Does anyone know a driver who will arrange in advance to pick me up at SDQ airport for less than the tradiional $35 USD ? That seems excessive.
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Why are taxi rates to and from SDQ airport so high?
I suppose it depends on where you're going to.Does anyone know a driver who will arrange in advance to pick me up at SDQ airport for less than the tradiional $35 USD ? That seems excessive.
If it's just to the East end of Santo Domingo, it would be a bit high, but it is a 20 to 30 minute drive to there, and vehicles and gas are expensive.
Nevertheless, if you feel that you can do better once you get there, then cancel the pre-arranged pick up.
Where are you going? I paid less than that in August to go to a hotel in Santo Domingo. From the price, it sounds like you might be going somewhere else. Of course, gas has increased a lot since then so maybe the fare has gone up.
On the charge, I talked with the driver on the way into Santo Domingo and learned these guys only get a couple of trips a day. If they are into Santo Domingo, they don't have much to show for a day's work. They hope for trips to Punta Cana because they can charge more.
Whereever they go, like Rocky said, it is a long ride, gas gets more expensive by the day, and the trip back to the airport is without a passenger.
On the charge, I talked with the driver on the way into Santo Domingo and learned these guys only get a couple of trips a day. If they are into Santo Domingo, they don't have much to show for a day's work. They hope for trips to Punta Cana because they can charge more.
Whereever they go, like Rocky said, it is a long ride, gas gets more expensive by the day, and the trip back to the airport is without a passenger.
Within the last month the rates have increased. A few weeks ago I asked a taxi driver the rate to Boca Chica and the new rate is $30, an increase of $10. A poster recently quoted a new rate to Santo Domingo of $40. The rate to Santo Domingo is pretty much a flat rate regardless of where you are going.
If you do not pre-book a taxi once at SDQ you have no other taxi choice but the airport taxis. That is, unless you want to use a motoconcho or walk to the highway.
If you have driven in the DR before you might want to consider renting a car for a day at $60 with full insurance. You will have transpo to the hotel and a chance to run around town to get some shopping done. The major car rentals have drop off points in the city to leave the car the next day. Most drop offs are on Avenida Independencia so catching a publico back to your hotel would be very easy.
If you do not pre-book a taxi once at SDQ you have no other taxi choice but the airport taxis. That is, unless you want to use a motoconcho or walk to the highway.
If you have driven in the DR before you might want to consider renting a car for a day at $60 with full insurance. You will have transpo to the hotel and a chance to run around town to get some shopping done. The major car rentals have drop off points in the city to leave the car the next day. Most drop offs are on Avenida Independencia so catching a publico back to your hotel would be very easy.
When we came into SDQ for Thanksgiving, I was told that if the customer is going to Zona Colonial to ANY hotel, the rate is US$35, but if to a private residence, the rate is RD$900. They assume if you go to a hotel, it is OK to clip you.
Of course, gas has increased a lot since then so maybe the fare has gone up.
Most, if not all taxis use LPG. Even though LPG has gone up something, it's nothing compared to gasoline hikes. But here... they raise prices of movie tickets because the gas/gasoil has gone up.
A tip a friend passed on to me (which btw I never tried yet becasue I prefer to rent a car) is to walk up to departures area and try to catch a taxi that just dropped someone off. He said you can get a much better price this way. The taxi driver is not allowed to do this, but I'd imagine they would jump at the chance to earn a few more pesos on the return trip.
That's exactly what people should be doing as donmiguelito posted. I've done this in Rio, Buenos Aires and other cities, and it works !
Btw, I haven't been in SDQ since August, but I paid 700 pesos each way (and this is by haggling). They quote those higher prices to tourists ! Taxis normally from SD to SDQ quote 800 pesos but you can definately get for 700 pesos.
Btw, I haven't been in SDQ since August, but I paid 700 pesos each way (and this is by haggling). They quote those higher prices to tourists ! Taxis normally from SD to SDQ quote 800 pesos but you can definately get for 700 pesos.
Does anyone know a driver who will arrange in advance to pick me up at SDQ airport for less than the tradiional $35 USD ? That seems excessive.
When will you be arriving and where are you going?
oh! taxis here is just horrible. i arrived here early morning of sept 2007, 5 am to be exact and i paid like 1500 RD$ from airport to arroyo hondo. the taxi has no aircon, car in bad condition smells like dirt and fart out of eating beans and oh did i say the headlight is not working? i thought i was in haiti but then i saw this malecon without street lights. if u the flights arrive in the morning just pray there are alot of taxis coz when i arrived it was like a handful only. there were two other passengers by the way on the same taxi i took and they paid 1500RD$ each too. so the driver/owner of the fart smelly taxi with no aircon, smells lpg taxi just made 4500RD$ from driving us from airport to caribe tours terminal to arroyo hondo. oh! lovely, it was such a nice morning we made his day.
its a pain in the ass taking taxi here. u dont know what you gonna get in their taxi.
its a pain in the ass taking taxi here. u dont know what you gonna get in their taxi.
oh! taxis here is just horrible. i arrived here early morning of sept 2007, 5 am to be exact and i paid like 1500 RD$ from airport to arroyo hondo.
Tell them they are too expensive and you are calling Apollo taxi (or another service). They will usually drop their price while you are on the phone or just after.
Taxi rates are generally much higher from airports to in town destinations simply because of tourists. In POP, a taxi wants 25US to take you to Playa Dorada when a taxi aquired elsewhere in the city will cost a fraction. Hop a public guaugua out of the terminal and you will find much less expensive taxis very quickly.
Try "buddying" at the airport and split the fare. I try to make friends and ask people where they are headed, you can usually find someone going to the same "area".
Very good idea
Wow guys, this is sad.
I usually pay RD$50 pesos to get from the airport to my house on Ave Churchill... but here is the thing: I don't taxi.
There are small yellow/white buses that sit outside and wait for passengers. If you don't mind waiting 15-20 minutes and sharing a ride with other fellow travellers, this is much much cheaper. Of course, expect to be dumped on 27 de Febrero, Plaza Central or so, then call an el-cheapo cab for $140 from there.
The problem is, many of us here want to be too comfortable, and since you come in the middle of nowhere... they hike your rates up.
The government here is really ridiculous. Why aren't there 2-3 OMSA buses circulating to/fro the dang airport? It really is no surprise that most of my college friends leave the country as soon as they graduate.
I usually pay RD$50 pesos to get from the airport to my house on Ave Churchill... but here is the thing: I don't taxi.
There are small yellow/white buses that sit outside and wait for passengers. If you don't mind waiting 15-20 minutes and sharing a ride with other fellow travellers, this is much much cheaper. Of course, expect to be dumped on 27 de Febrero, Plaza Central or so, then call an el-cheapo cab for $140 from there.
The problem is, many of us here want to be too comfortable, and since you come in the middle of nowhere... they hike your rates up.
The government here is really ridiculous. Why aren't there 2-3 OMSA buses circulating to/fro the dang airport? It really is no surprise that most of my college friends leave the country as soon as they graduate.
The taxi unions here in the DR are some of the most powerful and organized unions i have seen. I know several gringos in country that get harrassed and even brought in for using their personal minibus to take fellow gringo friends on a daytrip. I agree, the best way to get around the taxi thing at airports is to go publico.
I never knew that you can take a bus from the Airport to SD. Are these yellow/white buses on the level of the Aiport where passengers go to depart the DR, or are they on the lower level with the taxis leaving for the capitol, etc? Can you also take these buses from SD to the Airport?