Getting Around

Overview

The Dominican Republic is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, and most places Americans visit are within four hours of Santo Domingo by road. Highways between the main cities are good, and a dense network of private buses, minibuses and shared cars reaches almost every town. You can travel the whole country without renting a car, cheaply, if you are willing to work in Spanish and on Dominican time.

The trade-offs are comfort, safety and predictability. Big air-conditioned coaches are comfortable and safe. Local minibuses are cramped and stop anywhere. Motorcycle taxis are everywhere and are the riskiest way to move in a country with one of the highest road death rates in the Americas. Uber works well in the main cities. Domestic flights exist but are limited; there is no passenger rail outside the Santo Domingo Metro.

If you are staying at an all-inclusive in Punta Cana, you may never need any of this beyond the airport transfer and a taxi; see flights for transfers and all-inclusives for resort taxis. If you want to drive, read driving. For the capital's Metro, cable car and taxis, see Santo Domingo.

Your options at a glance

Caribe Tours and Metro Tours

The two big intercity coach companies are the backbone of Dominican travel. Both run full-size, air-conditioned buses on fixed schedules from their own terminals in Santo Domingo, with assigned seats and checked luggage in the hold. They are clean, punctual by local standards and used by everyone from students to grandmothers, which makes them the best way to cover long distances without a car.

Caribe Tours

Caribe Tours has the largest network, with buses from the capital to dozens of towns. The main lines run north to La Vega, Santiago, Puerto Plata and Sosúa; northeast to Samaná, Las Terrenas, Nagua and Río San Juan; into the Cibao and the mountains, including Jarabacoa; northwest to Montecristi and Dajabón; and southwest toward Azua and Barahona. Its main Santo Domingo terminal is on Avenida 27 de Febrero at the corner of Leopoldo Navarro. On the busiest route, to Santiago, buses leave frequently through the day.

Fares are fixed per route and posted at the counter. For the long routes most travelers use, expect roughly RD$400 to RD$700 (about $7 to $12) one way; check the current fare at the terminal or by phone, because the company adjusts prices when fuel costs rise. Pay in cash, in pesos.

Metro Tours

Metro Tours runs a smaller network, mainly to Santiago, Puerto Plata and other northern towns, from its terminal in the Piantini area of Santo Domingo, on Avenida Winston Churchill. Many travelers find its buses a little newer and its fares slightly higher than Caribe Tours. Departures are less frequent, so check the schedule before you plan around it.

Times include the short stops these buses make. Check the current timetable, as routes and departure times change.

How to book and ride

1. Go to the company's own terminal in person, or phone ahead, to check departures. Caribe Tours sells tickets at its terminals; Metro Tours takes reservations and has offered online purchase on its site. Your hotel can call for you.
2. For Friday afternoon, Sunday evening and holiday travel, buy your ticket the day before or early in the morning. Popular buses sell out.
3. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before departure. Bring your passport; you may be asked for ID.
4. Check big bags into the hold and keep the luggage tag. Keep your phone, money and passport with you.
5. Bring a sweater: the air conditioning is famously cold, often in the mid-60s °F (around 18°C).
6. Expect a movie, sometimes loud, and one short rest stop on long routes.

Expreso Bávaro: Santo Domingo to Punta Cana

Expreso Bávaro runs air-conditioned buses between Santo Domingo and the Bávaro–Punta Cana area, the cheapest way to combine the capital with a beach week on the east coast. The trip takes about 3 hours. The company lists a one-way fare of RD$400 (about $7). It does not sell round trips, and it does not sell seats in advance or online: you buy your ticket at the station and should arrive at least an hour before departure.

Stations

• Santo Domingo 1: Calle Juan Sánchez Ramírez at Avenida Máximo Gómez, in the Gazcue area. Phone (809) 682-9670.
• Santo Domingo 2: Parque Enriquillo, closer to the Zona Colonial.
• Bávaro–Punta Cana 1: Cruce de Friusa, the main junction in Bávaro. Phone (809) 552-1678.
• Bávaro–Punta Cana 2: Cruce de Verón, Plaza Sitrabapu, opposite Banco BHD. Phone (809) 455-1473.

Buses run several times a day in each direction; confirm the current departure times by phone. Neither Bávaro station is at a resort or at the airport, so you will need a taxi or Uber at the Punta Cana end. Other operators also run buses on this corridor, and some resorts and tour companies sell shared shuttles at higher prices in US dollars.

Guaguas

Guaguas (minibuses, pronounced "WAH-wahs") are the country's everyday transport: vans and small buses on fixed routes between towns and along city streets. They run frequently in daylight, leave when they are full and stop anywhere a passenger waves. A cobrador (fare collector) hangs out of the door calling the destination and takes your money during the ride.

Fares are cheap and set by route. Urban routes in the cities run around RD$35 to RD$40; in Santiago, routes affiliated with the main transport union raised their fare from RD$35 to RD$40 in July 2026 because of fuel costs. Between towns, expect roughly RD$100 to RD$300 (about $2 to $5) for a trip of one to two hours. Ask the fare before you board, pay in small bills and expect to be charged an extra seat if your bag takes one.

How to use them

• Ask a local or your hotel where the guagua for your destination loads; in Santo Domingo, eastbound guaguas for Boca Chica, San Pedro and La Romana load around Parque Enriquillo.
• Say your stop to the cobrador when you board and again as you get close.
• Keep your bag on your lap and your phone out of sight.
• Plan to finish your trip by dusk; most guaguas stop running at nightfall.
• Expect loud merengue, bachata or dembow and very little personal space.

Guaguas fill the gaps the big bus companies leave, such as Bayahíbe to La Romana, Cabarete to Sosúa or Las Terrenas to El Limón. They are a real slice of Dominican life and the people on them are often friendly and curious. They are less suited to big suitcases or tight schedules.

Carros públicos

Carros públicos, also called conchos, are shared cars, usually aging sedans, that run fixed routes along the main avenues of Santo Domingo, Santiago and other cities. They pick up and drop off anywhere on the route, and the driver squeezes in as many people as fit, often six plus the driver. Look for a route number or name painted on the side.

The fare is a few dozen pesos per ride in 2026, a little more than the urban guaguas; ask before getting in. For visitors, carros públicos are cheap but uncomfortable and confusing, and the crowding makes them a pickpocket risk. In Santo Domingo and Santiago, Uber is easier for most trips.

City transit in Santo Domingo and Santiago

Santo Domingo has the Metro, two lines with extensions under way, and the Teleférico cable car over the north of the city; fares are low and paid with a rechargeable card. Santiago launched an integrated system in 2025 in which one electronic RD$35 fare covers the public OMSA buses and the city's cable car, with transfers allowed within 90 minutes. See Santo Domingo and Santiago and the Cibao.

Motoconchos

Motoconchos (motorcycle taxis) are everywhere outside central Santo Domingo, waiting at street corners and junctions. In small towns like Las Terrenas, Cabarete or Las Galeras, they are the default taxi, and a short hop is cheap, often under RD$100 (under $2). Agree on the price before you climb on.

We recommend you avoid them. The Dominican Republic has one of the highest road traffic death rates in the region, and motorcycles account for a large share of the dead and injured. Drivers often skip helmets, carry two or three passengers, ride against traffic and travel at night without lights. Even a minor fall on a bare leg leaves a severe burn from the exhaust pipe, which locals call a quemadura de moto. Some travel insurance policies limit cover for motorcycle travel.

Uber and taxis

Uber

Uber is widely used in Santo Domingo and Santiago and operates around the clock in Punta Cana, with UberX, UberXL for groups of up to six and rides that can be reserved up to 30 days ahead. It is usually cheaper than a taxi, shows you the price before you book, tracks the trip and lets you pay by card. Coverage thins out quickly in small towns and rural areas, and in some beach towns there may be few or no drivers. Puerto Plata and other cities have some service; check the app on arrival.

Local taxi unions have pushed back hard against app drivers in resort areas and at airports. In Punta Cana, some resorts do not let Uber cars past the gate, so you may need to walk to the entrance or a nearby plaza. At airports, follow the posted rules for ride-share pickups.

• Check the plate, car model and driver's name before getting in.
• Wait indoors, in a shop or hotel lobby, rather than on the curb with your phone out.
• If a driver asks you to cancel and pay cash for the same trip, decline.
• Use a local SIM or eSIM so the app works without Wi-Fi. See staying connected.

Taxis

At airports and resorts, licensed taxis charge fixed zone fares, usually posted on a board and quoted in US dollars. Confirm the fare before you load your bags. In Santo Domingo and Santiago, most locals call a radio-dispatched company, such as Apolo Taxi in the capital, which gives you the car number and a quoted price; your hotel can call one. Avoid unmarked cars offering rides on the street, especially at night.

Domestic flights and air taxis

Because the main cities are only a few hours apart by highway, scheduled domestic flights are few and change often. Most of what flies inside the country is regional airlines adding domestic legs to their Caribbean networks, plus charter planes and helicopters. Flying makes sense when you want to skip a long drive, for example from Punta Cana or Santo Domingo to Samaná, Puerto Plata or the far southwest, or when you are short on days.

Airlines and airports

Air Century, based at the Joaquín Balaguer airport at El Higüero (La Isabela, airport code JBQ) on Santo Domingo's north side, flies to Caribbean islands and has offered domestic connections; its fares include a 23 kg (50 lb) checked bag. Sky High Aviation, flying from Las Américas (SDQ), focuses on regional routes and private charters. Check both airlines' booking sites for current domestic routes and days, which vary by season.

Besides the big international airports at Punta Cana (PUJ), Santo Domingo (SDQ), Puerto Plata (POP), Santiago (STI), La Romana (LRM) and Samaná El Catey (AZS), the country has smaller airfields used mainly by charters, including La Isabela (JBQ), Constanza (COZ) and Cabo Rojo near Pedernales (CBJ), which the government has been upgrading as part of its push to develop tourism in the southwest.

Air taxis and charters

Several companies fly small planes and helicopters on demand, most from La Isabela and Punta Cana. Helidosa, one of the best-known Dominican helicopter operators, is an example. A charter is priced per aircraft, so it can be reasonable for a group of four to six sharing, and you leave when you want. Ask for the aircraft type, the baggage weight limit (often strict on small planes) and the total including taxes before booking.

Ferries and boats

Across Samaná Bay

Small passenger boats have long crossed Samaná Bay between the town of Samaná and Sabana de la Mar on the south shore, a shortcut that links the peninsula with Miches and the east coast. There is no car ferry. The service is basic, depends on the weather and has run irregularly, so ask locally whether boats are running, the departure times and the fare before you plan a trip around it. Expect to pay in cash and to get wet in choppy water; travel light. On the Sabana de la Mar side, the main draw is boat trips into Los Haitises National Park. See Samaná and Miches.

Boats to the islands

Day boats run to Saona and Catalina islands from Bayahíbe and La Romana, to Cayo Levantado from Samaná, and to sandbars like Cayo Arena on the north coast. Almost all of these are sold as excursions; see excursions for prices and for how to choose a licensed operator with life jackets.

To Puerto Rico

Ferries del Caribe runs an overnight passenger and car ferry between Puerto Rico and the port of Don Diego in Santo Domingo, sailing three times a week. In October 2026 it left Santo Domingo at 6 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and reached San Juan at 8 am the next morning. In late 2025 its base round-trip fare was $249 per person before taxes, with cabins, meals and vehicles extra. It is a slow but interesting way to combine the two islands; check the current schedule and documents needed before booking.

Travel times between destinations

These are typical driving times with light traffic. Buses take 15 to 45 minutes longer, and rush hour around Santo Domingo can add an hour.

Night travel and safety on the road

Try to be at your destination by dark. Roads in the DR are poorly lit, motorcycles often ride without lights, livestock wanders onto rural roads and drunk driving rises sharply at night and on weekends. The US State Department rates the country at Level 2, "exercise increased caution," because of crime, and road crashes are among the most common causes of serious injury to visitors. The big coach companies are the safest way to travel after dark if you have to.

Keep valuables out of sight at bus terminals and on guaguas, keep a photo of your passport on your phone and carry the original only when you need it for a ticket. For more, see safety.

Tips that save trouble

• Carry pesos in small bills (RD$50, RD$100, RD$200) for buses, guaguas and motoconchos; drivers often cannot change RD$1,000 or RD$2,000 notes.
• Learn the key words: parada (stop), ¿cuánto es? (how much?), déjeme aquí (drop me here). See Spanish.
• Avoid traveling on the Friday before and the Sunday after a holiday weekend, and during Semana Santa, when everyone leaves the capital at once.
• Download offline maps; mobile coverage drops in the mountains and the southwest.
• From June through November, check the hurricane forecast before long road trips. See when to go.
• Plan long trips around the bus timetables first, then fill gaps with guaguas.