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guaguas
Guaguas
...generally have a destination posted in front of the vehicle. Secondly, the guaguas will look for you. If you are at the begining of the route, you will find that the guaguas will not proceed until the bus is full. This can be extremely frustrating and adds considerable time to your trip. Taxis are an option.
...generally have a destination posted in front of the vehicle. Secondly, the guaguas will look for you. If you are at the begining of the route, you will find that the guaguas will not proceed until the bus is full. This can be extremely frustrating and adds considerable time to your trip. Taxis are an option.
Pronouced gwa' gwas.
From Playa Dorada to Puerto Plata or Sosua, you have two options:
1. Guaguas are mostly vans, but recently some of them were replaced by all white buses. If you stand on the side walk in front of the Playa Dorada complex looking like you are waiting for a ride, then the guaguas on the way to Puerto Plata are sure to toot as they approach to ask if you want a ride. Just signal with your hand that you want them to pick you up. If you stand on the other side of the highway, the guaguas on the way to Sosua will toot as they approach.
2. Publicos are cars with a red box on top that says something like PtaPlta-Sosua. They hold a maximum of 6 passengers, 2 in front with driver and 4 in back. They, too, will toot as they approach if you like like somebody waiting for a ride.
If you checked the dr1 news summary yesterday, you saw that prices have just gone up, so I am not sure of what the exact prices will be. But it will be about 15 pesos to Sosua and about 10 to Puerto Plata from Playa Dorada. You pay as you on the guaguas as you near the town you are headed for or, you can feign ignorance and pay when you get out. There is a fare collector on the guaguas who you will see collecting money, so you will know who to pay. Give him close to the required amount, because they aren't good about giving tourists change. You can pay the publico driver when you get out at your destination.
In Puerto Plata, the guaguas leave from the Central Park. When another guagua arrives, the one loading leaves, no matter how many passengers there are. Enroute to Playa Dorada, they will make another stop to pick up more passengers, but it won't be a long stop because another guagua will soon stop for passengers. In Sosua, you can stand anywhere along the highway to get the guagua back to Puerto Plata. Or you can get a Publico at their loading point by the Texaco station, or you can stand closer to the traffic light on the Puerto Plata end of Sosua and get one of the publicos that keeps running back and forth without waiting for a load at the starting point.
We usually use the publicos because you can pay extra to give yourself more room. For example, if you want the front seat alone with the driver, pay 2 fares. Or you can pay 4 fares and have the back seat for you and your companion. This is much, much, much cheaper than taking a taxi. I can take a publico, empty except for me, from Sosua to Puerto Plata for RD$100, where a taxi would charge me at least RD$300.
From Playa Dorada to Puerto Plata or Sosua, you have two options:
1. Guaguas are mostly vans, but recently some of them were replaced by all white buses. If you stand on the side walk in front of the Playa Dorada complex looking like you are waiting for a ride, then the guaguas on the way to Puerto Plata are sure to toot as they approach to ask if you want a ride. Just signal with your hand that you want them to pick you up. If you stand on the other side of the highway, the guaguas on the way to Sosua will toot as they approach.
2. Publicos are cars with a red box on top that says something like PtaPlta-Sosua. They hold a maximum of 6 passengers, 2 in front with driver and 4 in back. They, too, will toot as they approach if you like like somebody waiting for a ride.
If you checked the dr1 news summary yesterday, you saw that prices have just gone up, so I am not sure of what the exact prices will be. But it will be about 15 pesos to Sosua and about 10 to Puerto Plata from Playa Dorada. You pay as you on the guaguas as you near the town you are headed for or, you can feign ignorance and pay when you get out. There is a fare collector on the guaguas who you will see collecting money, so you will know who to pay. Give him close to the required amount, because they aren't good about giving tourists change. You can pay the publico driver when you get out at your destination.
In Puerto Plata, the guaguas leave from the Central Park. When another guagua arrives, the one loading leaves, no matter how many passengers there are. Enroute to Playa Dorada, they will make another stop to pick up more passengers, but it won't be a long stop because another guagua will soon stop for passengers. In Sosua, you can stand anywhere along the highway to get the guagua back to Puerto Plata. Or you can get a Publico at their loading point by the Texaco station, or you can stand closer to the traffic light on the Puerto Plata end of Sosua and get one of the publicos that keeps running back and forth without waiting for a load at the starting point.
We usually use the publicos because you can pay extra to give yourself more room. For example, if you want the front seat alone with the driver, pay 2 fares. Or you can pay 4 fares and have the back seat for you and your companion. This is much, much, much cheaper than taking a taxi. I can take a publico, empty except for me, from Sosua to Puerto Plata for RD$100, where a taxi would charge me at least RD$300.
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I took a guagua from Consuelo to San Pedro to Santo Domingo to San Cristobal. Wow, was that a trip!! Took me over 5 hours!! In Santo Domingo it just kept circling around the square until every single space was full. It is a cheaper way of transportation, and yes, they find you for the most part, you just have to know where it is located to go where you need to go.
It's pronounced gwa-gwas.
You will pay when the guy points to you, you'll notice others passing the money to the front as well, and the change will get passed back to you if you need it. You don't pay when you enter, as in the U.S.A or in Canada.
Ah, Ken, you just beat me too it!!!!
It's pronounced gwa-gwas.
You will pay when the guy points to you, you'll notice others passing the money to the front as well, and the change will get passed back to you if you need it. You don't pay when you enter, as in the U.S.A or in Canada.
Ah, Ken, you just beat me too it!!!!
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Originally posted by Meredith Ah, Ken, you just beat me too it!!!!
Sorry, Meredith. But I have also had experience with responding and posting, only to find two or three people had responded during the time I was polishing up my writing.
Some of the heavier travelled routes have express buses as well as local ones. You have to catch the express buses at the terminal, of course. In addition to being faster, they're usually better - air conditioned and more spacious seating arrangements. They're certainly worth the few extra pesos.
BTW, you can buy extra seats on the buses, too.
I've never had trouble getting change from a bus conductor, though admittedly I don't hang around tourist areas.
BTW, you can buy extra seats on the buses, too.
I've never had trouble getting change from a bus conductor, though admittedly I don't hang around tourist areas.
Think it twice
There is a route from Lajavilla pp to gaspar hernandez, which means that you pass by Sosua & Cabarete.
It's only 15 pesos.
make sure you get your life insurance at day, these guys have no sense of precaution in driving, well, not even driving, if you jump in make sure you sit in the middle, so in case of a crash the others will serve as an air bag, or wear a helmet.
I remeber a post of a guy trying to bungee here in the DR as an extreme sport, we forgot to suggest him to get a guagua on sunday and after a night of drinks & party.
:bunny:
There is a route from Lajavilla pp to gaspar hernandez, which means that you pass by Sosua & Cabarete.
It's only 15 pesos.
make sure you get your life insurance at day, these guys have no sense of precaution in driving, well, not even driving, if you jump in make sure you sit in the middle, so in case of a crash the others will serve as an air bag, or wear a helmet.
I remeber a post of a guy trying to bungee here in the DR as an extreme sport, we forgot to suggest him to get a guagua on sunday and after a night of drinks & party.
:bunny: