PUERTO RICO: 10 Most Common Tourist MISTAKES (2023 Travel Guide) (San Juan + More)

Top 10 Most Common Tourist Mistakes to avoid in Puerto Rico in 2022. San Juan and More!

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I'm Jon Barr, an ex-sportscaster turned travel vlogger. If you're looking for waste no-time ,incredibly informative videos loaded with useful travel tips, you've come to the right place! My vlogs are made for the savvy traveler. Subscribe to learn all of my travel tips, tricks, and secrets that have helped me visit 33 countries. Based out of NYC but always on the go.

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[HereBeBarr]

Share this video with a friend who you should visit Puerto Rico with!

[Jimbobeatty]

As a native, here are some things that you need to know if you visit our island. The government is totally inept, so don't expect to get anything done in a timely manner. Roads are a disaster, with potholes that can swallow your car, so drive 3-dimensionally. Drivers don't obey traffic laws, red lights are a suggestion, backing up on the highway is common, exit signs are AFTER the exit, etc. Sales tax is the highest in the nation! Power goes out constantly. Mosquitos will carry you away, so bring repellant! You can drink and drive! (not to be confused with driving while intoxicated) What I mean that if you are driving with your group soaking up the scenery, a nice cold Medalla in your hand is allowed. You can drink anywhere! Some of the best foods are in street side kiosks. Dingy wooden shacks along the roads almost everywhere. If you see a lot of cars parked along the road, usually indicates the food is good. Most of us speak or understand english, they may not be fluent, but can function. WARNING! Puertoricans tend to smile alot, especially when a tourist asks them something in english. DON'T misinterpret this as they are mentally challenged etc. This is just a natural reaction. If you don't treat them with respect, you will soon find out that they have a very short fuse, and you will also realize why Puerto Rico produces a lot of great boxers! Get to know the locals, we are a friendly bunch and will go out of our way to welcome you!

[call_me_kakers]

Something else I would add is to watch out for inflated prices online!! My family and I were in La Parguera and happened to meet some tourists waiting in line for a night boat ride of the bioluminescent bay. They said their tickets were $40 each (they bought online) when in reality the tickets could be bought at the counter for $5 or $8 per person 🤧

[Tofog]

Helpful points about prepaying for car rentals and using their websites! Also trying the local food! It's a shame to visit PR and not trying the local cuisine and beverages, especially Puerto Rican coffee and rum. 😊

[rmknicks]

Puerto Rico is the best. We usually stay in Aguadilla on the main island. Great deals on weekly beachfront rentals. Also Vieques is fantastic. The people there are so great.

[spidermanisrllycool]

The mistakes in a list for the lazy ppl like me :)

1. Not knowing Spanish
2. Not leaving the old San Juan bubble
3. Not renting a car
4. Driving Mistakes (chaotic roads)
5. Only visiting San Juan
6. Forgetting ear plugs (puerto ricans we loud)
7. Not budgeting
8. Not preparing for the weather
9. Thinking PR isn’t safe
10. Not adjusting to island time (we Puerto Ricans are late a lot we not that efficient)

[elsiezayasmuniz]

"You cant get that lost"...*laughs in mountain roads*

[PinkCheetah]

My husband and I visit Puerto Rico twice a year and have been doing this for years and one extra tip I can give is if you plan on driving outside of San Juan (which you should) in your rental, MAKE SURE to get the rental company's insurance. Some of the roads in PR are not that good and we ended up hitting a deep pothole that partly ripped the bumper off of the rental car and scraped up and dented the bumper. My husband went to auto zone and got some paint and new screws to put the bumper back on and cover the deep scratches. He had to take some boiling water and pour it on the dents to be able to pop them back out. The scratches were still noticeable as I said they were deep and it was a white car. We used our own insurance instead of paying the extra to use theirs. We were so afraid they were going to notice but it was Christmas season and the island gets extremely busy around that time so thankfully no one noticed. But you do NOT want to be in that position because it will ruin your trip. Its literally all we could think about was ' Omg they are going to see this and we are going to take a big hit on our insurance 'Just take their insurance in case anything happens. The best thing to do would be to rent an Suv if you plan on driving all around the island or even just leaving San Juan. There are some massive potholes. Even on the highway we hit a few decent size ones.

[davidmathews]

Thank you Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 💓 I love ❤ you all. I was blessed to set foot on your island, and communicate with your people. The best! I love you

[kingscourt]

Great list of mistakes to avoid. The one that spoke to me was the earplugs. You might not always need them, but I DEFINITELY see where they could come in handy. Whether it's roosters, dogs, cars, music, sirens, coquis, etc, a set of earplugs could really help. I used to work nights, and have experience using earplugs to sleep, so I know how beneficial they could be. Different areas of Puerto Rico will create different noise challenges, and earplugs could definitely help.

[ivi]

What an amazing video! This is the first video I have seen in your channel and I am truly impressed with your professionalism and also with the tour guide. It was very interesting! I was born and raised there until the age of 16 and then I came to the mainland in 1990 and I can say that everything you said is true

[botanistbruja]

As someone who is Puerto Rican, I think this video is amazing. Emphasizing that visitors need to react CON CALMA is important. Shit is different, you're in the Caribbean, calm the fuck down and relax ❤

[jayhloe]

I visited there in may and let me tell you the people there are so nice. The culture is amazing and me being part of the lgbtq community I felt no discrimination what so ever and I met so many people. My best friend and my fiancé are both Boriqua and to just get a taste of the culture I couldn’t get enough. Can’t wait to go back in June of 2022!

[picisa]

Ok. But don't wear war plugs. Puerto Rico noises are an absolute blessing. Especially the coqui at night and the music coming from everywhere. Enjoy. Stop acting like it's annoying. Why come if you are not gonna enjoy the every day stuff. ? I hope that didn't sound weird, but I miss the coqui so much. And I am proud of our constant lovable talking. Lol.

[djrolo]

Great tips....I've been to PR over 25 times and always rent a car. A lot of the best things to do and places to see, you MUST have a car. Aguadilla, Cabo Rojo, Arecibo, Ponce are some of my fav areas to visit. I've driven the entire island and it's very beautiful. The tip about prepaying for the car is very important. Once we paid a deposit, got to PR and they gave our car away because someone else paid in prepaid in full.

[willysoto]

Dude Bro!
This video was right on and accurate information as I’m a proud Puertorrican and everything both of you said was true right to the fact about the guys who ask for money to watch the car while you enjoy a tourist area.
Well done bro 👏🏽🤙🏽

[zereimu]

Some may be confused when they say "if you stay in the city". It's important to know that Old San Juan and San Juan are very different areas in the metro area, the Metro area has several other municipalities with their own cities. Really good advice though.

[BunnyBrushStrokes]

Puerto Rico has so many beautiful places Crystal blue waters, big cave systems, a literal rain forest, you don't need a passport if you are from the us, many people there actually speak English, yet so many Americans have never been. That... blows my mind.

[lizzym]

First time hearing about restaurants opening late. Never in my 43 years living here had encounter that problem. About the waiting time if the establishment is super crowded maybe 35 to 45 minutes till you get your food, but needs to be full to the brims. I dislike San Juan for the most part, exception historical places, best places are further away from the capital, friendlier people, less expensive and sometimes less crowded. The island is beautiful and you will enjoy it here.

[kggaming]

As a new yorker visiting PR, yeah that last tip helped me a lot.