Puerto Rico · airport pick-up
Airport car rental in San Juan
Pick up a rental car at San Juan's airport terminals. Expedia Cars covers every major counter on arrivals — collect your key minutes after baggage claim, drop off at the same gate, no shuttle hassle.
- ✓On-airport counters at every San Juan terminal
- ✓No off-site shuttles for the major brands
- ✓Flexible fare options shown per flight
- ✓One-way drop-off available · Powered by Expedia Cars
What first-timers get wrong in San Juan
The Tren Urbano has been fare-free since 2024, but it reaches neither Old San Juan nor the airport, so it solves almost nothing for a visitor. AMA buses cost 75 cents and keep loose schedules. This is US territory: dollars, no passport for Americans, no roaming charges, and tipping at fifteen to twenty per cent expected exactly as it is stateside.
What things cost in San Juan
Ten dollars covers both forts for 24 hours and under-sixteens go free. The art museum charges 17 general and 5 for students and over-sixty-fives. An alcapurria at Piñones costs a dollar or two while a mofongo plate in Old San Juan runs 15 to 22. AMA buses are 75 cents, the Tren Urbano currently nothing, and an airport taxi into the old city is a fixed zone fare in the twenties.
San Juan with kids, realistically
The forts do the work: El Morro's grassy six-level esplanade is a kite field at weekends and vendors sell them at the gate, with under-sixteens free at both castles. Old San Juan's cobbled hills are punishing with a pushchair, which is what the free trolley loops are for. Condado and Isla Verde offer calmer swimming, while Ocean Park's north-coast surf does not suit small children.
What to eat in San Juan
Mofongo, green plantain pounded with garlic and crackling in a wooden pilón, is the plate, and the roadside kiosks strung along Piñones do a cheaper and often better version beside alcapurrias of green banana and yautía fried to order. Lechón asado belongs to the Guavate road in Cayey, an hour inland. Calle Loíza in Santurce is where the younger kitchens are. The coffee is grown here.
San Juan after dark
Thursday, not Saturday, is the night. La Placita de Santurce trades produce by day and becomes a street party after six, salsa spilling out of the bars ringing the market building. Old San Juan's Calle San Sebastián keeps the visitor-facing crowd and Condado keeps the hotel lounges. Nobody goes early, and reggaetón is not imported novelty here; it was built in these barrios.
When to go to San Juan
| Best months for airport-cars | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| January | 28°C / 82°F | 15 days |
| February | 28°C / 82°F | 17 days |
| March | 28°C / 82°F | 17 days |
The month to avoid is June — around 32°C (90°F) with roughly 19 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: January is the sweet spot, June the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, High-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, and a refillable water bottle, Rain gear is non-negotiable — expect rain on roughly 15 days, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in San Juan
- Old San Juan — Cobblestone colonial core — forts, boutique hotels, restaurants, bars.
- Condado — Beach + hotel strip with a big-city feel — good for high-end shopping and beachfront resorts.
- Isla Verde — Airport-adjacent beach strip — El San Juan Hotel and resort chains, calmer swim beaches.
- Santurce — Puerto Rico's art + nightlife district — La Placita del Mercado at night is unmissable.