Recent Puerto Rico Shipping News

Decide when you want to go to Puerto Rico

The first step in planning for a trip to Puerto Rico is figuring out when you want to go. Many people feel April through the first couple of weeks of June is the best time to visit Puerto Rico because the weather is nice and usually around seventy or eighty degrees. This time frame is also before the rainy summer where there is the ever-present threat of a hurricane.
 

Figure out where you want to go and what you want to do in Puerto Rico

Next, you will want to figure out where you will want to visit. This is no easy task as there are tons of incredible sights to see in Puerto Rico.

For starters, these are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Puerto Rico:

• El Yunque National Rainforest – A world-famous rainforest, the beauty of El Yunque National Rainforest will take your breath away. The rainforest routinely has guided walking tours which can focus on either geography, wildlife or both. This is a must see if you are visiting Puerto Rico.
• Old San Juan – The city of Old San Juan is over five centuries old and is one of the more memorable sights in all of Puerto Rico. Old colonial style architecture and sights like hundreds of year old forts make it an experience that you won’t soon forget.
• Vieques – An island a few miles off the coast of mainland Puerto Rico, Vieques is one of the most talked about attractions in Puerto Rico due to its Bioluminescent Bay in which the water glows bright blue at night due to the glowing phosphorescent organisms that live in the bay in a large concentration. In general, it is also an amazing beach experience. You can get there from the mainland via Ferry.
• Culebra – Culebra is another island off the shore of mainland Puerto Rico. It is much smaller in size and is known because of its gorgeous and tranquil waters with barely any waves. If you visit Culebra, be sure to visit its world-famous wildlife refuge as well.

Figure out what you need to bring

You should be prepared to bring all the usual vacations supplies like a bathing suit, sunscreen and towels but you should also consider bringing some other things as well:

• A roadmap of Puerto Rico – If you have your car shipped to Puerto Rico, you will need to know how to get around to the places you want to visit. Unfortunately, cell service can be unreliable in certain areas, so you will need a roadmap as a backup just in case.
• Mosquito Repellant – Like any other tropical place, bugs and mosquitos are rampant. You should get some spray on repellant as well as a repellant wrist band, so you are covered on two fronts.
• A Virtual Private Network – A virtual private network, or VPN for short, is a must have in places like Puerto Rico. Many of the free Wi-Fi networks are not secure and could result in some of your personal information being stolen such as your credit card number. Don’t risk this happening, it’s very cheap to get a VPN, only a few bucks a month. We recommend Nord VPN.
• A portable phone charger – You might want to spend an entire day out at the beach or wherever you are headed to and there aren’t always readily available places to charge your phone. Take a portable charger with you so that you can charge your phone on the go!

Decide where you will want to stay

You also must decide where exactly you will want to stay during your Puerto Rican excursion. This is another difficult choice because there are so many great places in Puerto Rico for you to choose from.

Here are some of the best spots to stay while you visit Puerto Rico:

• San Juan – San Juan is easily the most popular tourist destination in Puerto Rico and is the capital of Puerto Rico. It has an awesome old colonial feel in much of the city and is near some of the other great sights and attractions in Puerto Rico as well.
• Ricon – A gorgeous beach town in the western part of Puerto Rico, Rincon is an amazing place to stay while you are in Puerto Rico. It is one of the best places to surf in the country and is a popular place for weddings and honeymoons due its perceived tranquility and beauty.
• Rio Grande – Rio Grande is Puerto Rico’s number one tourist resort area. The reason for this is that it is a gorgeous beachfront community and it also has the El Yunque National Rainforest. You can spend one day at the beach here and the next taking a rainforest tour.
• Isabela – Isabela is considered a “hidden beauty” because there won’t be too many other tourists there. It is a tucked away beach community with just as much beauty as any other beach in Puerto Rico if not more.

Take the necessary steps to prepare

You will want to make sure you have thought about everything above before you start making your travel arrangements. This way, the amount of time you spend actually making the arrangements will be kept to a minimum.

Once you do start making your arrangements be sure to shop around for the best deals on things like hotels and flights. If you spend the time looking, you should be able to get these arrangements at significant discounts. Consider using sites like Trivago, Hotels.com, Travelocity and more for the best possible comparison rate shopping on travel arrangements.

You could also consider shipping your car to Puerto Rico if it is an extended trip where you will be driving to various places and attractions. The public transportation can be very unreliable, Uber is essentially non-existent, and cabs can price-gouge. The only issue with shipping your car is the cost of shipping does not factor in the Puerto Rican excise tax. So, you will need to calculate that yourself.
 

Conclusion

There is a lot to consider if you are going to be visiting Puerto Rico. You will need to plan the details of your trip very carefully so that you ensure that you have the very best experience possible.

You need to keep your eye out for the best deals and savings on your travel arrangements as you wouldn’t want to end up paying more than you had to.

You will need to bring whatever you can think of that is necessary for your trip like bathing suits, phone chargers etc.

Most of all, be sure you choose the amenities and details of the trip that you most want. You wouldn’t want to see something just because it is cheapest or has the best proximity to your hotel.

Basics about Puerto Rican ferries

The ferry in Puerto Rico is a cargo ferry which is not really intended for passenger use. If you are traveling with a vehicle on-board you should have no issue getting on. The problem is the boat doesn’t offer much cover from adverse weather like sun or extreme heat. So, prepare accordingly.

You MUST make a reservation ahead of time to get a spot on one of these ferries as well. It is nearly impossible to do so online or in person. So, unfortunately, you will need to drive to the Ferry location before you plan on leaving and make a reservation in-person. We recommend you do this at least a week in advance.

The only issue with these reservations is that they are not ironclad. This basically means if a cargo truck needs to take your spot on the ferry, you will get bumped, possibly to the next day. In the end, its just the luck of the draw.

This is the only way for you to get your car to these islands unless you can find an auto transport company that can ship your car to these places. So far, we have not heard of such a company. Also, then you would need to take a flight yourself to the island.

Also, the ferries don’t always stay on schedule. They depart when they are filled. This includes if they fill early. So, be sure you get there earlier than you might expect to need to.
 

Popular ferry routes people bring their car on

The two places that people in Puerto Rico travel to with their cars via ferry are Culebra and Vieques. These are both wonderful places to visit as they are both incredibly beautiful.

However, be careful about what types of vehicles you travel there with. Some of the roads are unpaved, bumpy and dirty. A Jeep would be fine driving on these roads whereas a really nice luxury car might not be.
Here are the ferries you can take in Puerto Rico:

• Ceiba to Culebra (the main island to Culebra)
• Culebra to Ceiba (Culebra to the main island)
• Ceiba to Vieques (the main island to Vieques)
• Vieques to Ceiba (Vieques to the main island)

These ferries leave several times a day, seven days a week. The issue is that the schedule changes quite frequently. If the ferry is gets filled, even if you have a reservation it will leave. So, be sure you get there early.

These ferries all depart several times a day any where from 4 AM to 9:30 PM. The best idea is to arrive early in the morning and expect to wait up to a couple of hours. It is unfortunate, but that is they way it is right now.

The schedule for departures is: (Remember, these times are VERY subject to change – arrive as early as possible)

• Ceiba to Vieques
  • 4:00 AM
  • 9:00 AM
  • 1:00PM
  • 4:45PM
  • 8:15PM
• Vieques to Ceiba
  • 6:00 AM
  • 11:00 AM
  • 3:00 PM
  • 6:30 PM
• Ceiba to Culebra
  • 4:00 AM
  • 9:00 AM
  • 1:00PM
  • 4:45PM
  • 8:15PM
• Culebra to Ceiba

  • 6:00 AM
  • 11:00 AM
  • 3:00 PM
  • 6:30 PM

Also, please take note of the fact that Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba is where the ferries depart from now. They used to depart from Fajardo but that is no longer the case.
 

Don’t take that rental car on the ferry

Unfortunately, most rental companies will not permit you to take a rental car onto the Ferry. If you do anyway and damage occurs to the rental car while it is on the ship or the island you traveled to, you will void the rental agreement and be responsible for paying for a hundred percent of the damage yourself.

It can’t hurt to ask your rental company if they allow people to travel on the ferry with their cars, but the answer is likely no. That is another reason to ship your car to Puerto Rico with Puerto Rico Car Transport.
 

Conclusion

You can ferry your way to the best and most attractive islands in Puerto Rico. However, it will be a complicated experience to say the least. Plan ahead to avoid unnecessary delays and problems.

Regardless, if you are on your way to Puerto Rico and need your car shipped there, the car shipping professionals at Puerto Rico Car Transport can help.

Puerto Rican tour basics

Puerto Rico is a truly wonderful place to explore and check out some incredible picturesque views. The issue tends to be that many people don’t know the best ways or places to get the full-on experience of Puerto Rico’s amazing beauty.

That is why taking one or several of the fantastic tours of Puerto Rico is easily the best way to experience Puerto Rico and all of its sights. With these tours you can sail at sunset, hike in the jungle, hang on deserted beaches and much more.

These tours are not that expensive either. Doing something like relaxing on a deserted beach sounds expensive but it is actually quite affordable. These tours all range between eighty and a hundred dollars per person.

They are all fairly reasonable in terms of duration as well. All the tours on this list range between an hour and a day. Most are actual just a few hours long. This way, you can take a bunch of different tours during your stay in Puerto Rico.

If you do decide to take one of these tours, as well you should, just be sure that you are ready and prepared for whichever individual tour that you choose. For example, you are required to have certain shoes, notify the tour guide of your weight, be able to participate in semi-strenuous activity, and must acknowledge that you will be getting wet on some of the tours.

Always make sure that you contact your tour provider and ask them what is required of you as well as what you need to do to prepare for your tour.
 

The best tours in Puerto Rico

The following are a variety of the highest rated day-tours you can take in Puerto Rico:

• Deserted Island Catamaran Day Sail from Fajardo – This tour includes a luxury cruise, snorkeling, swimming and some great higher-end amenities. The cruise will include awesome views of El Yunque National Forest and Fajardo’s coastline. The snorkeling includes crystal blue water and amazing, up-close views of the marine life. The tour lasts about 6 hours and costs $87.
• La Parguera Glowing Bioluminescent Bay Tour from San Juan – An ultimate swimming and snorkeling experience, this tour will provide you the lifelong memory of swimming in a gorgeous Puerto Rican bay that’s incredibly lit up bright blue by microscopic organisms. The trip takes about eight hours and costs $199 per person. The trip includes dinner and a certified guide. In most cases this includes hotel pickup as well for those of you staying in San Juan.
• El Yunque Off the Beaten Path Hiking Tour – This tour is probably the best way to take in the lush green expanse, beauty and wildlife of the El Yunque National Rainforest. With this tour, you can avoid the main trails which are often crowded with tourists. As a result of so many people on those trails, there is less wildlife to view. With this tour, you will take secluded trails that lead to great swimming areas as well as areas filled with exotic wildlife. The tour takes about eight hours and costs $99 per person. Hotel pickup might be offered depending on where you are staying.
• Underwater Sea Trek in San Juan – Easily one of the unique experiences that you can have anywhere, the Underwater Sea Trek in San Juan is where you can literally walk around on the ocean floor for over half an hour. How is this even possible you ask? Well, you get what looks like an old-school scuba diving helmet with an air hose that connects to the surface. The best part is that there is no experience necessary and kids eight and over can go too. The tour lasts for an hour and a half and costs $88.
• Old San Juan Sunset Sail – On this tour you will set sail on an old-fashion topsail schooner that will take you around to see the historic sites and monuments in Old San Juan such as fortresses and more. The tour takes just about two hours and costs $95.

Conclusion

Whether you choose bioluminescent bay swimming, snorkeling, zip lining, walking tours, something else or all of them, you are bound to have an amazing experience that you will remember for years to come. Remember to try and book all of the tours that you plan on taking in advanced.

Some tours will pick you up but many times that is at a more central agreed upon location. You still need to get to that spot, wherever it is, yourself. Cabs can be expensive and public transportation is extremely unreliable. You can put your mind at ease and avoid this hassle by shipping your car to Puerto Rico. Give us a call today if you need your car shipped to Puerto Rico at (904) 322-7644!

Toll Roads

There are several toll roads in Puerto Rico. Their cost is pretty reasonable at between thirty-five cents and five dollars, but the wait in line to pay the tolls could be long depending on when you are driving. If you are driving during rush hour expect to wait for a while.

The following roads have tolls in Puerto Rico:

• PR-5 – Connects PR-22 with Baymón and has one toll.
• PR-17 – Connects PR-26 with PR-20 and has one toll.
• PR-20 – Connects PR-1 to PR-2 (north) and has one toll.
• PR-22 – Connects San Juan to Hatillo and has six tolls.
• PR-52 – Connects Río Piedras with Ponce and has seven tolls.
• PR-53 – Connects Fajardo to Salinas and has five tolls.
• PR-66 – Connects Carolina to Río Grande and has three tolls.

Toll Costs

In Puerto Rico you can pay MOST tolls with either cash or AutoExpreso. The currency in Puerto Rico is the US dollar, so there is no hassle there. AutoExpreso is essentially the Puerto Rican version of EZ-Pass. More on that below.

Some tolls in Puerto Rico are now completely cashless. Others only have one cash lane with an excruciatingly long line and wait. We highly recommend you get the AutoExpreso tag to save time. If you do not have one and end up going through a cashless toll, you will end up with a hefty toll.

If you want to know what tolls will cost you before you head out wherever your going, you can calculate tolls in Puerto Rico here.

A few examples of toll costs on popular routes in Puerto Rico are:

• From San Juan to San German in a regular car with one axel will cost approximately $2.25
• From San German to San Juan in a regular car with one axel will cost approximately $4.50
• From Aguadilla to San Juan in a regular car with one axel will cost approximately $4.20
• From San Juan to Aguadilla in a regular car with one axel will cost approximately $2.60
• From Arecibo to Carolina in a regular car with one axel will cost approximately $4.60
• From Carolina to Arecibo in a regular car with one axel will cost approximately $4.85

You should note that the toll prices are charged per axel. So, if you are driving an RV which has two axels on the same trip in a car with one axel that cost $2.25 will now cost approximately $4.50.
 

AutoExpreso

AutoExpreso is the Puerto Rican version of EZ-Pass. It is an electronic transponder tag you place in your car so that sensors at the toll booths will pick up the signal when you drive past and charge you automatically.

However, unlike EZ-Pass, you will need to “pre-fill” your Auto-Expreso tag with credit. You can do so at Puma and Total gas stations in Puerto Rico. Make sure you always have at least ten dollars on the tag just in case you need to do a lot of driving one day. Certain toll plazas will actually have replenishment lanes where you can re-fill your tag as well. Just look for the green “R” on these lanes.

As we mentioned earlier, it is highly recommended to get AutoExpreso if you are going to be driving in Puerto Rico. Some tolls are now completely cashless and only accept AutoExpreso.

You can find out more about AutoExpreso on their website.
 

Toll-free routes in Puerto Rico

You might want to avoid the tolls in Puerto Rico altogether. If you do choose to do this, realize you will likely be increasing your travel time considerably.

The following are some popular toll-free routes in Puerto Rico:

• San Juan to San German – If you choose this route, your travel time will increase from a little over two hours to almost three and a half hours.
• San German to San Juan – If you choose this route, your travel time will increase from two hours and twenty minutes to three hours and forty minutes. Please note that there might be a restricted access road included in this route.
• From Aguadilla to San Juan – If you choose this route, your travel time will increase from two hours to three hours. Please note that there might be a restricted access road included in this route.
• From San Juan to Aguadilla – If you choose this route, your travel time will increase from two hours and twenty minutes to just over three hours.
• From Arecibo to Carolina – If you choose this route, you will be increasing your travel time from one and a half hours to two and a half hours.
• From Carolina to Arecibo – If you choose this route, you will be increasing your travel time from one a half hours to two and a half hours.

Conclusion

If you are going to be driving in Puerto Rico and do not want to add a bunch of unnecessary time and miles to your trips after you ship your car there, you will need to use toll roads. There are a bunch in all directions. Be sure to get an AutoExpreso tag too which will make your life a lot easier.

 
Like many places in the United States, there are definitely some laws that seem very strange. Several of these laws actually pertain directly to driving. Take a few minutes to read through the list and be sure that none of the laws affect you, although we highly doubt it.

Vehicle equipment

• Studded tires – Believe it or not, there is a law in Puerto Rico that states that you are not allowed to have studded tires. It might make you wonder how many people were driving around with distracting studded tires before it was decided that a law had to be put in effect.
• Tire Chains – The use of tire chains is actually permitted in Puerto Rico. This is not odd at first glance.
  However, when you consider the record low temperature in Puerto Rico is thirty-nine degrees, it seems much stranger. This means it has never snowed in Puerto Rico. Thus, “snow tires” would not be necessary. It might be for off-roading or because of the poor conditions of the roads. These kinds of tires might also be contributing to the poor conditions of the roads.
• Video screens – This law states that there can’t be a video screen in a vehicle so that the driver of the car can watch television. This is another law that is hard to imagine people violating, but it does happen from time to time.
• Windshield stickers – Some drivers in Puerto Rico will drive around with non-transparent decorative material on their windshield. Often, it was an advertisement of some sort for the driver’s business or another business that had paid the driver. This is obviously incredibly unsafe. So, the law now states that these things can not be more than one square that is bigger than seven by seven inches in the lower right-hand side of the windshield, furthest away from the driver and their field of vision.
• Radar detectors – Strangely enough, radar detectors are allowed for passenger cars but not commercial vehicles. We have not been able to come up with an explanation for this one yet.

Miscellaneous driving laws

• Motorcycles – Motorcycles in Puerto Rico must be driven with boots and gloves on. There were apparently some people operating motorcycles in just sandals.
• Mopeds – Mopeds in Puerto Rico can be driven by those only sixteen years of age, whereas for a car, without supervision, you must be eighteen years old or older. You also may not use your moped at night if it does not have a headlight that can shine its light at least three hundred feet.
• School Buses – There is a law in Puerto Rico that says that school buses must have a sign that says, “School Bus”.
  The reason this needed to get pushed into law was that school buses could occasionally be regular buses or vans. Believe it or not, the opposite could be true as well. Some yellow school buses double as things like party buses at night in Puerto Rico.

Conclusion

There are a few very strange laws about driving in Puerto Rico. Some are harder than others to believe. All are true though. The most important thing to remember is that these laws won’t affect you unless you had planned on doing something along the lines of getting diamond studded tires during your time driving in Puerto Rico.

The condition of Puerto Rican roads in 2019

Puerto Rico’s roads are unfortunately notorious for being in disrepair. There are a bunch of potholes, seemingly random speed bumps, and cracks in the road. Part of this is due to all the hurricanes that have hit Puerto Rico over the years, hurricane Maria being the most recent example.

According to a survey last year by The Washington Post, ninety-three percent of Puerto Ricans felt that the roads needed repairs.

In fact, some Puerto Ricans have even gone as far as starting to repair the roads themselves by pouring concrete powder and water in the potholes. The government is trying their best to get to fixing the roads but with the current state of Puerto Rico’s economy, it isn’t in the cards at the moment.

If you are driving in Puerto Rico or are going to be driving in Puerto Rico in the near future, it would be in your best interest to learn how to avoid these potholes as best you can. Otherwise, you could end up paying hefty repair fees.
 

How potholes can damage your car

So, you know that driving over potholes can damage your car. But you might ask yourself:

How can potholes damage my car?

Hitting a pothole hard enough can damage your vehicle in a number of ways.

• Your alignment can be thrown off – If your alignment gets thrown off when you hit a pothole, you will need to get either a two wheel or four-wheel alignment depending on the severity of the damage. It will generally cost you between fifty and a hundred dollars for a two wheel alignment and twice that for a four wheel alignment.
• You could easily puncture a tire – Fixing a punctured tire won’t set you back too badly. However, it is inconvenient and, if it happens often enough, it can add up. The general cost to get a punctured tire fixed is usually between ten and twenty dollars. If your tire has been badly punctured or punctured multiple times you should consider buying another tire whether new or used.
• You can end up bending one of your rims – If you end up with bent rims after you hit a pothole, you could end up paying between a hundred and twenty-five hundred dollars or more. That range probably does not do you much help but that is because in order to be more accurate with an estimate, you need specific details.

  In general, if the damage isn’t too bad, getting your rims re-rounded will likely cost between a hundred and two hundred and fifty dollars per wheel. However, if the damage is worse and you need to replace the rims entirely it could easily cost over a thousand dollars per wheel.

How you can avoid potholes

There are several easy ways you can avoid more potholes or, at the very least, lessen the damage they do when you hit them.

• Understand potholes – When you understand potholes you will be able to know when and where to be on the lookout for them. Potholes occur when water gets into the cracks of the asphalt. Then, when temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands. When the temperature warms, the water melts, leaving parts of the asphalt separated from the rest. That is where your potholes occur.

  So, realize that when it warms up after significant road icing occurred, there will be the highest chance for potholes. This is when you should be on the lookout for new potholes, most likely in the early spring into the early summer.

• Drive slow and keep space between you and the car in front of you – Doing this will give you more time to react if you see a pothole. Remember, however, the damage from a pothole is small in comparison to the damage you can cause by veering into oncoming traffic just to avoid a pothole. So, do what you can, within reason, to avoid the pothole.
• Make sure that your tires are full – Making sure that your tires are full of air will give your car the maximum amount of protection from damage from potholes.
• Be suspicious of all puddles – Puddles are often in a pothole rather than a natural dip in the road. Avoid driving through puddles as much as you possibly can.
• If you are going to hit a pothole, just hit it – What we mean here is, do not break as you are about to hit a pothole or as you hit a pothole. This can end up causing even more damage to your vehicle.

Conclusion

No matter what you do, you are going to end up hitting some potholes while driving in Puerto Rico. There are just too many of them to avoid them altogether.

However, you can avoid as many as you can while minimizing the damage to your car when you can’t avoid them.

Either way, it will be easier to avoid potholes and cheaper to fix any damage resulting from them if you have you very own car available to you than if you are renting a car. If you want your car shipped to Puerto Rico, get in touch with us today.

It can be complicated, frustrating and expensive getting around in Puerto Rico to say the least. For a short trip, you will likely have no choice but to deal with cabs and rental cars. However, for any sort of extended trip, it makes much more sense to ship your car to Puerto Rico.
 

Taxis

Taxis are more reliable than public transportation and ride-share apps in Puerto Rico. You can usually look up a local taxi wherever you are on your phone and call them for a ride. The problem is that many of these taxis run without meters. Thus, they can charge jaw-droppingly high prices based on how well they can gauge your level of desperation for transportation.

If you will be in Puerto Rico for a few days, you might as well rent a car based on all the money you will end up spending on cabs. Several days of cab rides in Puerto Rico can easily run a couple of hundred dollars.

If you are taking a taxi in Puerto Rico, be sure to ask what the fare will be in advanced.
 

Ubers and other ride-share apps

Uber, for the most part, doesn’t operate in Puerto Rico. You can get some limited service in the San Juan area but that is pretty much about it. With other ride-share apps like Lyft or Juno, there is no operation in Puerto Rico whatsoever.

In fact, legislation was pushed for by taxi lobbyist groups and won that now prohibits ride-share apps from picking up or dropping off at the airport and certain hotels in San Juan. So, it would be best to forget using any ride-share apps all together while in Puerto Rico.
 

Rental cars

Rental cars are probably the best option for getting around Puerto Rico other than shipping your car there. However, this does not mean the experience of renting a car in Puerto Rico will be a pleasant one.

The price for renting a car is fairly comparable to the United States. It might end up being slightly more expensive.

The issue is how poorly run the rental car centers are run. They are almost always understaffed. What staff many of the rental car centers do have working can be inattentive and rude at times.

With the exception of shipping your own car to Puerto Rico, your best bet is to bundle your car rental with your hotel reservation in advanced with a site like Expedia.

The roads in Puerto Rico are also in really bad shape. There are bad potholes everywhere that sometimes are not even visible. The quality of the average driver is not great either. People routinely roll through stop signs, stop in the middle of traffic suddenly for no reason and drive way too fast or too slow.

The point here is that the rental companies in Puerto Rico are known for being quick to blame you for any damage you have on your car when you bring it back, even if it was there when they gave you the car.

So, you should be sure to make note of and document all existing damage when you receive the car. You should also be absolutely sure to purchase the rental insurance too. It will more than likely come in handy when you get your rental damaged by a pothole or something else and it only costs an extra ten dollars per day.
 

Ship your car to Puerto Rico

Getting around to different places in Puerto Rico can be a real hassle. Public transportation operates on a seemingly random schedule, renting a car can take a long time and be very frustrating, and taking a cab can end up being very expensive.

The only really reliable option you have is to ship your vehicle to Puerto Rico. If you choose to ship your car to Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Car Transport can help you get it done from start to finish! Call us today at 904-322-7644.

What is excise tax?

Excise tax is a tax that Puerto Rico has enacted that charges four percent on shipping things there such as vehicles. This number is determined based on the vehicles’ worth in Puerto Rico.
 

Is excise tax included in the cost of shipping my car?

Excise tax is not included in the cost of your car shipment. This is because you need to pay the tax directly. A car shipping company cannot pay it on your behalf. Also, the determination of the tax is made when your car arrives which is after the point at which you have paid the particular auto transport company.

You will need to be prepared to pay the excise tax. If you are not, then your car could possibly be held by Puerto Rico until you are able to.

How can I determine my excise tax?

You can figure out what your excise tax by clicking here.

The site will be in Spanish. If you can’t read Spanish, all you will need to do is translate the page by right-clicking on the page in the browser. Then click on “Translate to English” on the menu that drops down from your cursor.

You will need to enter your vehicle’s VIN number, or you will need to enter the make, model and year. You will then be given an estimate of the fee for the tax.

It is important to note that the fee you will be expected to pay is “Estimated Arbitration” or, in Spanish “Arbitrio Estimado.”
 

How can I pay my excise tax?

You can pay your excise tax by filling out Official Excise Tax Document and paying the excise tax at 2 Avenida Juan Ponce de León, San Juan, 00917. That is the location of Hacienda Centro de Servicios.

When you get there, you will likely need cash to pay. Sometimes they accept credit cards and sometimes they don’t. They do not accept checks. Cash is the safest bet. Remember, Puerto Rico uses the US dollar as currency, so there is no need to worry about having to exchange your money first.
 

Why Puerto Rico enacted the excise tax?

Most often countries around the world will put excise taxes into effect as discouragement for using items such as tobacco and alcohol.

This is obviously not the case with the Puerto Rican import excise tax. There is no federal income tax for most Puerto Rican residents. Only those who are employed by the government or conduct business in other countries have a federal income tax in Puerto Rico.

The lack of federal income tax coupled with the on-going recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria and the economic depression Puerto Rico has been experiencing for the last thirteen years has caused a need for things like excise tax on vehicle shipping and other imports.
 

Conclusion

The Puerto Rican excise tax is something that you will need to be prepared for if you are planning to ship your car to Puerto Rico. You should get your estimate of the tax and be ready to have the cash when your vehicle arrives at the port. Don’t forget that this cost is NOT a part of the price your car shipping company will charge you.

The cheapest flights to Puerto Rico

We always recommend that you ship your car to Puerto Rico for any sort of extended stay. Whether you do end up shipping your vehicle to Puerto Rico or not, you will need to fly there (unless you are taking a cruise).

Just like most flights, flights to Puerto Rico can be costly. However, if you do your homework, you should be able to save a decent amount of money. Use this list to help find the most inexpensive flight to Puerto Rico which matches your travel needs:

• Hotwire – Hotwire is a world-famous travel search engine where you can find comparative pricing for flights to and from Puerto Rico. It is a subsidiary of Expedia and was first launched nineteen years ago. You can find many cheap options for flying to Puerto Rico on Hotwire.
• Jetcost – Jetcost is another well-known travel meta search engine which was launched in 2006 and is another great option for finding inexpensive flights to Puerto Rico.
• Momondo – Momondo was founded in 2006 and is a subsidiary of Kayak. It has been praised for its capability in finding groupings of flights that you can’t find anywhere else. It also has been said to be one of the best meta search engines for finding flights.

The most convenient flights to Puerto Rico

The price of your flight to Puerto Rico might not matter as much as the convenience and comfort factors. If this is the case, you will want to check out the following list:

• Delta – Delta is likely the most recognized name in air travel around today. The company was founded almost a hundred years ago. It is the second largest airline in the world. It offers a bunch of different choices for your Puerto Rican flight needs.
• jetBlue – jetBlue is another long-running titan is the airline industry. San Juan is one of their five “focus cities”, so they have many flight options available to Puerto Rico.
• American Airlines – American Airlines started operating all the way back in 1936 and has long been the world’s biggest airline in terms of the number of planes, passengers and overall revenue. It is safe to say they will have many options available both comfort-wise and convenience-wise for Puerto Rican flights so long as you plan ahead.

Tips for flying to Puerto Rico

Your flight to Puerto Rico will likely only take between three and nine hours. It will be around three to five hours from the east coast and nine or so hours from the west coast. So, most likely, your flight will not be that long. However, you will still want to prepare for your flight so you can maximize comfort and convenience.

• Make sure you purchase a seat with the right amount of room – Your flight won’t be outrageously long, but it will still be several hours long. You will want to make sure you don’t try and squeeze into a coach seat if you have any sort of physical limitations that require you to have additional leg space such as a back issue.
• Be sure that you bring headphones or earplugs – Other passengers on Puerto Rican flights do typically include people on vacation and families with children. These are two groups that can, on occasion, cause some unwanted noise on a flight. You will want to be sure that you can tune out that noise if at all necessary.
• Prepare for the Puerto Rican Climate – Be sure that your ready to step off the plane into a tropical climate. If you are traveling from a cold climate, you might be bundled up when you board the plane. However, you might want to take your coat and gloves off when you land. You could end up overheating pretty quickly and looking foolish at the same time.
• Try to check in ahead of time – You can check in for your flight ahead of time either online or (most likely) on an app on your phone. This will help save a considerable amount of time. Contact your particular airline and ask them if this is possible.
• Make sure that your flight will arrive before your car shipment does – If you are shipping your vehicle and your car arrives before you do, it could end up getting held at the port for an additional and expensive fee. You will want to avoid this, not only because of the money, but also because it leaves the opportunity for damage or theft to occur.

Conclusion

Your flight to Puerto Rico could be more complicated then you would like. Some of these things you can control with proper planning and preparation. Some, you cannot. Either way, try not to get too stressed out and enjoy your trip to Puerto Rico.

You will likely end up taking your car in for service more often than most other places. This is due to the poor road conditions in some areas as well as all the dangerous driving behavior that occurs in Puerto Rico on a regular basis.

Use the following guide to find the best auto service shops in Puerto Rico.
 

San Juan

• The X Shop – The X Shop has been in business for over thirteen years now. They can provide detailing, wheel service, paint jobs, body work mechanical service and frame work. You can call them at (787) 763-8203.
• El Tunel Auto Service – El Tunel Auto Service is another local auto service center that has been doing business in the San Juan area for several years now. They offer inspections, radiator service, alignments, brake service, air conditioning service and more. Call them at (787) 765-4903.
• Reparacion Transmisiones Puerto Rico – Reparacion Transmisiones Puerto Rico is a local San Juan auto service shop that offers transmission service for multiple types of vehicles. Call ahead and make sure they service your specific type of car (787) 751-4787

Ponce

• Correa Tire – Correa Tire is a trusted name serving the Ponce area. They specialize in axles, belts, brakes, diagnostics, oil changes, tire service and much more. You can contact them at (787) 812-6511.
• TS Auto Glass and Body Parts – TS Auto Glass and Body Parts is a local Ponce auto service shop with a great reputation. They specialize in glass work but also do various types of body work. Call them for more information at 787-844-5765.
• Pep Boys of Ponce – Pep Boys of Ponce is the Ponce location of the famous auto service chain Pep Boys. They have good online feedback and offer oil changes, tire service, air conditioning service, brake service, and more. You can get in touch with them at (787) 259-2700.

Carolina

• Sky AutoWorks – Sky AutoWorks has over thirty years of combined auto service experience between all of its mechanics. They specialize in inspections, brake services, air conditioning service, mufflers oil changes and more. Call them at 787-372-7272.
• Plavica Auto Glass Center Carolina – Plavica Auto Glass Center Carolina is an auto service shop specifically specializing in glass work. They can fix and/or install any glass or mirror you need in shop or by coming to you. Contact them at (787) 622-2020.
• Pep Boys of Carolina – Pep Boys of Carolina is another Puerto Rican location of the famous auto service chain. This location also has good online reviews and offers tire and brake service, oil changes, air conditioning service and much more.

Arecibo

• Arecibo Quick Lube – Arecibo Quick Lube is an auto service shop much like its American counterpart, Jiffy Lube. They only offer fluid services, but they do everything from oil changes to filter changes. Contact them at (787) 880-0900.
• Plavica Auto Glass Center Arecibo – Plavica Auto Glass Center Arecibo is an auto service center that only does glass work, but they do any sort of glass work that you can imagine. They can also come to you and do the work at your current location. You can give them a call at 787-474-2166.

Aguadilla

• GT Tune & Lube – GT Tune & Lube has been offering auto service in the Aguadilla area for several years now. They offer oil changes, brake service, alignments and much more. Call them at 787-891-4151.
• Oscar Velez Servicio Euromecanio – Oscar Velez Servicio Euromecanio has been serving the Aguadilla community’s auto service needs for many years. They specialize in detailing, inspections, alignments, engine service, transmission service and more.

Conclusion

You will come across a lot of auto service stations and centers across Puerto Rico. However, some do not have a website or even any reviews for that matter. It is best to stick to places you can get an idea about online. That way you won’t end up getting ripped off or scammed.

You should always call ahead to make sure the particular service shop can accommodate your needs and has an appointment available for your car.

If you need to ship your car to or from Puerto Rico, then you can contact us so we can get your car to where it needs to be!