long layover- what to do?
 

We had a schedule change and now will be arriving PR airport at 8:30 am from Nevis- and we don't fly out until 3:30 pm- any suggestions on what we could do?? Hate the thought of spending the day at the airport, but don't know PR at all- how far is Old San Juan? Would appreciate any suggestions! Thank you! Susan

You can easily go to Old San Juan and walk around there. Taxi will cost roughly $20 or so, and it's about a 15 minute ride (non-rush hour).

Kris

Mymoosie is right about OSJ, it is beautiful there, there are the forts, the cobblestone streets and little shops, great places to eat. We loved the Parrot Club.
have fun...

OSJ is a great place to spend a few hours and you should have plenty of time. Just be sure you allow yourself enough time to get back through security when you return to the airport. TSA screeners at SJU are notoriously slow and wait time could be 30 to 60 minutes. SJU gets quite busy in the afternoon, especially if you are travelling on a week-end (lots of cruise ship passengers). Boarding for a 3:30pm flight will begin at 3:00pm so plan to be back at the airport by 2:00pm, the latest.

We had a 6 hour layover several years ago and took a quick cab tour and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. I know, tourist trap, but my mom collects the shirts from them! It was great. We went on Father's Day and had a hard time finding a cab back to the airport since they were all dad's celebrating with their families!:)

We were in Nevis 2 1/2 months ago and they changed our schedule as well, putting us into PR at 8:30 am. We weren't flying out until 2:30 pm and I too struggled with the thought of sitting in the airport all day. I wanted to grab a cab and find a restaurant but my husband refused as he was worried about finding a cab back and slow TSA'S, etc. so we actually sat there. And believe it or not, the time flew! We grabbed some lunch in the airport and talked to some other people in the same boat as us and before we knew it, they were calling our flight. If both of you feel like you want to get out, by all means do it, but if you decide not to go, the time really does go by quick!

Another option would to be take a taxi to the El San Juan Hotel and Casino. There are lots of restaurants and shops and of course the casino, which you could visit or not. The lobby is beautiful and is a great place to spend time, just to people watch.

I love OSJ so I think that would be a great idea too, but El San Juan is much closer to the airport if that is a concern at all. I have done both options during lay-overs. Have fun!

I would think you could easily spend a few hours in charming old San Juan and then go back to the airport. Time and cab fare quoted seems right to me.

We spent an overnight in San Juan in February and were relieved that we were American Airlines Gold travelers....we arrived 1 1/4 hours before our flight back to the states and don't think we would have made it in time without priority service. The security line is REALLY long. I would arrive back with two hours to spare just in case. One nice thing is that you won't have to go through the USDA ag check at curbside as I would assume that your luggage will be checked through.