San Juan Puerto Rico ⎮ Getting Around San Juan Puerto Rico
One of the conveniences of San Juan is the ease of getting around. If you stay in the tourist districts of Condado or Old San Juan, you can enjoy the main attractions in San Juan, great restaurants, shopping, and nightlife on foot or by taking a short taxi ride. We encourage you to visit the main attractions of Puerto Rico, no need to have a car rental since most tours offer transportation from San Juan.
If you’re staying for more than three days, we recommend renting a car for at least one day to see nearby beaches and the island. Most visitors book tours to the top attractions around the island. Puerto Rico is a fun island to explore by car if you’re more adventurous; avoid rush hour in the metro area.
Getting Around by Foot
Old San Juan
If you love to walk and wish to enjoy the most popular attractions in San Juan without having to take a cab or renting a car, you may want to stay at a hotel in Old San Juan or Condado. You can walk to all the attractions within the 7 blocks of Old San Juan, dine, and shop. We have created various DIY walking tours in Old San Juan, you can find them on the top navigation bar under “Old San Juan”.
The New City / Metro Area
If you’re staying in Condado, Ocean Park, or nearby Isla Verde in Carolina, there are a number of nice beachfront resorts. You may also choose from a variety of more budget-friendly hotels just blocks away from the beach, restaurants, and shops. To visit Old San Juan, you’ll need to take a taxi.
Getting Around San Juan by Taxi
A convenient option for visitors to get around San Juan is by taxi. You’ll find “Taxi Turisticos” right outside the airport, cruise ship piers, hotel areas, and near popular attractions around the city. The concierge at your hotel will be happy to call a taxi for your convenience.
Cycling is a sport enjoyed daily by the whole family here in San Juan. The capital city offers many designated cycling lanes strategically placed along scenic routes with easy access to beaches and major attractions on popular tourist destinations and beautiful residential areas. If you love cycling, come to San Juan, you won’t be disappointed.
Bicycle Rentals in San Juan
Old San Juan’s Free Trolley Service
Please Note: The trolley is currently not running.
Old San Juan offers a free trolley service (not a guided tour) to help you move to and from the most popular attraction sites in the old city. The trolley runs Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and on Weekends from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. All you need to do is stand at any of the marked/numbered trolley stop signs and wait a few minutes for the next trolley to come along (be sure to read our tips). You can then get off at any of the next trolley stops or just continue to ride around the city for fun or to cool off. There are three different routes and two different types of trolleys to choose from 1) open-air, two-car tram, or 2) enclosed, bus-like trolley with air conditioning.
Getting Around San Juan by Car
There’s a lot to see and do outside of San Juan, you may book a tour taking care of all the details or rent a car to explore with more freedom and time. If you’re vacationing in Puerto Rico for more than a long weekend, it will be worth it to rent a car, if you’re only staying in San Juan for a long weekend, you may be better off booking a tour.
Parking in San Juan: Finding a free place to park in San Juan can be difficult, especially on weekends, holidays, and during special events. Various parking garages and outdoor lots are available, offering daily and hourly rates, with an average of $25 a day. Most resorts have parking garages. Read our guide to Parking in the Tourist Districts of San Juan.
Car rentals are conveniently available at the airport at the most affordable rates and in the tourist district of Condado See San Juan Car Rental locations.
Getting Around by Public Bus
If you are patient, in no big hurry, and want a much lower cost option to taking a taxi, then you may want to ride a bus to travel to and from Old San Juan, cruise piers, New San Juan areas, and the San Juan International Airport. You can flag down a bus and hop on wherever you see one of the many green & white “P A R A D A” bus stop signs along the street or hop on one at the Old San Juan main bus terminal or at the airport. We apologize for the inconvenience but we currently do not have an updated bus schedule.
Getting Around by Train
Tren Urbano (Urban Train) is a transit electric train, affordable like the bus, and the fastest way to travel to and from the metropolitan and suburban areas of central and south San Juan and parts of the neighboring towns of Guaynabo and Bayamón. The train is not really useful to visitors; there are no connections to places of interest. However, it is useful to locals and for work commutes. More about Tren Urbano.
San Juan Puerto Rico ⎮ Getting Around San Juan Puerto Rico