San Juan Intercity Transportation

• Flights: Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín, on the eastern side of San Juan in Isla Verde. Most major US airlines fly into San Juan (see By Plane). Although more expensive than the bus, taxis are an affordable and very convenient way to travel to and from the airport. Go to a marked “Ground Transportation” booth outside the baggage claim, and an English-speaking official will provide a set fare and a taxi. The cheaper (and much longer) way is by bus. Take bus B40 or C45 from the 2nd level in front of terminal C, then sit back and relax: buses come about every 20-25min. and it’s a 35min. ride to Isla Verde. From there, wait in front of the Isla Verde Mall for bus A5, which goes through Santurce and Puerta de la Tierra en route to Old San Juan. The trip takes about 45-60min. in total. To get to the airport, take bus A5 to Isla Verde and get off at the end of Av. Isla Verde, in front of the orange cockfight arena (40min. from Old San Juan). Then switch to bus B40 or C45 (5min.). The airport is a 5min. drive from Isla Verde, 12min. from Condado, and 15min. from Old San Juan. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company tourist information office is outside the lower level of terminal C. (☎791-1014. Open daily 9am-7pm.) Aeropuerto de Isla Grande, Av. Lindbergh Final, Isla Grande, Miramar, San Juan (☎729-8790; www.prpa.gobierno.pr), on the eastern edge of Puerta de la Tierra, hosts several smaller airlines flying primarily to Vieques, Culebra, and Santo Domingo. Taxis usually wait out front when flights come in; if they’re not there, have the security guard call one. Open daily 6am-10pm.
• Públicos: Públicos (shared vans) are Puerto Rico’s only public form of intercity transportation. In San Juan, públicos congregate in Río Piedras and leave when full (approx. 6am-3pm, although a few may be available later). Drivers sit outside the vans waiting for passengers; just tell any driver your destination, and he’ll point you in the right direction.
• • Terminal de Transportación Juan A. Palerm, at the intersection of C. Arzuaga and C. Vallejo, near the market, houses públicos headed east to: Fajardo (1hr., $3.50) via Luquillo (45min., $3); and Loíza (30min., $1.75).
  • Río Piedras’s Plaza de Diego, 1 block south of Paseo de Diego sends shuttles to: Bayamón (30min., $3); Caguas (40min., $2.50); Guaynabo (30min., $0.75); Humacao (45min.-1hr., $2.50); Ponce (1hr., $10) via Salinas (1hr., $10).
  • Linea Boricua, C. González 116 (☎765-1908), operates out of the Librería Norberto González parking lot. Walk downhill on C. González; the parking lot is on the right at the intersection with C. Jorge Romany. Públicos go to San Sebastián (1-2hr., $12).
  • Linea Sultana, C. Esteban González 898 (☎767-5205 or 765-9377), at Av. Universidad, sends vans to Mayagüez (3hr., every 2hr. 7:30am-5:30pm, $12).
  • Linea DonQ, C. Brumbaugh 102 (☎764-0540), sends públicos to Ponce (1hr., 3-4 per day, $10).