Trawellogy.com

Car rental In Puerto Rico – The Complete Guide

Disclosure: some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through one, we may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. How we are funded.

How to Compare Prices For Finding The Best And Cheapest Car To Rent In Puerto Rico

In order to find the best and cheapest car for renting in Puerto Rico, You can use the price comparison engine. This is extremely easy. To compare the prices of the cars you should type in the country that you’re visiting i.e Puerto Rico followed by the City and finally the pickup area. If your drop off destination is not the same as the pickup destination then you can check the “drop off car at different location” checkbox and then enter the drop off destination in the search field.

Following this, You must choose the pickup and the drop off date along with the time of the delivery. Check the driver age box or enter the age of the driver if it is below 30 or above 65 and then click on search. This will show you all the cars available in your preferred city of choice along with all the necessary information so that you can choose the cheapest car to rent in Puerto Rico.


The Heart And Soul of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is a place where the Old World is mashed up with the new on an island that is small in size but offers an immense bounty of one-of-a-kind experience.


This comprehensive guide has been carefully crafted in order to make sure you get the best and most affordable deals when renting cars in Puerto Rico whether it is for a business trip or a family vacation.

The Spanish colonial city walls and fortifications of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Spanish colonial walls of Old San Juan, where parking is the main practical problem.

Vehicle Types For Rent In Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico car rental companies offer various cars for rent at affordable prices in various parts of the countries. These cars can all be categorized into seven types that are detailed below.

Renting Economy Cars (4 Seater Cars):

These cars are appropriate if you have only a few people travelling with you. This is certainly the best option to pick if you’re low on cash or just don’t care about the vehicle and only regard it as something that takes you from point A to point B.

AutoExpreso: the toll system that catches every visitor

Puerto Rico’s toll network is electronic and largely cashless. The system is called AutoExpreso, and the main highways you will actually use — PR-52 south to Ponce, PR-53, PR-66 and PR-20 — are AutoExpreso only. There are no cash lanes and no way to pay at the booth, because there is no booth.

Individual tolls are small, generally in the range of USD 0.75 to 3.45. The expensive part is how rental companies handle them. Agencies typically charge a daily convenience fee of around USD 10 to 25 for the transponder, whether or not you use a toll that day, and driving a tolled road without an active tag usually triggers a penalty of USD 25 or more per crossing on top of the toll itself.

So ask two questions at the counter: is the transponder daily or per-use, and is it charged on days I do not drive a toll road. On a week-long rental the difference between a good and bad answer is easily USD 100. If your entire itinerary is San Juan and the east coast, you may be able to decline it and stay on untolled roads — but check the route first, because PR-26 out of the airport is tolled.

The Cheapest Economy Cars To Rent In Puerto Rico

Renting The Kia Rio

The Kia Rio is the cheapest cars that you can rent in Puerto Rico. This sedan is perfect for businessmen or small families. For further details refer to the link below which gives a detailed overview of the car. 

Specifications:

  • 5 Seats
  • 4 Doors
  • Automatic Gearbox
  • Price for 1 day:US $61
  • Price for 1 month: US $1,330
  • Full Protection:  $57
  • Cancellation 48 Hours before pickup available.
  • Airport Pickup Available.

Renting Luxury Cars In Puerto Rico

If you wish to travel in luxury and style then luxury cars are the way to go. These might be expensive but they are sure to help you travel in the most comfort and style.

The Best Luxury Cars To Rent In Puerto Rico

Renting A Mercedes C250

The Mercedes C250 is the best luxury car to rent in Puerto Rico. This sedan is known for it’s super stylish design and its attention to details. The Mercedes C250 is an excellent car to rent for people who want to travel in the utmost comfort.

Driving conditions, honestly

The useful thing to know is that Puerto Rico is a US territory, so you drive on the right, your US licence is valid, road signs are the familiar shapes and the rules are the same. Distances are posted in kilometres but speeds in miles per hour, which is a genuine oddity and worth a second look at the speedometer.

Beyond that: San Juan traffic is heavy and lane discipline is loose; mountain roads through the Cordillera Central are narrow, steep and full of blind curves, so allow far more time than the distance suggests; and potholes remain a real problem on secondary roads, particularly after storms. Take the insurance excess seriously — tyre and wheel damage is the most common claim on the island.

Parking in Old San Juan is genuinely difficult. Use one of the paid garages rather than circling; the Doña Fela and Ballajá garages are the standard options.

Specifications:

  • 5 Seats
  • 4 Doors
  • Automatic Gearbox
  • Price for 1 day:US $147
  • Cancellation 48 Hours before pickup available.
  • Airport Pickup Available.

Renting The Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro needs no introduction. Starring in several blockbuster films, The Chevrolet Camaro has set a name for itself in the premium car segment is certainly something that anyone must look into renting if you can afford it.

Condado beach and hotel strip in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Condado in San Juan — hotel parking and beach access, which Old San Juan does not offer.

Specifications:

  • 5 Seats
  • 4 Doors
  • Automatic Gearbox
  • Price for 1 day:US $140
  • Cancellation 48 Hours before pickup available.
  • Airport Pickup Available.

Renting SUVs

If you need a vehicle that can hold an extra person or just want to travel in a car that’s not too cramped up then renting an SUV  is a very good idea. Due to Puerto Rico’s low number of drivers. We could only find one SUV that was available for rent.

Day trips that justify the car

El Yunque National Forest, about an hour east of San Juan, is the only tropical rainforest in the US national forest system. Note that access to the main PR-191 corridor has operated on a timed-entry reservation system in recent years, booked online in advance for a nominal fee — check the current requirement before you drive out, because turning up without one has meant being turned away.

The bioluminescent bays. Fajardo is the easy one from San Juan. Mosquito Bay on Vieques is the brightest in the world and needs a ferry or a flight. Book the tour around the new moon; a full moon washes the effect out almost entirely.

Ponce and the south coast via PR-52, about 90 minutes, for a completely different architectural feel from San Juan.

Rincon and the west for surf, sunsets and a two-and-a-half-hour drive that is the best argument for renting a car at all.

Cheapest SUVs To Rent in Puerto Rico

Renting The Kia Sportage

If you’re looking for a strong, comfortable and spacious vehicle to cruise the roads of Puerto Rico then the Kia Sportage is the best and cheapest SUV you can rent. It also happens to be one of the cheapest SUV to rent in Puerto Rico. The video below provides a good review of the vehicle.

Specifications:

  • 5 Seats
  • 4 Doors
  • Automatic Gearbox
  • Rent Price For A Day: 81$
  • Rent Price For A Month:1,823$
  • Full Protection:  $57
  • Cancellation 48 Hours before pickup available
  • Airport Pickup Available

Renting Chevrolet Suburban

If you’re looking for a more premium looking SUV with larger space for the family or friends then the Chevrolet Suburban is the perfect SUV to rent.

Specifications:

  • 7 Seats
  • 4 Doors
  • Automatic Gearbox
  • Rent Price For A Day: 232$
  • Cancellation 48 Hours before pickup available
  • Airport Pickup Available

Renting A 7 to 9 Seater Car In Puerto Rico

If you plan to visit Puerto Rico with an entourage of people then getting a 7 to 9 seater is a no brainer. This will allow you to hold about 7 people and a bunch of baggage.

Getting from SJU without a car on day one

If you are collecting the rental in town rather than at the airport, or your first night is in Old San Juan where parking is the real headache, a pre-booked transfer from Luis Munoz Marin is the cleaner start. Compare options for your arrival:

The Cheapest 7 to 15 Seater Vehicle For Rent In Puerto Rico

Renting The Kia Sedona

The Kia Sedona is an excellent 7 wheeler vehicle and is infact the cheapest 7 seater vehicle to rent in Puerto Rico

Specifications:

  • 7 Seats
  • Automatic Gearbox
  • 4 Doors
  • 1 Day rental cost: US $94
  • 1 Month Rental Cost: US $2,908
  • Full Protection: US $57
  • Cancellation 48 Hours before pickup
  • Airport Pickups Available at most places

Rental Companies:

Puerto Rico’s leading car rental companies are dominated by Alamo, Sixt and Dollar.

Driving In Puerto Rico

An International Driving License or Local License is required in order to rent a car in Puerto Rico. International driving permits are not available in Puerto Rico and must be brought from the home country.

Rainforest canopy in El Yunque National Forest in eastern Puerto Rico
El Yunque National Forest, about an hour east of San Juan and often requiring a timed-entry reservation.

GPS Navigation

Most rental cars come with a GPS navigation system built into the dash. The systems in some vehicles can be set to display the map and menus and to read directions in English, however English capable systems are not available from every rental company or outlet. 

Gas Station

The Gas Stations are found all over Puerto Rico and are usually fully serviced though self service gas stations have been increasing in recent times.

Petrol Cost: 0.70 Eur/ltr

Where to base yourself

Old San Juan is the most atmospheric and the worst for parking. Condado and Isla Verde have hotel parking and beach access. If you are touring the island, splitting the trip between San Juan and somewhere on the west or south coast beats driving back to the capital every night.

Diesel: 0.66 Eur/ltr

Parking

There are many small parking garages laid out throughout the cities. Some parking spots are paid by the hour while others are usually free. With a little patience finding a parking spot should not be a very difficult job assuming you’re not going out during a holiday or festival since there is a lot of street entertainments in the cities.

Road And Rules In Puerto Rico

  • Cars drive on the right side of the road
  • Minimum age of driving is 18
  • Minimum age to rent is 23
  • Drinking and driving is strictly prohibited
  • Most roads are Tollfree with the exception of some expressways.
  • Road conditions are usually good but traffic is a problem in the cities.
  • Urban Speed Limit: 25mph
  • Rural Speed Limit: 45mph
  • Motorway Speed Limit: 55mph
  • Drink Drive Limit: 80mg
  • Emergency Number is 911

Tourist Spots To Visit In Puerto Rico:

El Yunque National Forest

The Spanish colonial city walls and fortifications of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
El Yunque National Forest

To experience some of Puerto Rico’s lush inland beauty, this is the place to visit. Spread along the Luquillo Mountains, including Pico El Yunque, El Yunque National Forest is home to the only tropical rainforest in the National US Forest System. The climate here is considerably cooler than along the coast and at lower elevations, and it is noticeably wetter. Walking trails wind through the forest, allowing hikers a closer look at some of the 240 species of trees and hundreds of species of plants (50 species of orchids alone), as well as an abundance of smaller wildlife. El Yunque’s peak reaches 3,500 feet above sea level, and the forest covers 43 square miles, including three-quarters of the island’s remaining virgin forest.

Vieques

Condado beach and hotel strip in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Vieques, eight miles from mainland Puerto Rico, has become a popular beach resort with small, upper-end hotels, restaurants, shops, and galleries. With the departure of the United States Army from the island in 2003, Vieques turned its focus to tourism. Beautiful beaches are now supported with a quality tourism infrastructure that attracts both Puerto Ricans and foreign travelers, who take the time to make their way over to the island. There are no large hotels or highrise condo complexes. At 21 miles long and five miles wide, Vieques is the largest of the Spanish Virgin Islands but still offers a small-island feel.


Vehicle Availability and prices are subject to change


Add comment

Airport Transfers

Travel eSIM

Flight Delayed?