Getting There

Visitors from overseas arrive at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (tel. 787/791-1014), the major transportation center of the Caribbean. The airport is on the easternmost side of the city, rather inconvenient to nearly all hotels except the resorts and small inns at Isla Verde.

The airport offers services such as a tourist-information center, restaurants, hair stylists, coin lockers for storing luggage, bookstores, banks, currency-exchange kiosks, and a bar (open daily 9am-8pm) that offers Puerto Rican rums.

By Taxi -- Some of the larger hotels send vans to pick up airport passengers and transport them to various properties along the beachfront. It's wise to find out if your hotel offers this service when making a reservation. If your hotel doesn't have shuttle service between the airport and its precincts, you'll have to get there on your own steam -- most likely by taxi. Dozens of taxis line up outside the airport to meet arriving flights, so you rarely have to wait. Fares can vary widely, depending on traffic conditions. Again depending on traffic, figure on about a 30-minute drive from the airport to your hotel along the Condado.

Although technically cab drivers should turn on their meters, more often than not they'll quote a flat rate before starting out. The rate system seems effective and fair, and if you're caught in impenetrable traffic, it might actually work to your advantage. The island's Tourist Transportation Division (tel. 787/999-2100), establishes flat rates between the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and major tourist zones as listed here: From the airport to any hotel in Isla Verde, the fee is $8; to any hotel in the Condado district, the charge is $12; and to any hotel in Old San Juan, the cost is $16. Normal tipping supplements of between 10% and 15% of that fare are appreciated.

By Minivan or Limousine -- A wide variety of vehicles at the San Juan airport call themselves limosinas (their Spanish name). One outfit whose sign-up desk is in the arrivals hall of the international airport, near American Airlines, is the Airport Limousine Service (tel. 787/791-4745). It offers minivan service from the airport to various San Juan neighborhoods for prices that are lower than what a taxi would charge. When 5 to 10 passengers can be accumulated, the fare for transport, with luggage, is $8 per person to any hotel in Isla Verde, $9 per person to the Condado, or $10 per person to Old San Juan.

For conventional limousine service, Bracero Limousine (tel. 787/253-1133) offers cars with drivers that will meet you and your entourage at the arrivals terminal for luxurious, private transportation to your hotel. Transport to virtually anywhere in San Juan ranges from $85 to $125; transport to points throughout the island varies from $55 per hour in a sedan carrying 5 passengers to $75 per hour in a limousine with six passengers. Ideally, transport should be arranged in advance, so that a car and driver can be waiting for you near the arrivals terminal.

By Car -- All the major car-rental companies have kiosks at the airport. Although it's possible to rent a car once you arrive, your best bet is to reserve one before you leave home.

To drive into the city, head west along Route 26, which becomes Route 25 as it enters Old San Juan. If you stay on Route 25 (also called Avenida Muñoz Rivera), you'll have the best view of the ocean and the monumental city walls.

Just before you reach the capital building, turn left between the Natural Resources Department and the modern House of Representatives office building. Go 2 blocks, until you reach the intersection of Paseo de Covadonga, and then take a right past the Treasury Building, and park your car in the Covadonga Parking Garage (tel. 787/7222-337) on the left. The garage is open 24 hours; the first hour costs $1, the second hour 65¢, and 24 hours costs $16.

By Bus -- Those with little luggage can take the A5 bus, which runs to the center of the city.

The Way to Go: Tren Urbano--Perhaps by the time you read this, San Juan will be linked to its major suburbs such as Santurce, Bayamón, and Guaynabo by a $1.55 billion urban train called Tren Urbano. So far, three openings have been announced, only to face delays. This will be the first mass-transit project in the history of Puerto Rico. The new train system is designed to bring a fast and easy mode of transportation to the most congested areas of metropolitan San Juan. Trains will run every 4 minutes during peak hours in the morning and afternoon. For more information, call tel. 787/765-0927.