Travel - Internal
Air
There are regular flights between Santo Domingo, Santiago, Samaná, Punta Cana and Puerto Plata by Air Santo Domingo. Planes may also be chartered. For more information, contact the airline directly.
Road
Traffic drives on the right. There is a reasonable network of roads, including the Sanchez Highway running westwards from Santo Domingo to Elias Pina on the Haitian frontier; the Mella Highway extending eastwards from Santo Domingo to Higuey in the southeast, and the Duarte Highway running north and west from Santo Domingo to Santiago and to Monte Cristi on the northwest coast. Not all roads in the Dominican Republic are all-weather and 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for wet weather. Checkpoints near military installations are ubiquitous, though no serious difficulties have been reported (those near the Haitian border are most likely to be sensitive). The speed limit is up to 60kph in cities and 80-100kph on motorways. Bus: Cheap and efficient air-conditioned bus and coach services run from the capital to other major towns. Car hire: There are several car hire companies in Santo Domingo (including Avis, Budget, Dollar, Europcar, Hertz and National). Minimum age for car hire is 25. A credit card is required for car-hire transactions. Insurance is compulsory. Documentation: A national or International Driving Permit is accepted, but is only valid for 90 days.
Urban
Santo Domingo has flat-fare bus and minibus services, and an estimated 7000 share-taxis called Carro de Conchos. These operate a 24-hour service, stop on demand and charge higher fares. In old Santo Domingo, the streets are narrow with blind corners, so care should be taken, particularly as Dominican drivers have a tendency to use their horns rather than their brakes. Horse-drawn carriages are available for rent in most cities for tours around parks and plazas.
Travel times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Santo Domingo to other major cities and towns in the Dominican Republic.
| Air | Road | | Santiago | 0.30 | 3.00 | | Puerto Plata | 0.45 | 3.15 | | Samaná | 0.35 | 3.30 | | La Romana | 0.25 | 2.00 | | Punta Cana | 0.30 | 3.30 | | Barahona | - | 3.30 |
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