Three Hours in San Juan
 

We have a four hour lay-over in San Juan and I was wondering if it would be worth it to visit Old San Juan -- would we have time? What would you do with three hours in San Juan?!!

I can't remember how far it is from airport to Old San Juan, but Old San Juan is really neat. Cobblestone streets, lots of street vendors and shops. Plus cruise ships come in and out of port there. I think you would enjoy it if you have the time.

Not enough time...you could easily spend more than 4 hours there alone. Do like we do with 3 hour layovers...take a good book or people watch!

We went into old town a few weeks ago during a 4 hour layover and it was really nice. We have been there before, and I can assure you it is not a big deal. The taxi ride from the airport is about 15 to 20 minutes and is a regulated fare of around $16. Tell the driver to take you to the cathedral square or the Hotel Convento. Then, walk around for 2 hours or have a good meal/drink at the hotel which is lovely. It sure beats hanging around Luis Munoz airport!! Old Town is really quite beautiful. The only hurdle is to make sure to check your bags before heading into town. And leave at least old town by taxi 1 hour before your flight is leaving.

A word of warning. In light traffic you can get to Old Town by Taxi in about 25 minutes. However, before you go if you are connecting to another airline, make certain you know how early you need to check in before your reservation is cancelled. If they are overbooked they can use the 2 hour international checkin requirement to dump you. Also, in heavy traffic it has taken us as long as 60 minutes to get from the El Convento to the airport.
If you go into Old Town you have about enough time to walk around a few blocks and have a coffee at the El Convento.

This is exactly why I said read a book and people watch. It took us forever to get to OSJ and it is too beautiful to try to do justice to it in such a short period of time. I'd rather take a cab to one of the hotels near the airport, have a couple drinks and play the slots!