Puerto Rico travel tips worth knowing before you fly

Before you fly

• US citizens need no passport. Puerto Rico is a US territory and the flight is domestic — a government-issued ID that meets current federal requirements is enough. Travellers from other countries follow the same rules as for entering the mainland US.
• The currency is the US dollar, and there is nothing to exchange.
• Your US mobile plan works as a domestic plan. No roaming, no international rates.
• The time zone is Atlantic Standard Time, and there is no daylight saving. In the US summer that is the same as Eastern; in winter it is an hour ahead.
• Flights land at SJU (Luis Muñoz Marín, San Juan) for almost all visitors, with smaller airports at Aguadilla (BQN) and Ponce (PSE) for the west and south.
• Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, with peak risk from August to October. Travel insurance is worth it in those months.

Getting in from the airport

SJU sits between Isla Verde and Carolina, minutes from the eastern beach strips and a short drive from the city.

• Rideshare and taxis both work from the terminal — follow the signs to the designated pickup areas rather than standing at the kerb outside arrivals.
• Car rental desks are on site and at nearby lots. Take the toll transponder and ask what the daily fee for it is.
• Traffic decides the journey, not distance. The main routes into the city slow badly at rush hour and a twenty-minute run can double.
• Late arrivals are normal and hosts here are used to them. Give yours your flight number rather than a guessed arrival time.

Driving, which is most of the logistics

• Rent a car unless you are staying in San Juan only. Beyond the metro area there is no useful public transport for visitors.
• Speed limits are in miles per hour and distances are in kilometres. Both appear on the same drive. Fuel is sold by the litre.
• Tolls are electronic. The AutoExpreso system reads a transponder; rental cars come with one and the company charges a daily admin fee, so ask what it is at the counter.
• Rideshare works in the metro area and thins out fast outside it. Do not plan on it in Luquillo, Rincón or the mountains.
• Roads in the mountains are narrow and steep, with blind bends and occasional landslide repairs. Drive them in daylight the first time.
• Parking in Old San Juan is the hard part — use the public garages rather than circling.

Power, water and the internet

The electricity grid has been fragile since the 2017 hurricanes and outages still happen, sometimes for hours. It is not a crisis, it is a fact of life, and most well-equipped rentals have a generator or a battery inverter for exactly that reason.

• Carry a power bank and keep your phone topped up.
• A small torch or head torch is genuinely useful.
• Ask your host what happens to the water pump and the internet during an outage — in some buildings the water goes with the power.
• Public tap water is treated to US standards and generally safe to drink; follow any boil-water notice after a storm.
• Fibre internet is widely available in the metro area and patchier in the countryside. If you need to work, see the remote work guide.

Language and manners

Spanish is the language of daily life; English is widely spoken in San Juan, at the airport and anywhere tourism is the business, and less so in the mountains and small towns. Nobody expects fluency, and a little effort goes a long way.

• Buenos días / buenas tardes on entering a shop or a small restaurant is normal and noticed if it is missing.
• Bendición is what younger people say to elders in their family. You will hear it constantly; it is not for you to use.
• Puerto Ricans are US citizens. Asking about "coming to America" or about currency lands badly, because it is a question about their citizenship.
• Tipping follows US convention: 15–20% in restaurants, a few dollars for a driver or housekeeping.

Staying safe and comfortable

• Rip currents are the real hazard, not crime. Most beaches have no lifeguard; the balnearios do. If the water looks confused, swim somewhere else.
• Sun is stronger than it feels in a sea breeze. Bring a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide — kinder to the reefs than formulas with oxybenzone or octinoxate.
• Mosquitoes carry dengue here. Use repellent, especially at dusk and around standing water.
• Normal city sense applies in San Juan: nothing visible in a parked car, awareness at night, and the same instincts you would use in any large city.
• Trailheads and remote beaches are where car break-ins happen. Take everything with you.
• Sargassum seaweed washes onto east- and south-facing beaches in some months. It is seasonal — try the next beach around the headland.

Weather, and what it means for plans

It is warm year-round. The dry season, roughly December to April, has the most reliable sunshine and the biggest crowds. The wetter months bring short, heavy afternoon showers rather than all-day rain — they pass, and the rainforest is better afterwards.

Two planning notes: in the mountains it is genuinely cooler in the evenings, so carry a layer; and the north coast has bigger surf in winter while the south coast stays calm, which is useful when one side of the island is blown out.

Small things that improve a trip

• Dinner at nine is normal. Kitchens are not closing at eight.
• Supermarkets are large, well stocked and much cheaper than eating out three times a day — one of the strongest arguments for a rental with a kitchen.
• Beaches are public to the high-water line, including in front of hotels.
• Carry small cash for kiosks, beach parking and the offshore islands.
• The Christmas season runs from late November to the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián in mid-January. It is the most joyful and the busiest time to be here.
• The coquí starts calling at dusk. Leave a window open.

Common questions