Difference between revisions of "Kill Time During a Long Layover in San Juan, Puerto Rico"

{{fa}}Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island, the smallest of the Greater Antilles, {{convert|100|mi}} long by {{convert|35|mi}} wide. Because it became an unincorporated territory of the United States in 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, the currency is the US dollar and there is no passport requirement for US citizens unless arriving from a foreign country. The official language is Spanish but everyone speaks at least basic English. A nice bonus is that for duty-free purposes, trips to the mainland US qualify for purchases in the stores, and there is no limit on duty-free purchases! It is not uncommon to find yourself with a long layover at San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International airport -- Puerto Rico is an aviation and cruise ship hub for the Caribbean. This article will give you some ideas of what to do if you find yourself in that situation.

{{fa}}Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island, the smallest of the Greater Antilles, {{convert|100|mi}} long by {{convert|35|mi}} wide. Because it became an unincorporated territory of the United States in 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, the currency is the US dollar and there is no passport requirement for US citizens unless arriving from a foreign country. The official language is Spanish but everyone speaks at least basic English. A nice bonus is that for duty-free purposes, trips to the mainland US qualify for purchases in the stores, and there is no limit on duty-free purchases! It is not uncommon to find yourself with a long layover at San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International airport -- Puerto Rico is an aviation and cruise ship hub for the Caribbean. This article will give you some ideas of what to do if you find yourself in that situation.

== Steps ==

== Steps ==

#  Determine your layover time and subtract from that one hour for security screening and returning to your gate, and another hour for round-trip travel. If you have less than two hours left over, leaving the airport may not be a good idea, particularly on weekdays when rush-hour [[Avoid Traffic Jams|traffic]] can be very heavy. Rush hour in the area of the airport is from 7AM to 9AM (westbound traffic) and from 4PM to 7PM (eastbound traffic). Traffic is generally light on weekends. If you have a short layover and would like to see more of San Juan, talk to the airline you will be flying and ask if you can change your departure date. There are many inexpensive and charming hotels in the area<ref>http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=san+juan+hotels&fb=1&gl=us&hq=hotels&hnear=San+Juan,+Puerto+Rico&ei=FGsTTdusBYiq8Ab3xdCxDg&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CA0QtgMwAA</ref> and you will not regret having the opportunity to see more of this city and its 500+ years of colorful history.

#  Determine your layover time and subtract from that one hour for security screening and returning to your gate, and another hour for round-trip travel. If you have less than two hours left over, leaving the airport may not be a good idea, particularly on weekdays when rush-hour [[Avoid Traffic Jams|traffic]] can be very heavy. Rush hour in the area of the airport is from 7AM to 9AM (westbound traffic) and from 4PM to 7PM (eastbound traffic). Traffic is generally light on weekends. If you have a short layover and would like to see more of San Juan, talk to the airline you will be flying and ask if you can change your departure date. There are many inexpensive and charming hotels in the area<ref>http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=san+juan+hotels&fb=1&gl=us&hq=hotels&hnear=San+Juan,+Puerto+Rico&ei=FGsTTdusBYiq8Ab3xdCxDg&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CA0QtgMwAA</ref> and you will not regret having the opportunity to see more of this city and its 500+ years of colorful history.