Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Metro
» The Tren Urbano (
Click here
) opened in 2005 and shuttles people around San Juan.
Tickets are a standard 75¢ one-way.
» It has 16 stations and covers 11 miles from Sagrado Corazon in Santurce to Bayamón.
» Although it still avoids the areas of main tourist interest, there are proposals to extend the
route.
» It's the only one of its kind in the Caribbean.
» It currently operates at 13% of its capacity.
LOW-IMPACT TRANSPORTATION
» Puerto Rico is a small island and in-country flying is largely superfluous - unless
you're the president or in a major hurry. Rather than catching a plane to the outlying
islands of Culebra and Vieques, get the scenic 1- to 1½-hour ferry from Fajardo in-
stead.
» San Juan has a great public transportation system that is both far-reaching and cheap,
making car hire in the capital largely unnecessary.
» Hire a bike where feasible and discover Puerto Rico's quieter corners on two wheels.
» Resist renting a car on the tiny island of Culebra (there are far too many of them
already). Instead, use públicos, a bicycle and your own two feet.
» Aim to take at least one journey on a público and find out what these colorful street-
theaters-on-wheels are all about.
» Experience the relative modernity of San Juan's Tren Urbano.
Públicos
Públicos are essentially intertown minibuses that run prescribed routes during daylight
hours. Traveling via público offers a great local experience, but requires a lot of patience
and time. Some públicos make relatively long hauls between places such as San Juan and
Ponce or Mayagüez, but most make much shorter trips, providing a link between com-
munities. Públicos usually make their pickups and drop-offs at a van stand on or near a
town's central plaza. Travel via públicos takes a long time, as the driver stops frequently to
let people on and off. For schedules and fares, inquire at the público stands in town plazas
