How you can have a car in Puerto Rico
Your options for getting around Puerto Rico without a car
Final Word
How you can have a car in Puerto Rico
There are a few ways you can have your own car in Puerto Rico. You can rent a car when you get there, you can buy a car when you get there, or you can ship your car there. These options are far from equal, especially when it comes to cost.
Renting a car is the quickest option once you arrive in Puerto Rico but that is about the only upside there is. Unfortunately, renting a car will leave you with a bunch of irritating restrictions on where you can drive and how you can drive. It will also quickly become quite expensive. If you rent a car in Puerto Rico it will cost you about ten dollars per day.
That does not sound like a lot but if you are staying in Puerto Rico for any sort of longer duration it will add up. In just six months, the cost of renting a car will add up to over two thousand dollars when you factor in rental insurance costs.
In addition to that, there will be restrictions on how and where you can drive the car. For example, many rental agreements will not allow you to take the car off the island to other islands such as Culebra. You can still do that, but if something goes wrong, you will be completely liable for the cost of repairing or replacing the vehicle.
The cost of buying a car is simply astronomical when compared to the other options. You could possibly get a cheaper used car for five or so thousand dollars. However, the cost is much greater when you factor in things like repairs and depreciation.
Finally, you can ship a car that you have in the United States to Puerto Rico. This way you can avoid paying for the car every day and save several thousand if not tens of thousands of dollars. When you ship a car to Puerto Rico, it will cost anywhere between $1,000 and $2,500 depending on several factors including what time of year you ship, what model car you are shipping, what shipping options you choose, and how far you are shipping.
Your options for getting around Puerto Rico without a car
If you do not have a car in Puerto Rico because of the expense or for any other reason you will have several other options for getting around. This includes ride-share apps, public transportation and old-fashioned walking.
If you are staying in San Juan or near a beach and do not plan on venturing far beyond your area, walking can actually be a pretty good option. Puerto Rico’s weather is ideal for walking places and much, if not all, of everything you need will be located quite close because of Puerto Rico’s overall small size. Plus, you can always use this option in conjunction with the other options such as public transportation.
Public transportation is another option if you do not have a car in Puerto Rico. There are busses, yellow cabs and even a train. Unfortunately, the train only runs over about a ten-mile area near San Juan, but it is quite useful and convenient. You can learn more about Tren Urbano here. Busses are a good option too but its not perfect as there is no island-wide bus service in Puerto Rico. However, you can get busses in San Juan, Carolina, Cataño, Guaynabo, Trujillo Alto and Bayamón. You can also hail yellow cabs throughout Puerto Rico although you will typically find them in and around populated areas like San Juan.
Finally, there is limited availability of ride-share apps in Puerto Rico. You can get an Uber in various places in Puerto Rico. Just be aware that it might take some time to find a driver in the more remote areas.
Final Word
You have so many great options for getting around Puerto Rico. Renting a car should only be a short-term fix, with the other options you have it does not make any sense to pay for a car every single day that you have it. If you want to have your own car in Puerto Rico, shipping one you already own will be your best option. You can also take advantage of public transportation as well as Uber.
