Puerto Rico (San Juan) by Ricardo Mangual via Flickr Creative Commons

Language

Spanish and English are both official languages in Puerto Rico. However, Spanish is far more prolific with less than 20 percent of the population speaking English. English is more prominent in the tourism and business sectors, but you'd do well to know a bit of conversational Spanish.

Currency

The official currency in Puerto Rico is the US dollar which is split into 100 cents. Most international credit cards are accepted including MasterCard and Visa. ATMs are readily available throughout the country and can be used in either English or Spanish. Currency exchanges can be made at major banks, large hotels and offices called cambios, which translates to "change" that can be found around all large cities.

Time

Puerto Rico is on Atlantic Standard Time which is GMT +4.

Electricity

The country operates 120V/60Hz and uses American electric outlets.

Communications

The international dialing code for Puerto Rico is +1 and the code for San Juan, the capital is +787. Travelers can purchase inexpensive cell phones from most local stores. The country supports most international roaming services, but you should double check the rates with your service provider before arriving. Several of the US mobile networks operate in the country including Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile. There are a few internet cafes in large cities, but they are not overly abundant. Some international restaurants like Starbucks and Subway have free wireless services.

Tourist Office

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company: +1-787-721-2400 or 1-800-866-7827 or www.seepuertorico.com

Consulates in Puerto Rico

British Embassy, San Juan: +1-787-406-8777
Canadian Embassy, San Juan: +1-787-759-6629
Netherlands Embassy, San Juan: +1-787-759-9400
Italian Embassy, San Juan: +1-787-767-5855
French Embassy, San Juan: +1-787-725-2527
Norwegian Embassy, San Juan: +1-787-725-2514

Emergency

Emergency: 911
Police: 2020

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