clombardo

We have almost a 4 hr layover in San Juan on a Saturday. I have read some ideas on what to do there on other postings, but the layovers were generally around 6 hrs. Can anyone tell me if we would have time to have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in old San Juan? If not, any other ideas for that amount of time??

RoamsAround

Leaving the airport with a 4 hour layover is doable but cutting it close. I would do it only if your inbound flight arrives on time. Here's what's involved:

1) You have to allow time to deplane and exit the airport. Assuming an on-time arrival and depending on where you are sitting on the the plane and where your arrival gate is located it could take you anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to exit the airport and get a taxi.

2) Figure 20 to 30 minutes to get to Old San Juan and a similar amount of time to get back to the airport.

3) You'll need to allow at least another 30 minutes to clear the TSA checkpoint and walk to your departure gate - add more time if you are traveling on a weekend or it's mid-to-late afternoon (which gets busy at the airport).

4) Remember too that your outbound flight will begin boarding about 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

All of the above means at more than half your "connection time" will be used up getting to/from Old San Juan and through security at the airport. Now factor in the time it takes for you to be seated at the restaurant, place your order, wait for your meal to be prepared, eat, get your check and find a taxi to take you back to the airport and you'l see it could be a stressful meal.

Personally, I would go to Old San Juan with only 4 hours and, for me, going to a Hard Rock Cafe simply isn't worth all that hassle (you can visit Hard Rock Cafes in hundreds of other cities when you have more time.

tom42

I wouldn't do it. I think it will be tight and all it will take to really screw you up is some traffic problem on the way back to the airport. I agree with the poster above, a lunch at the Hard Rock doesn't seem worth the risk of missing your connecting flight. If you must leave the airport, I would suggest sticking to having lunch somewhere in the Isla Verde area - maybe at one of the hotels on the beach. The hotels in Isla Verde are 5 minutes away from the airport.

sharona

We've left the airport a couple of times to have lunch at Metropol, a nice Cuban cafe not too far from the airport. One time our taxi driver ate lunch there at the same time as we did and took us back to the airport. But I wouldn't chance it with just 4 hours. Five? Yeah, probably. But four is cutting it close and I would be a nervous wreck.

We've spent a long time getting through security at SJU. We haven't connected through there in a couple of years but they used to hand check every single carry-on. That added a lot of time. It's a busy airport as it's a major hub for the whole Caribbean.

tom42

sharona - I was going to mention Metropol too but didn't know if it was open for lunch. I've only been there for dinner.

sharona

tom42, if you spend enough time at SJU I think it's mandatory that you visit Metropol at least once.

RoamsAround

OOPS! I just realized the last sentence of my reply should read: "Personally, I would NOT go to Old San Juan..."

cw

Are you leaving the U.S. from SJU or returning? If you're returning you may have a wait at immigration.

I'd play it by ear. Figure out what time you have to be back at the airport and work backwards. As someone said, you can hop over to Isla Verde for lunch or a drink.

blamona

Forget Old San Juan, really not enough time.

You could take a bus over to Ritz for lunch a small casino, only about 10 minutes away.

4 hours is a lot to be at an airport, but not really enough to do anything!

suze

I have only passed thru Puerto Rico once so my comment ismore a general one. But I would never leave any international airport with that short of a connection.

When you say "almost 4 hrs" ... first you need to subtract getting OFF your inbound flight which (let's say) could be up to 30 mins. Then you have to subtract the time you need to be BACK at the airport to check in for your next outbound flight (at least 90 mins. sometimes 2 hrs requested by the airlines), so what you've got on your hands is more like 1.5 hrs. Not enough to leave the airport imo.

clombardo

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!