Entry and Departure

Meredith said:

So, I am definently going to Haiti in May and I need some advice on how to get there.

If I fly into Haiti, which I am considering doing, will I have any problems crossing the border into the D.R. and leaving eventually from the airport there? I will only be spending a short time in Haiti and most of my stay in the D.R. As well, is there still the $100 US tax when you fly in?

Also, does anyone know how much a flight into Haiti is running for these days?

Which route should I take? Any advice would be great!!!!!
Thanks in advance.

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You can cross at the legal crossing by road at Darjabon (Sp?) and pay the $10 for a tourist card. There isn't and hasn't been a $100 US tax to enter the DR. Just a tourist card , ten clams. I think you will have challeneges getting from PAP to the border and then getting from the border to SDQ, I think flying with a different route may work better ( see below).

Since you have not mentioned the part of the world you are flying from the cost issue is best handled online like with Expedia.com though since AA flies to PAP from MIA you could buy MIA-PAP (drive) SDQ-MIA with connections into MIA from wherever the heck you are right now. You may even find MIA-PAP-MIA-SDQ-MIA may be affordable. Though connecting to SDQ from Haiti via MIA may take time you would rather not spend.

Air Canada flies non stop to PAP if I recall, though of minimal use if you are, say, in France.

I think Air Jamaica flies SDQ-Kingston/Montego Bay with a stop each way in PAP - you may be far better off with a R/T to SDQ from wherever the heck you are and doing a SDQ-PAP-SDQ trip by air to go for a short time. (If they (Air J) stop there they may sell SDQ-PAP)

This may be a case where the $25 a travel agent wants might be worth it.

Meredith email Trina. I'm sure she did that trip last year when Angel was coming to Canada. Oh wait she did return to Haiti to fly back out. But I'm sure she would know about the $100 into Haiti.

you can take the bus (Carib Tour or another I forget) to Santo domingo in Petion Ville, the bus ticket price is $75 US round trip. I heard it is a long bus ride like 8hr. If you are a US or Canadian the fee to cross the border will be less than $30 US( I'm not sure but you can ask the bus folk). I think the bus company is dominican own. If you want to fly there are some up and down, of course you will get to SD fast but it is a small plane and they may limit the number of bagage you can bring on board the plane and they may ask you to pay for overweight lugage (I'm not really sure of the weight requirement but make sure you ask before buying their tickect).
to flight to Port au Prince american airline is very good, check their website everyday I found out they keep changing the price everyday. you can check travelocity or orbitz but whatever price they give you make sure you go to the airline site to double check they usually add 10 or 25 buck to the price. I'm headed to SD next week I pay 359 from NY and I will take the bus to Port au Prince. NY to Port au prince can cost around $600 in american airline since they are in carnival season.
Bon voyage

I had a friend staying with me 2 weeks ago. She was staying in Haiti and came to DR for 2 days. She got stranded here because the busses wouldn't go to Haiti..some strike or something. But the day before her plane was to leave the bus route was open and she was able to return to Haiti. She did have travlers insurance and they said they would pay if she had to take a flight to leave from here.. erll really they woulr reimburse her ticket. But luckly she was able to get back to Haiti to catch her original flight.
I don't know Haiti at all but it scares me.

No need for a cheap shot Jan, the scary part is in your psyche. We are always bought to fear the unknown, imagine you living in war torn Colombia. As a human being you will adapt the same way the cab driver adapt themselves in crime infested neighborhood in NYC, DC, Miami or couth Central Los Angeles. They have mouth to feed so they have to brave the danger and the rest will be leave up to God. The poster was inquire about way to travel and there is strike anywhere.

An expensive routing though

Meredith said:

Thanks for the info.

I think I didn't explain well enough.

If I fly into Haiti, then cross the border back into the D.R by bus, will I have a problem flying out of Santo Domingo when I finally leave with customs? Is is safer just to bus it both ways from the DR?

I heard $100US fee when you fly into Haiti? Maybe wrong...

P.S. I'm flying out of Toronto

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You could fly Air Canada to Haiti, non stop I think from Toronto but the return would have to be a one way ticket probably AA which connects in MIA to Toronto.

2 X one way is always a pricey proposition. So I guess you would want an open jaw Toronto MIA PAP SDQ MIA YYZ ticket so to American at least it is a round trip of sorts.

The departure tax is $30 US and 10 gourdes ( both) but there seems to be no arrival tax at all. They only charge $5.40 for a visa ( not for Canadians, free) so I cannot imagine 100 clams for no visa entry.

$1,025 - $1,300 CAD on American YYZ to PAP, then SDQ to Toronto using various combos of NY, BOS, MIA on the way there and back.

Since Toronto to SDQ return ranges $900-$1,400 CAD this is pretty much the same then.

Meridith: I am sure that if you are in Barahona, the folks there can tell you how to get to Haiti. Heck, you can almost walk there from Barahona....Probably lots of Tap-Taps that come and go....You know those brightly decorated buses used in Haiti?

Don't sweat the border crossings...You are Canadian, your passport opens most doors....

HB

Terra bus (the other Dominican bus company with a regular bus service from Sto Dgo to Port au Prince besides Caribe Tours) on its way to Jimani (Dominican border town) and further on to PAP has a stopover at its local terminal in Azua. From there you can easily travel to Port au Prince. From Barahona it takes about an hour to Azua.