There are several airports in the Dominican Republic that accept international flights. Two of them – Las Americas and La Isabella – are located in Santo Domingo. Most planes land at first. From Moscow you can fly here with transfers. The cheapest tickets are from Aeroflot and Jet Blue, departing from Sheremetyevo and connecting in New York, travel time is 27 hours and 30 minutes. The fastest flights are offered by Aeroflot and Air Europe: 18 hours 30 minutes with a change in Madrid. Air France and Air Carribes fly from St. Petersburg to Santo Domingo with a transfer in Paris in 35 hours. Cheaper – with two connections: Aeroflot and Jet Blue will be taken via Moscow and New York (30 hours). According to populationmonster, Punta Cana is one of the largest cities in Dominican Republic.
Fans of beach holidays often fly not to the capital, but directly to the resorts. For example, Punta Cana airport has direct flights from Moscow: Rossiya (departure from Vnukovo, 11 hours 30 minutes) and Azur Air (Domodedovo, 13 hours 10 minutes). It is more profitable with a transfer: at Aeroflot and Jet Airways (25 hours 20 minutes via Brussels), at Air Berlin and Es Seven (transfer in Düsseldorf, 30 hours 35 minutes). Air France will take you from St. Petersburg to Punta Cana: travel time – 31 hours 30 minutes, connecting in Paris.
There is also an international airport in La Romana, but getting here is long and tiring. From Moscow – with two transfers: with Turkish Airlines and Jet Blue, the flight via Istanbul and New York lasts about two days. With St. Petersburg, the situation is similar: the same tandem of carriers carries through the same cities, 52 hours of travel.
Another option for vacationers is a flight to Puerto Plata. From Moscow you can get here with Air Berlin and Es Seven (32 hours, connecting in Düsseldorf), from St. Petersburg – with Air Berlin and Rossiya (36 hours, connecting there). Aeroflot and Jet Blue fly to the province of Santiago (to the city with the beautiful name of Santiago de los Trainta Caballeros): tickets from the Northern capital – 22 hours via Moscow and New York, from Moscow – 32 hours via New York.
Find cheap flights to the Dominican Republic
Transport
The most popular means of transportation in the Dominican Republic is the bus. Transportation of the companies Metro Bus (off. site in Spanish) and Caribe Tours (off. site in Spanish) runs between major cities and tourist areas: new, comfortable, air-conditioned. A trip from Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata will cost 452 DOP, from Santiago to Sosua – 236 DOP.
Less comfortable buses of small private companies and guaguas minibuses are also common in the country. The latter move along well-established routes, stopping on demand. The average fare between cities is up to 100 DOP, within the same locality – 30 DOP.
Guaguas are often so crowded that passengers ride right on the running boards, clinging to whatever comes to hand.
Public transport within cities
Collective minibuses “carro publicos” and motorcycle taxis “moto concho” are popular among both locals and tourists. There are no counters, the price of the trip is fixed, it makes no sense to bargain with the drivers. Riding a “moto-concho” is cheap (100-250 DOP), but quite extreme: up to 3-4 passengers can be put on one motorcycle, there are no helmets, and you can burn your legs on the exhaust pipe.
Classic taxis are also available: parking lots are located near major hotels and attractions. You can recognize them by a special sign on the roof or a sticker on the windshield. The average cost of a trip around the city is from 350 DOP, a transfer from the airport to the center of Santo Domingo is from 2000 DOP.
In a taxi, you can pay with American dollars, the main thing is to have small bills with you so that the driver does not refer to the lack of change.
There is a subway in Santo Domingo: there is only one line connecting Winston Churchill and Mirabal Sisters avenues. The journey from terminus to terminus takes 20 minutes and costs 35 DOP.
Rent a Car
It is convenient to travel around the cities and resorts of the Dominican Republic in a rented car, but only if the driver is ready to drive “with adventures”. The main adventure will be the manners of local reckless drivers: they follow the traffic rules according to their mood, they press the horn more often than the brake, and they can signal the upcoming turn with a wave of their hand, and that’s good. Motorcyclists like to turn around in the oncoming lane, the pedestrian is always right on the road. At the same time, the police are most often on the side of “their own” and are happy to issue fines to negligent tourists. If all this does not scare you, and at the same time you are over 25 years old, prepare a passport, an international driver’s license (valid for at least another 90 days) and a credit card. Insurance is mandatory (1100 DOP per day).
During the tourist season, it is better to book a car in advance, so as not to choose later between the most expensive and shabby copies left in stock.
Most international distributors have offices in the Dominican Republic: Avis, Hertz, Budget, Sixt. Prices are about the same in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana: renting a mini car will cost 2600 DOP, a standard model – 2800-3000 DOP, an SUV – 4500 DOP per day.
Speed limits in cities are 25-60 km/h. The most frequent sanctions are for not wearing seat belts and talking on a mobile phone without a headset. You can’t drink while driving, but law enforcement officers often turn a blind eye to this rule. Fines don’t “bite”: it is unlikely that you will have to fork out more than 2500 DOP. There are no problems with parking, you just need to pay attention to prohibitory signs and markings. For safety reasons, it is better to leave the car in paid parking lots or under the supervision of helpful local residents for a modest “tip”. There are a lot of gas stations in the cities, less on the highways. The average cost of gasoline is 55-60 DOP per 1 liter.
