Getting from Puerto Plata to Santo Domingo and back

JohnB

New member
Sep 23, 2004
23
0
0
Hey Everybody ;) ,

I've managed to get a very economical direct flight at the end of the month from UK (LGW) to Puerto Plata (POP) but I need to be in Santo Domingo area for the week I'll be in DR.

Can you recommend the optimum (i.e., safest, most economical, fastest) way to get from POP to Santo Domingo and then back to POP at the end of the week.The flight is about US$150 cheaper than a flight to SDQ so I can use some of that saving to get from POP to SanDom. :ermm:

Thanks for any advice :cool:
 

Minni

New member
Sep 14, 2003
141
0
0
Take the bus. Caribe Tours is your best bet. It takes around four hours to get there, it's air conditioned and fairly comfortable as well as cheap. It was 4 US dollars in Feb. just go to www.caribetours.com.do for a time schedule.
Good Luck
Minni
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
1,574
70
0
something to consider

The bus itself is indeed a bargain. Bring a sweater or light jacket, because they crank the air up full blast. Keep in mind however that you will be paying cab fare from the airport to the bus station in PP or Sosua, then from the bus station to your hotel in SD, and the reverse on your way back. The extra cab fare on each end of your trip will cost more than the bus. In addition, you will be spending a full 4 hours on the bus at each end of your trip. If you can approach the bus ride as a part of your vacation and enjoy it, it will be great. If not, the $100 or so you will ultimately save may not be worth it.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
What time does your plane arrive?

Caribe Tours buses leave hourly from Sosua and Puerto Plata for Santo Domingo from early morning until early evening. Sosua is closer to the airport than Puerto Plata, so you may want catch the bus there. You will have to take a taxi to either bus terminal, but will save a few dollars by going to Sosua since it is closer. The buses run 7 days a week in both directions.

The first bus from Sosua leaves at 5:20 am and from Puerto Plata at 6 am. Every 20 minutes past the hour there is another bus from Sosua, and on the hour from Puerto Plata, until 6:20/7 pm.

Returning, there is a least one bus a hour from Santo Domingo from 6 am to 7 pm.

From Sosua to Puerto Plata is RD$210 at present.
 

Escott

Gold
Jan 14, 2002
7,716
6
0
www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
This is a joke, right?

Penny wise and dollar foolish. You will spend almost 1 workday getting from the airport to the Capital and then another one on the way back. What a waste of time for 150 dollars. Kind of like flying to Paris to get to London.
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
1,574
70
0
Escott said:
Penny wise and dollar foolish. You will spend almost 1 workday getting from the airport to the Capital and then another one on the way back. What a waste of time for 150 dollars. Kind of like flying to Paris to get to London.

I agree Escott, and in fact by the time he pays for the bus and cab fares the savings will be more like 100. I flew into SD once to go to PP, but in that case the ticket was 250 less, and since I was renting a car regardless, it was just a matter of a 3 1/2 hour drive each way.

JohnB, if you haven't bought your ticket yet, you might want to consider flying directly to Las Americas if the airfare is only 150 more. With only a week in the country, that's a lot of time to spend freezing your *** off in a bus!
 

JohnB

New member
Sep 23, 2004
23
0
0
Thanks for the advice

Thanks Guys & Gals for the info,
I kinda already guessed that the hassle and time would cancel out the dollar saving, but it was good to get your confirmation just the same.