Getting from the airport to the city in Dominican Republic

The busiest airport in the Caribbean, and the one where most visitors arrive.

• Licensed taxis run on fixed published fares, not meters. Bávaro is roughly USD 35 to USD 45, priced per vehicle for up to 4 people rather than per person.
• Bring cash, in US dollars or pesos. Airport taxis generally do not take cards, and this surprises people at the worst moment.
• Pre-booked transfers cost less and remove the haggling. Shared shuttles run from about USD 15 per person, private cars from around USD 35.
• If your hotel is an all-inclusive booked as a package, the transfer is usually included. Check before paying for one.
• Uber exists in Punta Cana but not usefully at the airport, where the taxi union controls pickups.

• About 30 km east of the city, and the drive takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
• Uber works well in Santo Domingo and is markedly cheaper than an airport taxi. Pickup arrangements at the terminal change, so check the app on arrival.
• Fixed-fare taxis into the Zona Colonial run around USD 40.

• Puerto Plata serves Sosúa, Cabarete and the north coast, all within 15 to 40 minutes by taxi.
• Santiago is the domestic and regional hub and is convenient for the Cibao valley and the mountains.

• Do not take a motoconcho with luggage. Motorcycle taxis are everywhere and cheap, and they are also how a large share of the country's road casualties happen. With a suitcase on a highway they are genuinely dangerous.
• Guaguas, the shared minibuses, are the local way to travel and cost very little. They are also frequently uninsured and poorly maintained, and they fill well past capacity. Fine for a short hop in daylight, not for an airport run at night.
• Avoid driving yourself on arrival day. Dominican traffic takes acclimatisation, and night driving outside cities is best avoided entirely.