Wife and I are going to PR in mid April just because we got a cheap flight from Atlanta.
We have never been there. Reading the reviews I cannot really get a handle on renting a car and hitting the roads, finding decent places to stay without reservations and just how much we can get to see and do on a 6 day visit. We have been to Jamaica and visited a Couples resort in Ocho but we were discouraged from taking off on our own which is what we like to do.

It is pretty easy to drive around the island. The most confusing part is in San Juan due to traffic and sometimes poor signs.

I think you should rent a car. The cheapest is Charlie Car which is a local company on the island.

As to where to stay, I would book a hotel in some area of San Juan and a few days either in Ponce or Southwest.

Have fun in Puerto Rico.

I agree with the previous post that you should rent a car. The highway system there is very similar to that of the U.S. so you should be fine driving around.

San Juan should keep you occupied for a few days. Stay closer to the airport near Condado or Isla Verde as traffic in Old San Juan is pretty bad. Take the bus in and cab out at night (should cost you about $20 to get back to your hotel). Great place to stroll around in Old San Juan, with great architecture, and of course the fort.

Day trips may include a visit to El Yunque the rain forest, as well as to Luquillo Beach which is probably the best one around the San Juan area.

If you are a beach lover like me, then the beaches on the islands of Culebra and Vieques is worth a visit or even a stay for a night or two.

It is pretty safe in San Juan but of course practice street smarts as always.

Have a Don Q (rum) and Coke for us!

We love Puerto Rico. Main roads are good and well marked, traffic bad in San Juan but no worse than any big city. We rent car at the airport and stay in the Isla Verde area very close to the airport. The island is so small that you can cover a lot of it in a few days. We have visited El Yunque twice, driven all along the north coast(great beach at Luquillo) and down the east coast. We drove to Ponce one day and would have liked to stay longer. We drove the north coast west from San Juan as far as Hatillo. Of course there is a lot to do and see in San Juan.
PR has about everything..scenery, history, culture, food, and the people we meet have courtesy and dignity and are proud of their homeland. Some islands seem to have nothing but the tourist trade but PR is a real place.

Agree with everyone else.

Best way to enjoy the island is to rent a car.

I've been here for 14 months now and still some of the things I see the locals do on the road, amazes me. But as long as you take it easy, you will be fine.

I have a personal blog that has info on things to see and do here in PR. http://www.visit-the-coqui.com

You might want to consider splitting the trip (few days in San Juan, few days on the west coast).

coqui thanks for the link, great site!

Thanks to all. I have subscribed to visit the coqui and find it informative.

Can anyone recommend a place to stay in SJ area to use as a base that is on the beach with a nice pool?

Also the western end, pls give a location and place to stay in that area.

We appreciate your website coqui!

Newsbear.

I don't know your budget, but we recently stayed in the Intercontinental in Isla Verde (SJ) and were very pleased. It's laid back and very pleasant. The Pool area is very nice, and the beach there is great. We are not casino or night club people so I can't speak for that aspect of it.

The El San Juan, next door, was more Las Vegas (lots of 'trendy' bars in the lobby and that kind of thing). We checked it out and were glad we stayed at the Intercontinental.

I always stay outside of Area Metro (San Juan Area). If you are going to spend most of your time in SJ, it makes sense to stay in Condado or Isla Verde. If you plan trips to the South West, I would stay in Ponce or Guanica.

Isabella is a nice town in the Northwest and Humacao is a nice town in the East.

Have fun in Puerto Rico.

PS: I like Coqui's webpage also.

I would rent a car. I visited El Yunque while I was there. It was very pretty, although not quite the rain forrest experience of some other countries. San Juan has a lot of history, and charming streets. They have a fort called El Morro with loads of great history. I think I would be comforatable in PR traveling without a group. Remember it is still the U.S. You can also take the ferry over to Vieques, which has a biolumenescenc bay, check that out on line, very cool.

If you are going to be on the big island for 6 days, you should look into spend a day or so on Vieques or Culebra. Both a completely different experience from the main island of PR.