Anyone here driven in Puerto Rico?

[eap1986]

Our cruise gets back to SJ the morning of the 26th and our flight home isn't until the afternoon on the 27th. After 7 days of guided excursions, hubby and I would REALLY like to rent a car in SJ and drive out of the city... probably to the rainforest.

 

The problem is, neither one of us speak Spanish. Do you think we can manage? I'd be willing to learn what little I can between now and then, but it won't be much obviously. I would really love to do this but if it's going to be really stressful it may not be worth it.

 

If you think it's doable, would you recommend staying elsewhere on the island and returning the car prior to the flight? Or driving back the same day and staying in SJ? Seeing SJ isn't a factor because we plan to do that prior to the cruise.

 

Sorry for the long question, thanks in advance :D

[rainforestgirl]

Driving is not horrible and knowing Spanish is not essential.... you can rent a car and go with just a few translations. The driving rules are all about the same as in the States. The rain forest is about 1 hr outside of OSJ. You can stay in Luquillo or Rio Grande (or Fajardo) and experience one night outside the city.

You will need only a few Spanish words- este (east) , oeste (west), and the info for the tolls. Do a google search for "driving Spanish Puerto Rico" and you should find some info about driving in PR and what words you need to know.

 

Also look into doing the BioBay on the 26th out of Fajardo- you will be here at a perfect time to see it!

[orquidia]

like the post below said, if you know the traffic signs in spanish or have the list that is all you need to know, car rental companies or travel guides have the list

 

here are the most common

 

Este - east

Oeste - west

Norte - north

Sur - south

No Entre - no not enter

Ceda - yield

Peligro - danger

Salida - exit

Peaje - toll

Tránsito - (with an arrow pointing which way) one way

Prohibido el Paso - no entry

No Estacione - no parking

Avenida - avenue

Expreso - expressway

Calle - street

Km. - kilometers is used to measure distance in roads

Pare - stop

Carril - lane (carril izquierdo - left lane, carril derecho - right lane)

Desvío - detour

Hombres Trabajando - men at work

Carretera Cerrada - road closed

Velocidad Máxima - maximum speed (velocidad mínima- minimum speed)

Vire - turn (izquierda - left, derecha - right)

 

 

...i think i covered most of them.

 

 

[CarolRick]

It is easy to rent a car in PR. We have done it several times and never had a problem. The traffic is equivalent to major US urban areas. You want to try to avoid rush hours if you can.

 

We don't speak Spanish and have never had a problem. I would add one more word to RFGirls' list - 'salida' - exit.

[mytime53]

We did just this last year--no problem. We stayed in Luquillo, ate at the kiosks, went to the rainforest, went to Fajardo to catch the fast catamaran to Vieques for the biobay...we had a great time!

[oh2cruise]

We have rented a car each stay in San Juan and we have stayed at the Rio Mar post cruise in Rio Grande. It is breathtaking!!! Very easy driving. If you have a portable GPS, you might want to bring it with you...we pre-programmed it for everywhere we wanted to go and it was a huge help...it speaks in English, and tries its best to say the Spanish words in English...it is a hoot!! anyway, the GPS was a help. Great rates on Priceline for the Rio Mar...and it is a beautiful resort, across the main thoroughfare from the Rain Forest! We rented the car from Charlie's. They will pick you up at the cruise terminal and take you to the airport...Very nice to do business with! Have fun!

[eap1986]

Wow so many great answers I'm going to have to print all of this info! Thank you!

[Kikkycat]

Most if not all of the sign shapes are the same as the US signs. So the "ceda" looks like a yield, and Pare looks exactly like what you expect a stop sign to look like.

 

One "issue" you might find if you drive outside of the tourist areas is finding a place to eat where you can order in English. DH & I went off the beaten path after visiting the rain forest and ended up having lunch in a cute seaside town, but the only waitress in the restaurant we chose did not speak English and the menu was in Spanish. We do have a few words of Spanish (and I have a little more background in French - many of the words are similar enough to figure it out if you know that language too). But neither of us were 100% sure of what we were ordering.

 

If you have a smart phone, you can download an app that can do translation for you.

[eap1986]

If you have a smart phone, you can download an app that can do translation for you.

 

Yeah, that's a great idea!

[DaveandDiane]

We have rented a car in San Juan several times without any issue. On our last trip we stayed at the Passion Fruit in Fajardo (passionfruitbb.com), and really enjoyed it. Definately try to do the bio bay...it is a wonderful experience! We flew into Ponce, and then drove around the island stopping at local bakeries and kiosks. We too don't know much Spanish, but it was fun eating where the locals eat, and it was an adventure not always being certain what you were ordering!

 

This year we are staying 5 nights pre cruise in Rincon...we love Puerto Rico, and want to see a different part of the island.

[Cap'n Cork]

I have rented a car in Puerto Rico a couple of times.

 

The major difference is that the first time I rented a car, I was based at the Courtyard by Marriott over by the San Juan airport , and I only used my rental for making a day excursion along the island's north shore to Rincon.

 

I don't recall much trouble with traffic (Although San Juan DOES have a rush hour). Of course I didn't care to drive or park in old San Juan

 

The second time I rented a car, I had decided to spend 2 nights near Ponce, which is a pleasant small city on PR's south coast. The oldest part of Ponce reminds me of a dried-out Spanish-speaking New Orleans placed in a setting that physically resembles California from 60+ years ago.

 

I didn't see if Ponce had a roaring night-life; I'm a day person.

 

I had no problems, but I should point out that I do speak some Spanish, howbeit the border Spanish of Texas.

[vancouvergirl2010]

No problem at all...I did it alone with a child. You'll be fine...give yourself lots of time for the rainforest and take lots of water...there are some nice hikes to waterfalls.

[amapola]

One thing that can be confusing is that speed limits are given in MPH but distances are measured in kilometers! So when you see a sign that says Ponce 45 (or whatever), it's Kms, not miles.

[harryjr]

We rented from Hertz which has a location in the Sheraton across from the pier. If you are a AAA member, you can get a free upgrade. Our Corolla was upgraded to an Explorer and the total cost for a day was $44. It came with a GPS which was really helpful getting us onto the correct ramps for the freeways going to El Yunque. Otherwise, driving was not much different than in the States.

[orquidia]

One thing that can be confusing is that speed limits are given in MPH but distances are measured in kilometers! So when you see a sign that says Ponce 45 (or whatever), it's Kms, not miles.

 

and gas is sold in Liters not in Gallons, if you see 70 cents posted in a gas station is talking about Liters, not Gallon.

[sbenus]

easy driving down here as per all the other replies but following directions is hard as roads are not in a grid order and most use names not numbers. i recommend using a gps and pre-programming it

[orquidia]

easy driving down here as per all the other replies but following directions is hard as roads are not in a grid order and most use names not numbers. i recommend using a gps and pre-programming it

 

we use names for streets avenues and expressways, numbers are rarely used and only see them in tourist maps. using gps is a good recomendation.

[#1TravelMom]

You can definately do this on your own. We've done it many times. Unfortunately, I chose to take 5 years of French - useless! So, I can assure you that Spanish is not necessary. You can reserve at car at Hertz at the Sheraton or with Charlie Car Rental. Very easy to find the rainforest. Take your time and do the hike to the waterfall for a swim - very nice. I recommend the El Conquistador Resort - fabulous!!!

[Storm730]

We rented from Hertz which has a location in the Sheraton across from the pier. If you are a AAA member, you can get a free upgrade. Our Corolla was upgraded to an Explorer and the total cost for a day was $44. It came with a GPS which was really helpful getting us onto the correct ramps for the freeways going to El Yunque. Otherwise, driving was not much different than in the States.

Did Hertz have a drop off location at the cruise terminal? We are taking Royal Caribbean Adventure is the Seas.

[rshel]

I was interested to see folks reply so cheerfully to the original post question. In my estimation, if you are a very confident driver, THEN you are ready to drive in San Juan vicinity. However, the more rural areas were easy. In SJ, speed limits are viewed as suggestions by the locals (note that the speeding fines are steep), stop signs and stop lights are more stop-and-go after 10 PM (due to carjacking incidence, I was told), drivers will simply pull out into a traffic break to make a u-turn or left turn and wait there until the other lane clears (it's ok!), and be alert for cars missing lights or signals at night. Use the toll roads to avoid miles of stop-and-go. Yes, do stop at roadside stands! I echo the idea of avoiding any thought of driving in Old San Juan. Taxis are moderately priced (overall) and an easy alternative. If you are at a resort away from SJ area, drive in to Isla Verde (hotel row), find a public parking lot, then taxi into Old San Juan. Enjoy!

[Aviator of the Seas]

I disagree withnthe not driving to Old San Juan part. There are a couple of decent parking garages on the eastern approaches to Old San Juan, near the docks. One is Paseo Portuario (private) and the other is Doña Fela (government run), both on Recinto Sur street. There's another one by the docks next to the pink Customs building.

 

The only time I wouldn't drive into Old San Juan would be on Sundays after church is out (local families flock to Old San Juan on Sunday afternoons) and during festivals like the San Sebastian, Culinary, etc.

[luisrp]

Use the toll roads to avoid miles of stop-and-go.

 

Be aware that toll roads are being converted to cash-less. Rental cars usually have the electronic tag and they will charge you some fee in addition to tolls (same as Plate Pass in many US states) so that should not be a problem at all. If not using a car without the electronic tag you must purchase a pre-paid card at one of the toll booths with the R+ sign and use that card in the R or R+ lanes. The pre-paid card cannot be used in the non-stop Autoexpreso lanes. We are in the middle of this transition and only the PR-52 (south) and PR-53 (east) are now fully cash-less. The other toll roads such as PR-22 (north), PR-66 (northeast) and PR-5 (Bayamon) are still accepting cash but they also have Autoexpreso.

[leaveitallbehind]

Echoing most of the comments made - it is an easy thing to do. I used to travel there frequently on business and have essentially driven the entire island. Major rental agencies are available with reliable cars. Very easy to navigate with the previoulsy provided sign translations. English is prevelent throughout the island with Spanish becoming more noticeable the further inland and rural you go, but English is always understood. The autopista is very clear and gets you basically any main area you want to go with easy to navigate secondary roads supporting it. I always enjoyed the people who live there and traveling throughout the island and found it a good and easy way to see the sights.

 

One quick story to help assure you. My wife and inlaws were with me there a number of years ago. And as we were headed back from the south coast to the airport, we stopped for breakfast at a McDonalds. As we approached a toll both 30 minutes later, my wife realized she left her purse at the restaurant. We turned around, headed back, and to our great relief learned that the maintenance man there had seen it on our table, but with a different guest - who then also left it at the table. He then collected it and and put it in the managers office. It was returned to us intact - airline tickets, passports, credit cards, and $400 cash. He refused a reward, but I put $100 in his shirt pocket anyway against his protests. True story. Go and enjoy.....

[carribeanpirate18]

Most if not all of the sign shapes are the same as the US signs. So the "ceda" looks like a yield, and Pare looks exactly like what you expect a stop sign to look like.

 

One "issue" you might find if you drive outside of the tourist areas is finding a place to eat where you can order in English. DH & I went off the beaten path after visiting the rain forest and ended up having lunch in a cute seaside town, but the only waitress in the restaurant we chose did not speak English and the menu was in Spanish. We do have a few words of Spanish (and I have a little more background in French - many of the words are similar enough to figure it out if you know that language too). But neither of us were 100% sure of what we were ordering.

 

If you have a smart phone, you can download an app that can do translation for you.

 

I have driven this island many times as I used to visit on business and its very easy. I have driven from San Juan to Rincon or Mayaguez (about 2-2.5 hours) and it was a breeze. As it was said, the signs all resemble signs you see in the US, so you can figure out what it means. This poster is correct, though, in saying that outside of San Juan its likely you will run into Spanish only speaking restaurants. Its happened to me more than once and can be quite interesting!

[exercisemama]

Is there a drop off for rental ccars at the Pan American Pier/