Punta Cana Conspiracy!

For those familiar with the DR you know there exists a fiefdom on the Eastern end of the island called the Punta Cana ?area?. This area consists of anything east of Otra Banda and this autonomous region always has excellent services, uninterrupted electricity, ubiquitous law enforcement, timely trash collection, and even work crews that repair roadways and clean up the roadside garbage that Dominicans feel is their birthright to toss from their vehicles. The invisible hand that controls this part of the island has done a wonderful job of avoiding the pitfalls of the rest of the DR but this same hand has decided that travelers do not rent cars at the Punta Cana Airport. Travelers are to be herded into waiting busses and transported to an AI while listening to someone tell you in your native tongue that merengue is the music of the Dominican Republic and that tipping is permitted. Once you arrive at your resort should for some crazy reason you want to leave the AI you will be shuttled to Captain Cooks, Manati Park or wherever also in a bus. If for some really crazy reason you want to strike out on your own the AI will be happy to arrange for an approved taxi to meet you in the reception area of the hotel where you will be driven the two miles to Plaza Bavaro. The taxi will wait while you make your purchases and return you to the hotel all for the modest sum of US $40.

In the past, when Punta Cana was a sleepy little tourist destination with a quaint straw hut for an airport terminal and all serious travel went through Santo Domingo and POP this arrangement was sufficient. Now, however, the dynamic of airline travel to the DR has changed dramatically and passenger traffic through Punta Cana dwarfs the other airports combined. When exiting the terminals at Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, or even Santiago one must run a gauntlet of rent-a-car agencies, all with an ample selection of cars and SUVs at reasonable rental prices (for the DR that is). In Punta Cana nary a one. I have to call Jose at Avis next to the bordello in Bavaro. In a hour he?ll show up with a US $100 per day Datsun. They haven?t had an SUV at their location in two years. Or I could wake up Carmella at the Alamo location on the main road to the AIs. Her dwindling fleet of diminutive vehicles is expensive and largely unavailable. Perhaps the best bet is Elvis who runs a Budget Rent-a-Car out of the parking lot of the Natura Park Hotel. When you can get a hold of him at least he has some full size cars and vans (no SUVs of course). It?s a sad lot. Adventure rent-a-car formerly of POP now based in Santiago has a US $90 pick-up and a US $90 drop-off fee for meeting you at the Punta Cana airport. For anything over a four day rental it?s a no brainer. Avis has a fleet of SUVs in it?s downtown Santo Domingo location and will meet you for no fee but the two times I?ve used them they didn?t show and showed up with a Datsun and an excuse.

I fly out of O?Hare in Chicago and I could pay US $650 on AA into Santo Domingo or POP where cars are readily available but the flight is expensive and has a connection making it an 8 hour ordeal. Or for US $239 I could grab a charter and in three and one half hours I?m in Punta Cana. With United Airlines adding direct service from O?Hare to only Punta Cana in December the likelihood that I?ll end up in Rent-a-car hell is almost a certainty. If any posters to this board have some other ideas or info on this subject or if my observations are incorrect please post your thoughts. Thanks in advance

Thanks for the reference but I have tried National. They have a little office in Plaza Bavaro about one half hour from the airport. All small cars at big prices.

Robert,

Again, thanks for replying. A rental car agency at or near the airport would be a start. I don't think it's a coincidence that all other airports have rent-a-car locations and Punta Cana airport has none. I think agencies are prohibited from locating at or near the airport to protect the AIs and their contracts with the taxi companies.

Secondly, a selection of decent cars and SUVs with rates similar to other island locations would be nice. It seems when you can get a car in Punta Cana it's always small and tinny.

Thirdly, I don't think lack of demand is the reason for no cars or locations. I say this because often these locations are often sold out or have a very limited selection. Check your source at National and if he is forthright I think he will explain the restrictions which discourage travelers renting cars in Punta Cana.

Fourthly, if no such restrictions exist tell him he has an eager investor for a location at the airport. With the fastest and cheapest flights to the DR being the Punta Cana charter flights the non AI traveler is a burgeoning market.