I am going to Carolina Puerto Rico, do I need a rental car? staying for 8 days?

Question

how easy the public transportation is? I am not sure if I need a rental car, can anyone give me an idea?

staying in ESJ hotel and casino, any recommendation in restaurants?

Thanks,

Phoebe

Answer 1

If you are staying the whole time in San Juan then I would say No you dont need a rental car. Carolina is about 15 minutes from your hotel (without traffic). San Juan has taxi's & buses for you to get around & sometimes they dont even allow you to drive in the Old San Juan neighborhood.

But, 8 days is quite a bit of time. You might want to rent a car for a few days to go explore other parts of the island. Some places like el Yunque rain forest & Arecibo Telescope have bus tours, but they are quite expensive & you go by someone elses schedule. If you do decide to rent a car go to Thrifty, Dollar or Payless rental near the aiport. They are cheaper priced. Also see if your credit card will cover the insurance so you dont have to. Enjoy :)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CvOLT7fjQ3Q

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ADDED:

Yes you can reserve the car online or by phone before you go.  An economy car runs about $30 per day at the places I listed. You can call them directly or go to a sight like orbitz or hotwire to find the best price.

Answer 2

I think you should not rent a car. Carolina is only 10-15 minutes from San Juan, and also you can take public transportation  A.M.A. You should visit "El Condado" and go to the Ajili-Mojili Restaurant or Bebos's Restaurant and grill, it's very nice. Another place you can go is to " La Ventana al Mar" @ Condado you can go at day or night. I hope u enjoy your trip. I am a puertorrican lady that used to live in Carolina so my best wishes =D

Answer 3

Definitely rent a car for at least a few days of your trip.

ESJ is great, nice area, lots of restaurants and some shopping close by, but the public transportation system is bad, so you are limited.  And the taxi fares add up quickly.

You need to have a car to really enjoy PR.  There is so much to do outside the SJ area.  The hotel offers tours, but they inflate the price so much, a car rental would be cheaper.  And taxi would be expensive.

Be aware, ESJ  charges for parking.  There is a public  parking lot across the street, not too far down from the hotel that might be cheaper.

For ideas of fun stuff to do and see,check out my travel site:

www.Puertoricodaytrips.com

Answer 4

I would advise it, as long as it is not too expensive.  There are many beautiful parts of Puerto Rico you may want to check out.  And it's always nice having the convience of your own car.

Definatly rent it in advance!  No doubt about that!

Answer 5

Rent a car! There's nothing like feeling independent. If it rains, if you are running late, whatever, now you are stuck. rent a car girl!

Once you are there check the phone book for the type of food you like, Italian, Asian, Indian, Puerto Rican, etc.