Getting Around in San Juan: Ways to Move Around Puerto Rico’s Capital
Getting around in San Juan is easier than many travelers expect. Whether you’re exploring Old San Juan’s colorful streets, heading to Condado Beach, or venturing out toward El Yunque or nearby towns, there are several convenient ways to move around the city and nearby destinations. The key is knowing which transportation option makes the most sense for your plans.
San Juan is a mix of walkable historic areas and more spread out neighborhoods that rely on alternative modes of transportation. Having visited dozens of times on both cruise ships and longer trips, we’ve tried it all. Depending on where you’re staying and what you want to do, some options will be far more convenient than others.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about getting around in San Juan, Puerto Rico, so you can choose what works best for your travel style and budget.
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Getting Around San Juan, Puerto Rico: the Basics
Before diving into all the transportation options for getting around in San Juan, let’s start with the basics. We’ll quickly cover how visitors typically arrive in San Juan, and then explain what moving around the city looks like once you’re there.
✈️ How to Get to San Juan
There are several ways travelers arrive in San Juan, including:
👉🏻 For a full breakdown of each option, check out our complete guide on how to get to San Juan, Puerto Rico, which covers every route in detail.
How to Get to San Juan, Puerto Rico
This guide shares all of the options for visiting San Juan, from cruising and private yachts to flights and traveling from other Puerto Rican cities.
❣️ What is the Best Area to Stay for Getting Around in San Juan Easily?
Choosing the right neighborhood makes a huge difference when it comes to getting around in San Juan. Some areas are very walkable, while others are much easier if you plan to use rideshares or rent a car.
Best areas to stay for easy transportation in San Juan:
🚗 Options for Getting Around in San Juan
San Juan seems compact, but actually has a lot of areas that spread it out. Here are the main ways of getting around in San Juan:
✈️ How to Get from San Juan Airport or Port to the City
Before diving into all the ways of getting around in San Juan itself, let’s look at how to get from the airport or cruise port to your accommodation.
✈️ How to Get from Luis Muñoz Marín Airport (SJU) to San Juan
San Juan’s airport is located in Isla Verde, just a short distance from the main tourist areas. Here are the different options for getting from the airport to the city:
⛴ How to Get from San Juan’s Cruise Port to the City
If you’re arriving by cruise, you’re in luck! The cruise port is located directly in Old San Juan. If you’re looking to visit other areas, you can get an Uber or taxi, and if you’re visiting for just a few hours on a cruise, you can sign up for a tour which brings you back to the port after the activity.
Getting Around in San Juan, Puerto Rico: Comparing Transportation Options
Now that you know how to get to San Juan, let’s talk about all of the different ways to move around the city.
🚶🏻♀️ Getting Around in San Juan by Foot
Old San Juan is extremely walkable and best explored on foot. Its narrow streets, colorful buildings, and historic sites are all close together, making it really pedestrian-friendly.
Condado is also walkable, especially along Ashford Avenue. For areas like Isla Verde or Santurce, walking works in pockets, but you’ll often combine it with rideshares.
We also recommend doing a walking tour in San Juan, as locals will guide you down the best streets and share unique information about places you may miss wandering on your own.
🚌 Getting Around in San Juan by Public Transportation
San Juan has a public bus system that’s very affordable, but it can be slow and not super convenient for visitors.
Public buses are best for short trips within Condado, Santurce, and nearby areas. They’re inexpensive but not always reliable or on a tight schedule.
Tren Urbano is a limited metro system that connects parts of San Juan to Bayamón. It’s rarely useful for tourists though unless you’re staying near a station.
🚕 Getting Around in San Juan by Private Transportation
Uber is one of the best ways of getting around in San Juan for tourists. It’s not too expensive, easy to use, and widely available in tourist areas.
Taxis are also common, especially in Old San Juan, Condado, and at the airport, but fares can be higher than Uber.
🚲 Fun & Unique Ways of Getting Around in San Juan
One of our favorite ways of getting around in San Juan is by one of these fun activities! They combine sightseeing with unique forms of transportation, allowing you to explore the city in a more interesting way.
🛴 Scooter and Bike Rentals
Other than tours, you can also rent a bike or scooter to explore on your own. Electric scooters are available in some areas and work well for short distances, especially in Condado. Bikes are easier to come by and are a great budget-friendly way for getting around in San Juan.
🚗 Getting Around in San Juan by Car
If you’re in a group or spending a few days in San Juan and want to see some fun places outside of San Juan, then renting a car is a great option!
Renting a car is not necessary if you’re staying in Old San Juan or Condado and only exploring the city, but is definitely worth it if you want some adventures outside the city. Places like El Yunque Rain Forest and the waterfalls in Puerto Rico are easiest to explore by car.
🅿️ Important Parking Info for San Juan
Parking in Old San Juan can be difficult, so choose accommodation with parking if you plan to rent a car.
We got a few parking tickets in San Juan, despite it seeming like we were parked in legal spots. Having a rental does make you a target for tickets, so that’s why it’s important to be extra careful when renting a car in Puerto Rico.
We dive a bit more into the details in our guide about road tripping in Puerto Rico.
The Perfect Road Trip in Puerto Rico: Everything to Know
Come explore Puerto Rico by car! Our guide covers everything you need to know about renting a car, road rules, and enjoying the island on a road trip.
🚐 Guided City Tours
Guided tours are a stress-free way of getting around in San Juan while learning about the city. Many include transportation, making them ideal if you don’t want to navigate on your own. Many tours leave right from Old San Juan, but also many include hotel pick-up and drop-off making it a stress-free way to explore the city.
Getting Around in San Juan, Puerto Rico: Final Tips & What’s Next
Now that you know all the ways of getting around in San Juan, here are a few final tips to keep in mind.
✨ Other Things to Know About Visiting San Juan
✈️ Getting There: San Juan is easy to reach by plane or cruise ship.
🏨 Where to Stay: Old San Juan is the most convenient, and Condado is great for a beachy stay.
🗣 Language: Spanish is the main language, but English is also widely spoken.
💵 Currency: US Dollar
👮🏻♀️ Safety: San Juan is generally safe in tourist areas.
☀️ Weather: Warm year-round with occasional tropical showers.
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👀 What’s Next?
Now that you know everything you need for getting around in San Juan, Puerto Rico, let’s help you learn more about visiting.
Here are other Puerto Rico guides we have:
✈️ How to get to San Juan, Puerto Rico
🍴 10 Best places to eat in San Juan
🚤 Top 16 things to do in San Juan
🤿 14 Beach activities & water sports in San Juan
🚁 24 Unique activities in San Juan most tourists miss
🚐 11 Day Trips from San Juan
⭐️ 10 Reasons to visit Puerto Rico
✈️ What you need to know about traveling to Puerto Rico right now
❣️ The 15 best places to visit in Puerto Rico
💧 The 15 best waterfalls in Puerto Rico
🍃 Visiting El Yunque National Park
🗺 The perfect road trip around Puerto Rico
📸 The 20 most Instagrammable places in Puerto Rico
⛵️ 20 Awesome experiences in Puerto Rico
🏝 Top 10 beaches in Puerto Rico
🎨 5 Reasons to visit Aguadilla
✨ How to see bioluminescence in Puerto Rico
🧂 6 Reasons to visit Cabo Rojo
💦 Las Pailas natural waterslide
🥾 Hiking Cerro Rodadero
🌈 8 of the most colorful spots in Puerto Rico
🤩 30 Amazing spots to see in Puerto Rico
🏝 Vieques Island guide
🏖 Culebra Island guide
There are a lot of different areas to explore in Puerto Rico’s capital, as well as some great day trips from San Juan. Now that you know more about getting around in San Juan though, you’ll be better prepared to explore it all! Have any questions or doubts? Feel free to drop them below in the comments.
Ready to learn more about traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico? We have several other San Juan articles, as well as many other Puerto Rico guides for you to check out!
Are you ready to start booking your trip? With Scratch Your Mapa Travel Planning we make it easy, so you can adventure more and stress less. Wonder how it works? Take a look at some of our travel planning packages or book your one on one consultation with us to get started today.
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