Getting Around San Juan
San Juan is a city where your choice of transport depends heavily on where you're staying. Old San Juan, Puerta de Tierra, Condado, and Isla Verde each have their own quirks, and the modes that work well in one area may be impractical in another. This guide covers the practical options: buses, taxis and ride-hailing, driving, walking, and how to get into the city from the airport.
Arriving by Air
San Juan's main gateway is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), a large international hub serving airlines such as Air Canada, American, Avianca, Condor, Copa, Delta, Frontier, Iberia, InterCaribbean, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, United, and the domestic carrier Vieques Air Link.
From the airport, most travelers choose one of two options:
- Taxi — fixed fares apply to most points in the city, with an extra charge per luggage item. This is the simplest and most reliable way to reach your hotel.
- Rental car — convenient if you plan to explore beyond San Juan, but be prepared for parking fees and difficult parking in Old San Juan.
- Public bus — the B-40 route connects the airport area to Río Piedras, where you can transfer to another local bus or a público for onward travel. This is best attempted in the morning, and you'll need correct change, as dollar bills are not accepted.
A secondary airport, Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG, also known as Isla Grande Airport), serves only flights from Puerto Rico's smaller islands.
Buses
San Juan's public bus system is affordable and the drivers are generally helpful to tourists, but the service is unpredictable. Schedules posted at stops may promise buses every 15, 20, or 30 minutes, yet waits of anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes are possible. Traffic around Old San Juan can be heavy, and some routes require a transfer with additional waiting. Buses generally stop running around 8 or 9 PM, most do not run at all on Sundays, and they may not feel safe after dark.
Practical tips for riding:
- Bus stops are marked with the word "PARADA."
- Wave or flag down your bus as it approaches, or it may pass you by.
- Fares are paid in coins only — stock up on quarters, though nickels and dimes are also accepted. As of mid-2025, buses were temporarily free during a fare-collection upgrade.
- Pull the cord to signal your stop.
- Tell the driver your destination; most are happy to let you know when to get off.
Useful routes for visitors include the T21, which connects Condado, the convention center, Old San Juan, and the Sagrado Corazón Tren Urbano station, and the T5, which links Isla Verde and the main airport to Old San Juan via Miramar. To reach Old San Juan from Puerta de Tierra, take the T3, T5, or T9 to the last stop at Terminal Covadonga, near a major cruise ship pier. Buses do not enter Old San Juan itself — the narrow cobblestone streets make that impractical. For Condado from Old San Juan or Puerta de Tierra, board the T21 over the bridge to Ashford Avenue. For Isla Verde or the airport from the Puerta de Tierra hotels, take the T5 or D53.
Note that some bus lines pass through non-touristic residential areas. If you find yourself on one, stay aboard rather than getting off in a potentially rough area, and ask the driver for advice. Also be aware that drivers may refuse to let you board with large baggage when heading to the airport, so plan a taxi for the return trip if your hotel has no shuttle.
There is no public bus service connecting San Juan to the rest of the island. For travel beyond the city, look into guaguas — vans that operate like group taxis on specific routes.
Trolley and Rail
Old San Juan once had a free trolley service, but as of mid-2025 it appears to be suspended indefinitely. The Tren Urbano rail system serves the San Juan area; the Sagrado Corazón station is a useful connection point for bus routes such as the T21.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a dependable option, particularly for airport transfers and for reaching areas that buses don't serve well. Cabs commonly wait at the end of the El Morro esplanade footpath and at the southwest corner of Plaza Colón, so you can usually find one near the main Old San Juan attractions. Fares from the airport to most points in the city are fixed, with a surcharge per piece of luggage.
For day trips to sights outside San Juan, organized bus and van tours can be arranged through most hotels, and concierges at the major hotels outside Old San Juan can usually set these up. During busy periods, drivers may decline passengers with significant luggage.
Driving and Parking
A car makes it much easier to get around different parts of the city, the rest of the island, and to and from the airport. Driving is straightforward for anyone used to American road signs — Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so sign shapes will be familiar, even though some signs are in Spanish. Budget for parking fees as you travel around, and expect parking to be genuinely difficult in Old San Juan, where the streets are one-way and cobblestoned.
If you must drive into Old San Juan, try parking along Calle de Norzagaray or other streets on the northern side, near the main attractions and the trolley route. The Estacionamiento Doña Fela garage on Calle del Recinto Sur offers parking in Old San Juan at reasonable prices. Free parking is available at the Puerta de Tierra beach, and most of Puerta de Tierra's attractions are on the beach or within walking distance.
Walking
Walking is the natural way to explore Old San Juan, whose compact, cobblestoned layout rewards pedestrians. It is also effectively the only way to get around within the district, since buses don't enter it and parking is scarce. Elsewhere, walkability varies: Puerta de Tierra's attractions cluster near the beach, while areas like Condado and Isla Verde are more spread out.
Ferries
Ferries del Caribe runs an international passenger and vehicle service from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The crossing is overnight, requires Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative documentation, and has strict rules about transporting vehicles. Fares are payable in U.S. dollars. There is also ferry service from across the harbor, and a large wall-mounted bus map is available at the ferry terminal in Old San Juan.
Quick Tips
- If you're staying in Old San Juan, plan to walk — and arrange day trips through your hotel.
- If you're in Puerta de Tierra, most bus lines stop within walking distance of the hotels, and the T3, T5, and T9 will take you into Old San Juan.
- Carry coins for the bus, and don't count on service in the evening or on Sundays.
- For the airport, a taxi is the most reliable choice, especially if you have luggage.
- Rent a car only if you intend to explore beyond the city — and be ready for parking challenges in Old San Juan.