Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Driving Advice and Car Hire Info

Driving in Puerto Rico-
You can drive for up to 3 months on a photo ID from your own country. Road rules are basically the same as those in the USA ie drive on the right, speed limits are generally lower than in Europe at 55 or 65 (and speed signs are in MPH not KMH whilst confusingly distance signs are often in KMs) . You can turn right on a red stop signal if the way is clear.

Puerto Rico has a generally well maintained network of main roads with 3 interstate highways –

Puerto Rico Highway 1 (PR-1) connects the cities of Ponce and San Juan, running along the southern coast of the island heading towards Salinas where the road turns north to cut through the Cordillera Central towards San Juan.

PR-2 is a 230km road which is 2 or 3 lanes and connects San Juan and Ponce, running along the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west from San Juan, then parallel to the west coast from Aguadilla towards Mayagüez. Shortly after Mayagüez, the road runs inland until it reaches the southern coast of Puerto Rico at Yauco, then follows the southern shore as it approaches Ponce from the west.

PR-3 is a 160km route which connects San Juan to Salinas indirectly around the eastern coast of the island. The road ranges from a dual carriageway to a rural single lane road.

A number of main routes are toll roads, with each toll being between $0.75 and $3. Charges are applied by an electronic toll pass called AutoExpreso, and a charging tag will generally be included with your rental car.  You should pass through the Movilcard lane and the tag will be read automatically and the toll added to your rental charge.

Other main roads are generally in good condition though you may encounter the odd pot hole. Samller rural roads may be in a worse condition. San Juan is often very congested and you’re likely to spend some time here sat in traffic jams. Also in San Juan they run a bus lane system in some streets where the left lane is reserved for buses only. It’s identified by diamond-shaped white signs painted on the lane at regular intervals and you should never drive in this lane. Driving standards are sometimes not up to European/USA standards and there can be instances of drinking and driving at weekends . You should drive confidentally but defensively, especially in urban areas where aggressive driving style is most likely to be experienced. If you rent a car on Vieques, be aware of wild horses which roam across the island and can be a hazard at night. Watch out for foals which are likely to run in front of cars if they’re separated from their mother by the road.

Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc

Puerto Rico Car Rental
Sixt, Hertz, Alamo, National, Avis, Budget, Thrifty,  all operate here.Also usually features on Car rental broker sites  and Web discount sites such as Expedia

We currently have no local car rental partners in Puerto Rico. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com

Puerto Rico Self Drive Rules-
Cars can’t be taken off Puerto Rico.

 

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