I've seen several folks mention they'd like when people come to the forum and ask questions if they would report back, so that's what I'm going to do here and hopefully provide some useful tips.
General Driving Tips
1. We found incredibly cheap rental car deals at major car companies in Punta Cana on kayak.com. Our rental car was $21/day + insurance.
2. Do NOT trust google maps for anything. It messed up the location of one of our tours, our hotel, the rental car company and totally screwed us for directions.
3. Driving in the DR is really not that bad if you have experience driving in major cities, like NYC, SF or DC. Everyone follows the same basic rules: the bigger car always wins, feel free to pass others going slower -- no matter how many lanes you have, stopsigns and lights etc. are merely suggestions, and use horn liberally to ensure others know you're there.
4. People are reasonably nice about giving directions. Know what the next major town is along your route (not your final destination) and people will gladly point the way. There are no street signs, but there are plenty of signs with arrows pointing the correct path. Locals (including toll takers) do not know the names or #s of the highways, just where it leads.
Punta Cana to North Coast (Cabarete/ Sosua): (5-6 hours)
1. You will mostly be on highways except for driving through LaRomana (where at each corner you'll be attacked by a small mob of boys weilding window-washing equipment). The La Romana detour is well marked by signs.
2. Cueva Maravillosa is a nice place to stop and stretch your legs going either direction. Clean bathrooms and a wonderful 45 minute tour for only $10US or $300RD.
3. Do NOT take rte #4 - Mella(as advised by google maps). Stay on rte #3 all the way until you reach the exit for rte #7.
4. There is a very handy Exxon station on Rte 7 (before Haitises) that accepts credit cards, has clean bathrooms, a convenience store and air/ water stations.
5. Going through Cabrera is slightly tricky. You will have to veer left (going inland toward Santo Domingo) for about a half a kilometer before you make a hard right back toward Rio San Juan/ Cabarete.
Cabarete/ Sosua to Las Galeras: (3-4 hours)
1. Same advice re. Cabrera above. Look for the signs toward Samana.
2. The toll road to Coson/ Las Terrenas is much nicer than the other road, but quite expensive at over $10US. If you're going all the way to Samana City (aka Santa Barbara de Samana) or Las Galeras I'd suggest taking the toll road in one direction, but not necessarily the other.
3. Watch out for missing manhole covers, especially on the road to Las Galeras. Unlike potholes, which usually have rough edges that can be seen from distance, the missing manhole covers are not visible until the very last minute. If possible get behind a local and see where they swerve off to one side or another.
Las Galeras to Punta Cana: (6+ hours)
1. We decided to go via the coastal toll road on the way back. (Que bonita!) From Samana you are looking for the signs that say "Coson." (Some signs say Las Terrenas, but if there are signs that say both go in the direction of Coson.) There are a few moments when the road becomes quite small and you suddenly doubt you've gone the right direction, but it will open up again in just a bit.
2. Be cautious about speeding through Haitises/ on toll road #7, we saw police out tagging folks with radar guns going both directions.
3. Lastly, when we drove back this week, the highway around San Pedro going east was under construction, so we had to drive through the city on the way back. This detour wasn't incredibly well-marked, but people were helpful with directions.
I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about renting a car and driving. There were moments that were definitely a bit stressful -- like when we got lost once in the outskirts of Santo Domingo -- but I highly recommend taking on the challenge for anyone who is a confident and assertive driver and has a good sense of direction.
BTW, my times are based on our times with me maintaining a speed that was near or just over the speed limit.
General Driving Tips
1. We found incredibly cheap rental car deals at major car companies in Punta Cana on kayak.com. Our rental car was $21/day + insurance.
2. Do NOT trust google maps for anything. It messed up the location of one of our tours, our hotel, the rental car company and totally screwed us for directions.
3. Driving in the DR is really not that bad if you have experience driving in major cities, like NYC, SF or DC. Everyone follows the same basic rules: the bigger car always wins, feel free to pass others going slower -- no matter how many lanes you have, stopsigns and lights etc. are merely suggestions, and use horn liberally to ensure others know you're there.
4. People are reasonably nice about giving directions. Know what the next major town is along your route (not your final destination) and people will gladly point the way. There are no street signs, but there are plenty of signs with arrows pointing the correct path. Locals (including toll takers) do not know the names or #s of the highways, just where it leads.
Punta Cana to North Coast (Cabarete/ Sosua): (5-6 hours)
1. You will mostly be on highways except for driving through LaRomana (where at each corner you'll be attacked by a small mob of boys weilding window-washing equipment). The La Romana detour is well marked by signs.
2. Cueva Maravillosa is a nice place to stop and stretch your legs going either direction. Clean bathrooms and a wonderful 45 minute tour for only $10US or $300RD.
3. Do NOT take rte #4 - Mella(as advised by google maps). Stay on rte #3 all the way until you reach the exit for rte #7.
4. There is a very handy Exxon station on Rte 7 (before Haitises) that accepts credit cards, has clean bathrooms, a convenience store and air/ water stations.
5. Going through Cabrera is slightly tricky. You will have to veer left (going inland toward Santo Domingo) for about a half a kilometer before you make a hard right back toward Rio San Juan/ Cabarete.
Cabarete/ Sosua to Las Galeras: (3-4 hours)
1. Same advice re. Cabrera above. Look for the signs toward Samana.
2. The toll road to Coson/ Las Terrenas is much nicer than the other road, but quite expensive at over $10US. If you're going all the way to Samana City (aka Santa Barbara de Samana) or Las Galeras I'd suggest taking the toll road in one direction, but not necessarily the other.
3. Watch out for missing manhole covers, especially on the road to Las Galeras. Unlike potholes, which usually have rough edges that can be seen from distance, the missing manhole covers are not visible until the very last minute. If possible get behind a local and see where they swerve off to one side or another.
Las Galeras to Punta Cana: (6+ hours)
1. We decided to go via the coastal toll road on the way back. (Que bonita!) From Samana you are looking for the signs that say "Coson." (Some signs say Las Terrenas, but if there are signs that say both go in the direction of Coson.) There are a few moments when the road becomes quite small and you suddenly doubt you've gone the right direction, but it will open up again in just a bit.
2. Be cautious about speeding through Haitises/ on toll road #7, we saw police out tagging folks with radar guns going both directions.
3. Lastly, when we drove back this week, the highway around San Pedro going east was under construction, so we had to drive through the city on the way back. This detour wasn't incredibly well-marked, but people were helpful with directions.
I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about renting a car and driving. There were moments that were definitely a bit stressful -- like when we got lost once in the outskirts of Santo Domingo -- but I highly recommend taking on the challenge for anyone who is a confident and assertive driver and has a good sense of direction.
BTW, my times are based on our times with me maintaining a speed that was near or just over the speed limit.