Getting Around Puerto Rico

Getting to Puerto Rico is very easy if you are a US national as all you require is some proof of your citizenship, such as a driver’s ID. However, if you are traveling to other countries in the region besides Puerto Rico, you will need to carry a valid passport. Most western nationals do not need a visa to Puerto Rico as well. The Aeropuerto Internacional de Luis Munoz Marin is the main airport on the island and serves as a hub for visiting other countries in the Caribbean. An extremely busy airport, most international airlines land here including, American Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Many regional airlines also land at the LMM airport including Air Jamaica, Caribbean Sun and LAIT. Some international flights also land at the Aeropuerto Rafael Hernandez in Aguadilla.

If you like, you can also reach Puerto Rico by ship, with San Juan being the second-largest port for cruise ships in the western hemisphere after Miami. Over two dozen cruise ships depart from San Juan every year, with countless others making this city their port of call. You can also travel to Puerto Rico by ferry from Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

Once in Puerto Rico, the best way to travel between the various places on the island is by air. Most of the major cities and towns have their own airports including the islands of Vieques and Culebra. You can also fly to Ponce, Mayaguez and Aguadilla from San Juan. Domestic air travel in Puerto Rico is quite affordable.

If you are traveling here on a tight budget you can also travel to the islands of Vieques and Culebra by ferry. Reservations are required to travel by boat; however, these ferries are quite inexpensive at just US$4 for a roundtrip.

You can also travel in and around between most major cities and towns by bus. Publicos are large vans that run all over the country. Very cheap, traveling by these buses however can be time consuming because they stop to pick up and drop off a lot of people along the way. Travel by bus only if you have plenty of time to spare in Puerto Rico.

The best way to get around Puerto Rico is by car and it is also the easiest. The road infrastructure here is quite good and a number of good highways have been built between San Juan and various other places making it very quick and simple to get around. Driving here is on the right hand side of the road and all you require is to carry your valid driver’s license with you. One thing to keep in mind though is that there are no real road rules here, so please drive carefully.