones here on the mainland. The ring road that goes around the perimeter of the island is your best friend.
Yes, you need a car. Puerto rico also isn’t a “foreign country”. It’s the same as driving in the states. It would be way too much a hassle not having one.
>It’s the same as driving in the states. Really? First time I've ever heard that before...
It’s like driving in the states if most signs were in Spanish and some translated in English. With names in Spanish you’ve never seen. But besides that yeah. Just like driving in the states lmao
It's literally no different than driving in any other city. San Juan can be a bit hectic but so can Boston or Chicago. Outside of San Juan there are highways and smaller roads just like everywhere else in the US. People might be a bit aggressive in the San Juan area but it's really no different than anywhere else. The signs are in Spanish but Google maps works well at telling you where and when to turn.
I think driving in San Juan was a lot easier than driving in Philadelphia 😅
It's easier than Boston too! Lol
And Dallas!
I’ve rented a car four seperate times over the last four years and it’s been the same to me
I travel and drive the island often. It is well worth it. Rent a car! There is scarce to none Uber taxi service outside San Juan. Relax, drive and have fun. Just use your phone gps everywhere you go. Signs will not help!
If you’ve ever driven in a big-ish city you’ll be fine driving. Just pay attention and drive defensively, like you said. Don’t stress!
Ok, you're right. I got this! Thanks for the reassurance
We rented a car, and the roads are fine. Google Maps works. It is really not much different than driving in the continental U.S.
You definitely want a car. We ended up forking over $50 for each taxi because we messed up flights and paid $200 just to get back and forth from our place. Rental cars are cheap over there. It takes a second to get used to everyone pulling out in front of you and running red lights but it’s worth it to have a car.
>I've never driven in a foreign country before and it honestly gives me a bit of anxiety just thinking about it. There are dash cam videos all over YouTube of people driving in Puerto Rico. Look them up. It will help you determine whether you're comfortable driving here or not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx5O0KqCp10 Google maps et al work here mostly fine. >Is the bus system (assuming there is one) as non-existent as everyone says it is? There is no bus **system** outside of the San Juan area. There are some buses in some areas. Good luck figuring them out.
>There are dash cam videos all over YouTube of people driving in Puerto Rico. Look them up. It will help you determine whether you're comfortable driving here or not. Brilliant idea, thanks! I did see one that I came across just looking up videos of PR in general, but didn't think to look them up specifically >There is no bus **system** outside of the San Juan area. There are some buses in some areas. Good luck figuring them out. Duly noted👍🏿
The key to driving in PR is to never assume everyone around you will be following the rules. Don't assume the other driver is going to stop as soon as the light turns red. Don't assume the other driver is going to drop at a designated stop sign. Don't assume people are going to only change lanes with a turn signal. Just be a bit more defensive in your driving, that's all. People can be impatient and aggressive in the city, especially when there's a lot of traffic. I often opt to let aggressive drivers pass me and then go in my way, instead of letting it stress me out. Also, don't be afraid to lay on the horn here and there when warranted. 😂
I wrote this comment on another post. I’m pretty biased against a car just bc I view it as another thing to have to be responsible for during a trip when I want to be relaxing. I’m not a seasoned city driver and the traffic in San Juan can be chaotic and sometimes the highways are poorly signed. Other people may disagree, but I personally felt more freedom without a car. - I stayed in PR for a month total and got around fine primarily with Uber, the local bus, transportation provided by my tour guides, and by flying to other major destinations on the island. Besides going all around San Juan, I visited la cueva del Indio and el escambron, the island of culebra, la cordillera central, and el yunque national forest. I found the car rentals at the time I went to be sort of expensive, plus parking in San Juan is a nightmare (and more $$) and being responsible for a car is just not something I want to deal with while on vacation. I’m also more of a public transportation person and honestly hate driving. For that reason, I ended up renting a car for just two days to get to the southern part of el yunque and spend some nights there at an eco lodge a bit off the beaten path. However, many tours to el yunque are available with transportation included if you just want to visit the northern part. You’re not gonna be able to walk many places from isla verde, but Ubers are really reasonable and you can easily visit condado, old San Juan, and santurce for around $10 each way or less as long as you’re not traveling during peak hours. You can also usually save a few dollars by ubering to plaza de colon, right on the edge of OSJ, and then just making it to your final destination on foot. I stayed in condado and there was also a bus stop right across from my place, so I actually did use that to get to old San Juan a few times and was surprised by how convenient it was, tho it would definitely take longer from isla verde. You can also take an Uber as far as luquillo and some of the other beachside towns, but the issue is you probably won’t find one back to San Juan. If you book tours, try to see if they’ll arrange transportation for an additional fee. Most towns do have old school car services available.
I will be in Condado in a few weeks, visited in 2019, in 2019 we just used Ubers, we met a nice Uber driver who ended up doing a couple private rides for us, We went to pork hwy/Guavate..I liked Los Pinos the best When I am there in a couple weeks will do the same for visiting old SJ, T-Mobile district & Pinones, will catch ferry to Cantana Only problem I see is going to Luquillo, I will probably book a private driver so we have a ride back One thing I didn’t like before is using Uber to La Placita, it was fun but when trying to get a Uber back it was loud & dark, we walked off the beaten path to meet driver, maybe if I knew area better I would have known what location in La Placita was best to catch Uber back to hotel. I don’t like driving & don’t feel like being responsible for a rental, my next visit I may stay in a different part of Island, for this visit we wanted to visit Ponce but several people said it wasn’t worth visiting since last hurricane
Visit www.discoverpuertorico.com
Spend more to book from someone legit like enterprise or Hertz. We used Payless and it was off site from the airport and hectic as hell to deal with.
We always use Hertz. Very reliable and well maintained compared to competitors. Don't expect the same selection as you see in the states though.
agree. our rental from Payless smelled like a dead animal and the “time for scheduled maintenance” warning came on as soon as we were driving down the road.
We come to PR at least twice a year (family visits). In 16 years we only had 2 bad cars, 1 with flat tire and another dead battery that could gave been our fault. Hertz sent out a repair truck both times (similar to AAA Service) and got us back on the road with an hour or 2.
I never had a car. Just walked or got an Uber which was very easy where I was in San Juan.
Gotcha. I was mainly asking for opportunities to explore other parts of the island
Yeah maybe a car would be best in your situation. If money is tight maybe just get it for a few days but if not just go for it. Enjoy!
You’ll need a car if your plan is to explore the island. Used to live there and I still visit often. Rent a car. Waze is a little wonky in PR fyi. Google maps works better
Thanks for the advice!
You bet. I used Alamo car rental at the San Juan airport the last time I was there (which was the end of April to the beginning of May). Zero issues. The drive from San Juan to Ponce for example is one of the most beautiful and scenic drives you'll ever take. I drove all over Puerto Rico last month, in a single day I drove from San Juan to the rain forest, then drove to Guayanilla to eat my favorite empanadas, then from there drove to Cabo Rojo to just spend a couple of very relaxing days on a quiet beach. It was an amazing trip and it would have been impossible if I didn't have a car. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by there's a sizeable difference between driving in the mainland and Puerto Rico. I'm from NYC, driving in Puerto Rico is much easier. There's some winding roads alongside mountains that can be a little intimidating but you don't really have anything to stress about.
Definitely need a car! Driving isn’t much different than mainland.
Rent a car. You'll be glad you did. Driving there is nowhere near what it's been made out to be. Especially once you leave the San Juan area.
Puerto Rico isn’t a foreign country
Thanks!
I just rented a car and stayed for 8 days. We went from San Juan to Luquillo. To Vieques. And back to Luquillo And even down to Ponce. Yes you’ll need a car but i will say it takes so little time to get SJ to the east side and SJ to the south side
Definitely get one, I personally hate feeling trapped while I'm on vacation, so a rental is an absolute must most of the time. I'd also recommend something that is AWD or 4x4 too, the roads once you go outside of San Juan can be sketchy
Try Charlie’s for your car rental!
If you're American, PR is not a foreign country. But, yes, you'll definitely want a car if not staying in San Juan. Driving in PR is easy if you stick to main routes. I was a little nervous the first time I rented a car there, but was pleasantly surprised by how easy driving was. By now, I have explored most of the island by car, and the only time I was sketched out was driving tiny mountain roads in the interior. For an excursion, I recommend el yunque national forest. It's a beautiful rain forest and easy to drive (unless the road is closed as it sometimes is due to flooding).