How to go from SDQ to Punta Cana??

daytrader415

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Jul 18, 2009
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Hi,

I was wondering how to get to the Punta Cana resort area using the bus from Santo Domingo. My flight arrives at 12pm, so I should have enough time to get to PC. I do not stress easily, and I am willing to take an adventure.

After reading other threads, I know the below options:

1. From SDQ, take a cab to Juan Sanchez Ramirez No. 31 terminal in Santo Domingo and take the 2pm bus to Bavaro. Then from there, take another bus or cab to PC.

2. From SDQ, take a cab to the above No 31 bus terminal, and take the 2:55pm bus straight to PC (most desired option)

3. Take a bus (not sure which one, or where) to Higuey, and then from Higuey, go to PC via another bus (no idea how).

Please can someone help get this organized so that everyone else can just use this post instead of repeating the question? I know there are many threads with many different answers, but Im not sure what is the best option. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks
 

drloca

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Oct 26, 2004
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Well since it appears you have used the "search " function and researched this, I think only you can organize what will work best for you.

Option 1: Bavaro Express departing from Maximo Gomez at 2pm (take cab to get there)

Option 2: Take cab to Parque Enriquillo...bus to La Romana, switch to Higuey bus there and then in Higuey, switch to Sitrabapu to Bavaro.

I guess you can figure out the lesser of two evils!;)
 

drloca

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Oct 26, 2004
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Metro and Caribe Tours dont offer service to Bavaro/Punta Cana to the best of my knowledge.
 

daytrader415

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Jul 18, 2009
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What is Maximo Gomez? Is this a bus station?

So, judging from the previous threads, no one can confirm that there is a bus that runs from SDQ to Punta Cana straight? The options are from SDQ to Bavaro or Higeuy?

I have also seen a lot of people talking about Parque Enriquillo, where you can pick up buses to Higuey or Punta Cana...not sure where or when, but I know that Parque Enriquillo is a popular bus destination.
 

MikeFisher

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Well since it appears you have used the "search " function and researched this, I think only you can organize what will work best for you.

Option 1: Bavaro Express departing from Maximo Gomez at 2pm (take cab to get there)*** right, even that it may be on last minute bording for a 12PM arrival at las americas intl, getting the luggage, going throu customs, grab a cabby and arrive on time at the terminal. they depart on the minute.***

Option 2: Take cab to Parque Enriquillo...bus to La Romana, switch to Higuey bus there and then in Higuey, switch to Sitrabapu to Bavaro.*** wrong. at the Parque Enriquillo you can take the bus straight to Higuey, they depart all day long every 20-25 minutes, and in higuey let them drop you off at the Parada for bavaro(they always stop there to drop off passengers) and take the bus of the route for your hotel. from higuey to bavaro/punta cana there are 3 lines. one is named "Cabeza de Toro" and reaches the hotels Natura Park, Dreams Palm Beach, Grand Oasis and Catalonia. the second line is named "Punta Cana" and runs towards the punta cana airport where the hotels Tortuga Bay, Punta Cana Resort&Club, Club Med and the Cap Cana Project are located. and the third line is running towards the Bavaro Strip where all the other hotels are located, except the ones in the area named Uvero Alto, they can not be reached directly on that easy way by the public transportation. the hotels excepted are named Excellence, Sirenis, Dreams Punta Cana, Agua Blue, Sivory and Moon Palace.
this 2nd option is IMO the most reliable one, they run every 20-25 minutes from the Parque Enriquillo all day long, so you can't miss that bus. to go there from the St Dgo airport named Las Americas just tell the cabby driver at the airport you want to go to "la Parada para Higuey al Parque Enriquillo"

I guess you can figure out the lesser of two evils!;)


welcome to paradise
Mike
 

johnny

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Feb 8, 2003
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if your flight arrive at 12, you may not have enought time to catch the 2pm bus.
your best choice is to take a taxi from the airport to the bus station bavaro express.
you mention how to get from bavaro to punta cana.
most hotels are in the bavaro area. so, I guess you are going to bavaro. some people are confused. If you are not going to the airport, you dont need to go to punta cana.
which hotel are you staying? the bus pass thru some resorts or very close.
 

daytrader415

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Jul 18, 2009
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Hi All,

I am staying at the Majestic Colonial @ Punta Cana, so it is not in Bavaro...right?

I just wanted to mention that MikeFisher's explanation was exactly what I was looking for. I did read multiple threads saying that I should go to the park, and thank you for telling me exactly what to tell the cab driver!! "la Parada para Higuey al Parque Enriquillo".


#1 However, which line do you suppose I take to go to Majestic Colonial?


#2 Can someone describe/tell me a little more about the area around Parque Enriquillo? How developed is the area? Are there food/bathrooms nearby? Are there any special places/attractions I should see?

#3 Also, what will the weather be like in September. I heard that it may rain every day but only for 30 minutes at a time, then back to sunny.
 

drloca

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Oct 26, 2004
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Well how developed the area is, local attractions and bathroom facilities are somewhat open to interpretation;)...... but maybe I will let Mike elaborate on that!!:cheeky:
 

johnny

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Majestic is in Macao (bavaro). take the bavaro express. and get off at the Riu Hotels. from there take a taxi, motoconcho or walk (not very pleasent in the heat)to Majestic. it is very close.
The bus in parque enriquillo is mostly for locals workers, not for tourists. mostly if you are not spanish speaking. Also that bus just go to higuey. from there you will need to take another bus. and more taxis.
 

bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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........#2 Can someone describe/tell me a little more about the area around Parque Enriquillo? How developed is the area? Are there food/bathrooms nearby? Are there any special places/attractions I should see?..........

How much luggage will you have? Have you considered taking a cab directly to your hotel?


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MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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if your flight arrive at 12, you may not have enought time to catch the 2pm bus.
your best choice is to take a taxi from the airport to the bus station bavaro express.
you mention how to get from bavaro to punta cana.
most hotels are in the bavaro area. so, I guess you are going to bavaro. some people are confused. If you are not going to the airport, you dont need to go to punta cana.
which hotel are you staying? the bus pass thru some resorts or very close.
if the arrival time of the plane does not allow to catch that 2PM bus, why to bother to take a cabby to that bus station to arrive after the bus left???
 

MikeFisher

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daytrader415
the Majestic Colonial @ Punta Cana is located at the Bavaro resort strip, o the northern end.
so from Higuey you have to take the line named "Bavaro",
they drop you off at the crossing near the Riu hotel where you can take a motoconcho for 50 pesos to the 4 minutes far away hotel, or a cabby for around $8 bucks, or you leave the bus at their mainbusstation at Friusa, that still just a 10 minutes cabby ride for $10.- cabby fee to the hotel's lobby, this variation is the one i would recommend to a visitor to the area who is not familiar with the area and it's motoconchos and anyways travelling with luggage.
Mike
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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Hi All,

I am staying at the Majestic Colonial @ Punta Cana, so it is not in Bavaro...right?

I just wanted to mention that MikeFisher's explanation was exactly what I was looking for. I did read multiple threads saying that I should go to the park, and thank you for telling me exactly what to tell the cab driver!! "la Parada para Higuey al Parque Enriquillo".


#1 However, which line do you suppose I take to go to Majestic Colonial?*** from higuey you take the line named Bavaro, the guys will even understand you when you say the name of your hotel, which is the Majestic(Colonial or elegance makes no difference, they have only one entrance to go in for both. the line named punta cana would bring you to the other side of the east coast towards the punta cana airport. those hotel names with 'punta cana' or 'bavaro' aso in their name giving are just missleading customers. for example the hotel named Dreams Punta Cana is located 1 hrd one way north of punta cana in an area named 'uvero alto', one of the farthest hotels out of punta cana, but the touroperators name it dreams """punta cana"""***


#2 Can someone describe/tell me a little more about the area around Parque Enriquillo? How developed is the area? Are there food/bathrooms nearby? Are there any special places/attractions I should see?*** Parque Enriquillo is a typical dominican central square where the bus stations for many different routes are located, do never hang out there after dark, it is absolutely no prob on daytime. the available food around there is the same than everywhere in the country when off a resort, typical dominican street food, i prefer that myself over an US MC Donald anytime, cooked with a lot of grease, eat empanadas or such and do not eat the chickens "guisado" when new to here, it saves "bathroom times" afterwards during your stay. public bathrooms all over the country are by 'home standards' a mess. it is you who decided to travel the individual backpack way, you can also book a flight to PUJ airport with a transfer from the airport to the hotel included by your touroperator. YOU asked about travelling with luggage on your own in a 3rd world country from the south west of the 2nd biggest caribbean island to the far east side, don't get mistaken on that, we are not talking about a organized and by tourguide guided excursion or such.***

#3 Also, what will the weather be like in September. I heard that it may rain every day but only for 30 minutes at a time, then back to sunny.
*** we never ever during any month of the year have rain every day, not even for 5 minutes EVERY DAY. but september is for our area peak season of the hurricane season, so IF we get something nearby you may face 2-5 days of consecutive unfavorable beach vaca weather including heavy rains and top winds as a max, that's why this time of the year offers those great deals.***

Johnny

Majestic is in Macao (bavaro). take the bavaro express. and get off at the Riu Hotels. from there take a taxi, motoconcho or walk (not very pleasent in the heat)to Majestic. it is very close.
The bus in parque enriquillo is mostly for locals workers, not for tourists. mostly if you are not spanish speaking. Also that bus just go to higuey. from there you will need to take another bus. and more taxis.

to this stu info i have to answer again the same way.
if you do not have a clue, just don't tell anybody none of any BS.
of course the Bus from Parque Enriquillo is mostly used by locals who live around santo domingo and work in bavaro/punta cana, in every country the local busses are mostly used by locals i guess, tourists "usually" travel by their transfer shuttle..
and the SAME applies for your recommended Expresso St Domingo-Bavaro, also mostly used by locals who visited family in st domingo or surroundings and drive back to bavaro/punta cana to work.

Johnny
or walk (not very pleasent in the heat)to Majestic. it is very close

you are kidding me???
have you ever been to punta cana, and if YES, where??
from that crossing they would face a minimum fast 30 minutes, more likely 40 minutes walk on nighttime(they arrive 2PM at santo domingo airport, so it will be long dark before arriving in bavaro/punta cana) on a mainstreet without any street light and without a pedestrians walkway, to walk in the middle of a unlighted mainstreet with LUGGAGE in an area they are completely unfamiliar with????

heck,
get a Playstation or a WII to spend your time,
but don't tell people how to travel by public bus around the Isle.

Mike
 

johnny

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for your info mike I travel to PC at least 10 full weekends a year. been to Majestic 7 times (3 to The Elegance, by far my favorite)
I had visit more than 90% of resorts in PC. including the one that you work NH (by far the worst food in resorts in PC.) even with the 62dlls rates. they wont see me there anymore.
If you read again. I am not recomending him to walk from Riu to Majestic. althought i had seem lot of crazy tourists walking even longer distances.
I had never used any of the buses in the country is true (I dont need it), but I know anything happen in my country. and I know Express Bavaro is much better way to go to PC than be dealing with the tigueraje in Parque Enriquillo. (I bet you never been there).