Advisability of a driving vacation

no expert here but...

My current plan is to fly into POP and rent a car. I would like to spend one night in each of the following areas/cities Sosua, Samana, Punta Cana, Juan Dolio Boca Chica or Santo Domingo, and finally Santiago. I would end up back at POP for one final day before I fly home.

I would get the car, drive to Santiago for a few days, and check it out (if you really want to see the city), then drive to Samana, spend your holiday, and drive back to POP. If it was me I would head straight to Samana....

Punta Cana, JD, and SD are wonderful (been to two out of the three) but far away and once you are in Samana you will want to relax and enjoy it.

I also would not wish driving in SD on you.

Samana is a gorgeous area, the drive will be very pretty and you will want to relax and enjoy it.

Sosua is interesting but Samana has it beat for gorgeousity.

Santiago has great restaurants and shopping but come on man get thee to the beach!

Toooo much driving!

You're trying to cover too much area in too little time. Roads are not the best, and neither are the drivers. It can be slow going at times. Figure out what you want to see more, and do less driving. It will burn you out, especially the city and you'll need a vaca when you get home !!
I have to agree with the previous poster...Samana is where you want to be.

A, 4am? early bird gets the worm.

Sounds like a fun trip. If you're going to spend that much time on the road and in the car, make sure you get a decent vehicle from a well know rental company.

Santo Domingo, Boca Chica and Juan Dolio you can do in 2 days.
2 days for Samana and Punta Cana is pushing it, that's a lot of driving!

You should have no problem finding places to stay, thats half the fun and makes it easy to change plans as you go.

dr1guide | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic will help you with stuff to do and see in Santo Domingo, Juan Dolio and Boca Chica. Plus it has great maps.

Dominican Republic Small Hotels & Tours - Read Reviews & Book Online will help with smaller hotels in Samana, Santo Domingo and the North Coast. Even if you use the site just to get an idea of what they look like and the Google maps to see their locations.

MaineGirl said:

Sosua is interesting but Samana has it beat for gorgeousity.

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I like that "gorgeousity" MaineGirl. Have you patented that word?

Drive at day and go slow and expect people to pull out in front of you unexpectedly. Also expect motorcyclists to veer from the side of the road to the middle with no warning and also oncoming traffic to cross into your lane when passing other cars - you will be expected to move over for them.

Have fun.

All I know is that I spent six hours at Playa Rincon and it passed by like six minutes, so if this guy can spend time there he will not be disappointed.

Yes, gorgeousity!

I agree with everyone else, driving may not be the best option for you. If your looking for cool or cute places to stay in punta cana check out expedia or there is a company called Bookit that have Youtube channel with videos featuring guest reviews as well as a walk through of certain hotels. Check it out!!
Cheers
Lexy

Chip said:

Drive at day and go slow and expect people to pull out in front of you unexpectedly. Also expect motorcyclists to veer from the side of the road to the middle with no warning and also oncoming traffic to cross into your lane when passing other cars - you will be expected to move over for them.

Have fun.

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Good description. You need to stay awake sober and alert to do a lengthy drives in this country. Dont expect responsible driving

watch out for potholes and everything else on the road and have a wonderful time.driving around the island is some of my best times in dominican.
i was driving in a montero thru san pedro and some ass ran right into me from the side.i got out and before i could speak all i heard was that i was at fault.my motoconcho buddy roberto is a big guy 300pds+.he got out of the car and got in that guy's face.the guy backed down.luckly there was no problem with my car.but his corolla was binged up.my friend told me to get in the car ignore the people yelling and drive.everything was great after that.but what if i was driving alone with limited spanish??? i'm sure i would have been screwed.it's definitely advisable to take a dominican friend along for safety.

From experience I would say you are trying to cover WAY too much driving in one week! First of all, as many have said, you are not dealing with freeways and direct routes like you would in North America - a 3 hour drive in the U.S./Canada could easily take 6 hours of winding roads and slow going.

I would stick to one side of the island and in your case it sounds like the best will be flying into the POP airport. I would even suggest cutting out Santiago until another trip if you want some R n' R time. Spend a night or so in POP or Sosua/Cabarete and then head to the Samana area. The driving will tire you out because the roads are very windy and the sun is really tiring when driving. My husband and I and some friends drove a few hours from POP last year for a day at a different beach and it was exhausting! The next day was a write-off because we were wiped!

As for the car, my only recommendation would be to rent from an international name as we have had VERY bad experiences with local rental companies (crappy vehicles with many problems). Second, get a mini or full-size SUV. I.E. a Honda CRV, Mitsubishi Montero, etc. There are many off road areas where you are going that are not all that easy to navigate with a vehicle with a low body frame.

Driving in daylight in the DR on those winding country road is always preferable. The later it is in the day, the greater chance that drivers have been drinking. Also, you can see so much better in daylight in areas that you are not familiar with.

As for the crazy driving - if you are used to driving in a metropolitan area, just go slow and observe. You will learn fast that you have to be very aware when driving in the DR and that rules there are not the same as back home. It's necessary to learn the rules of the road there though if you want to get out and do things so don't let that deter you. Go with a local!

Good luck!