Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea. The island nation also includes a trio of smaller islands: Culebra, Mona and Vieques.
Puerto Rico is located east of the Dominican Republic, just north of both the United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands and approximately 1600km (1000mi) southeast of Miami, Florida.
The most convenient route to Puerto Rico is to fly into Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), located 12km (8mi) southeast of Old San Juan in the neighboring municipality of Carolina.
Puerto Rico receives daily non-stop flights from major US cities including Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Miami.
The airport serves as a gateway to the Caribbean islands, and is the busiest airport in the Caribbean region by passenger traffic.
By sea, the San Juan Cruise Port is the largest and busiest cruise port in the Caribbean, and hosts an estimated 500 cruise ships from roughly 18 different cruise lines every year.
The following are the most convenient and quickest flight routes to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico.
From United States: Delta Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways offer the most convenient daily scheduled flights to Puerto Rico.
Atlanta to Puerto Rico is 3 hrs 38 min, direct flight
Boston to Puerto Rico is 3 hrs 56 min, direct flight
Charlotte to Puerto Rico is 3 hrs 46 min, direct flight
Chicago to Puerto Rico is 4 hrs 45 min, direct flight
Dallas-Fort Worth to Puerto Rico is 4 hrs 56 min, direct flight
Fort Lauderdale to Puerto Rico is 2 hrs 35 min, direct flight
Houston to Puerto Rico is 4 hrs 27 min, direct flight
New York to Puerto Rico is 3 hrs 51 min, direct flight
Miami to Puerto Rico is 2 hrs 31 min, direct flight
Los Angeles to Puerto Rico is 9 hrs 9 min, connecting flightˆ
San Francisco to Puerto Rico is 9 hrs 14 min, connecting flightˆ
Seattle to Puerto Rico is 9 hrs 35 min, connecting flightˆ
From Canada: Air Canada, WestJet, Delta Airlines and JetBlue Airways offer the most convenient daily scheduled flights to Puerto Rico.
Toronto to Puerto Rico is 4 hrs 18 min, direct flight
Montreal to Puerto Rico is 6 hrs 48 min, connecting flightˆ
Vancouver to Puerto Rico is 9 hrs 24 min, connecting flightˆ
From Australia: Qantas, Virgin Australia and American Airlines offer the most convenient daily scheduled flights to Puerto Rico.
Adelaide to Puerto Rico 26 hrs 5 min, connecting flightˆ
Brisbane to Puerto Rico is 23 hrs 15 min, connecting flightˆ
Sydney to Puerto Rico is 23 hrs 35 min, connecting flightˆ
Melbourne to Puerto Rico is 24 hrs 30 min, connecting flightˆ
Perth to Puerto Rico is 29 hrs, connecting flightˆ
From New Zealand: Air New Zealand and American Airlines operate the most convenient flights to Puerto Rico.
Auckland to Puerto Rico is 21 hrs 10 min, connecting flightˆ
From Singapore: Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways offer the most convenient flights to Puerto Rico.
Singapore to Puerto Rico is 24 hrs 25 min, connecting flightˆ
From United Kingdom: Iberia, British Airways and JetBlue Airways offer the most convenient scheduled flights to Puerto Rico.
London to Puerto Rico is 12 hrs, connecting flightˆ
From Ireland: Aer Lingus, Iberia and JetBlue Airways offer the most convenient scheduled flights to Puerto Rico.
Dublin to Puerto Rico is 12 hrs 5 min, connecting flightˆ
From France: Iberia offers the most convenient daily scheduled flights from Paris Orly Airport (ORY) to Puerto Rico.
Paris to Puerto Rico is 11 hrs 20 min, direct flight
From Germany: Condor Flugdienst, Lufthansa, Iberia and JetBlue Airways offer the most convenient flights to Puerto Rico.
Frankfurt to Puerto Rico is 10 hrs, direct flight
Berlin to Puerto Rico is 12 hrs, connecting flightˆ
Dusseldorf to Puerto Rico is 12 hrs 25 min, connecting flightˆ
Hamburg to Puerto Rico is 12 hrs 10 min, connecting flightˆ
Munich to Puerto Rico is 12 hrs 10 min, connecting flightˆ
(ˆincludes transfer time.)
Luis Marin International Airport (SJU) (www.aeropuertosju.com) is located 8km (5mi) southeast of the capital city, San Juan. The airport is the largest in Puerto Rico and a key gateway to and from the USA.
There is only one terminal building at Luis Munoz Marin Airport, however, each of the four concourses are described as individual terminals.
The main information centre (tel: +1 787 289 7240) is located in Terminal B near the ticket desks. The tourist information office is situated in Terminal C (tel: +1 800 866 7827) and a Traveller's Aid desk can be found on the first level of Terminal E.
Taxi: Taxis are available from the arrivals level. Fares to San Juan are regulated and depend on the zone: US$12 to Isla Verde (Zone 2), US$17 to Miramar (Zone 3; Zone 5) and US$21 to Old San Juan Zone 4).
Drive time from the airport to central San Juan by car is about 15 minutes.
Puerto Rico has both ordinary taxis and taxis turisticos – the latter are painted white with a logo, have a special knowledge of tourist areas and charge set rates depending on zones.
Bus: Local buses and airport shuttles run a frequent service to San Juan. The journey time to San Juan is about 60 minutes. The Metropolitan Bus Authority stops are located on the departure level at Terminal A and Terminal/Concourse D.
Car hire: Several international car hire companies operate from San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Sixt and Thrifty, as well assome local operators.
Desks are located in each terminal but these companies can also be contacted via the courtesy telephones in the arrivals areas.
Money: A bank is located on the second level (Departures) of Terminal D. ATMs can be found in all concourses.
Food: A collection of restaurants, bars and fast-food outlets are located on the second level (Departures) of Terminals B, C and D. Snack bars are available in all terminals as well as at some departure gates.
Shopping: Duty-free shopping and other retail outlets can be found on the second level of the main terminal complex (Departures).
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi access is available in the airport for free. Public telephones are located throughout the airport.
Other: VIP Lounge Avianca is located on the second level of Terminal C. A left luggage facility and a lost and found service is located in Terminal E. Medical emergency services are available at the airport. Smoking areas are provided.
Meeting space and a business centre are available in the San Juan Airport Hotel (www.airporthotelpr.com) and at the Courtyard Isla Verde Beach Resort (www.sjcourtyard.com), which has four meeting rooms and a fully equipped business centre.
Facilities for the disabled include lifts, ramps, people movers, TDD telephones, disabled toilets and dedicated parking spaces. Travellers should contact the Traveller's Aid desk on the first level of Terminal E for assistance, but passengers requiring wheelchairs and special assistance should contact their airline prior to travel.
Entry requirements for Puerto Rico are the same as for the United States of America. When arriving from mainland USA there is no immigration control.
Visitors must have a passport valid for at least six months after entry. All visitors must hold return/onward tickets and proof of sufficient funds. No visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days.
Best on foot in Old San Juan, elsewhere, hiring a car is the best way of getting around Puerto Rico – just watch out for the chaotic driving habits of the locals as well as the often poor road conditions in rural areas.
In San Juan, a car is more trouble than it's worth – traffic is terrible and parking is scarce, but taxis and buses provide easy transport to get around the city.
Cape Air offers daily flights from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) to offshore islands. Fast sea ferries are also available from the port of Ceiba.
The quality of the road network in Puerto Rico is generally good. All the main cities are well connected by a modern highway system, but secondary roads through the mountains are in generally poor condition, with rough surfaces, pot holes and narrow passes.
More about How to get around Puerto Rico…
Latest update: How to get to Puerto Rico: 7 May, 2022
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