Transportation costs from rural DR to Capital or Santiago

dajjorg

New member
Sep 29, 2014
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Hello All,

In January my girlfriend, who is an American-born Puerto Rican, will be moving to the DR to begin her graduate research work in Sociology. She will be conducting this research in both Santiago and Santo Domingo, and expects to be done in roughly 1.5-2 years.

I've decided that I would like to search for work in the DR so as to be there to support her and whatnot, and have been looking into finding some ESL jobs/programs that would allow this. The most promising one I've found thus far is through a non-profit, but where I would likely not be placed in either Santo Domingo or Santiago. From the job description, it reads that I would be teaching....

"at universities, institutes, and centers run by the Dominican Ministry of Higher Education in towns and villages throughout the country.... Therefore, most of the teaching locations will find you in the smaller towns of the Dominican Republic....."​

The program duration, however, is a full year, which is very much to my liking and why it is at the top of my preference list. As for the pay, it reads I would earn...

"200-300 Dominican pesos per hour and will be guaranteed 20 hours of paid work per week, but could work up to 40 hours per week."​

... and that the Ministry of Education will work with the non-profit to find me local area houseing free of charge.

Anyways, my question boils down to, in the worst case scenario that I were placed somewhere on either extreme of the country (close to the Haitian border, or close to Punta Cana), would it be economically and logistically feasible (or even possible) to take either bus or taxi to visit her on the weekends in the closer of the two cities. This would be based on the fact that I would be making a minimum of 16,000 pesos per month, balanced against the cost of living, minus rent (since the Ministry will be providing free housing). If anyone could provide some insight into (1) costs of taxis around long distances on the island (2) the cost of bus fares to these major cities from more remote parts of the island, as well as their reliability (i.e. how long it might take), and (3) how this would compare to the overall cost of living (since I have no idea how far 16,000 would get me in terms of basic necessities per month), it would be greatly appreciated.

As for some logistical side notes, my girlfriend would be able to allot her work so as to be in the closer of the two cities (Santiago or Santo Domingo) to wherever I would hypothetically be located. And secondly, I am fairly fluent in Spanish, having minored in it in College and having spent a year abroad in Costa Rica during that time, as well as dealing with my girlfriend's monolingual Spanish speaking parents on a regular basis in NY. Therefore, I am hoping that this will help me from being COMPLETELY taken advantage of by cab drivers, if cabs end up being the only way of visiting her.

Thanks,
-D
 
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
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I think that taxis would be excessively expensive. Guaguas and buses are far less so, and they connect nearly every place in the DR. The express buses, (Caribetur, Metro) cost only a bit more and are much faster and more comfortable to both Santiago and SD.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Remember, RD is still an island...its not not like Texas to Idaho.

everything is accessible with regular & frequent connections from everywhere to everywhere... and not $$$$

Most people have no private transportation..... guaguas, buses, motoconchos are the norm

you'll be fine..... given a good sense of adventure!!
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
public transport is cheap, from 25 pesos per shorter ride to few hundred for a long trip. some spanish would be beneficial to understand where to change buses/cars and how much to pay. all transport in the country is in the hands of the small companies with agreed routes so traveling can take a while. two private proper bus companies, metro and caribe tours, have quite limited range, although caribe goes to more locations.
 

dajjorg

New member
Sep 29, 2014
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I think that taxis would be excessively expensive. Guaguas and buses are far less so, and they connect nearly every place in the DR. The express buses, (Caribetur, Metro) cost only a bit more and are much faster and more comfortable to both Santiago and SD.

Thanks Xavier. Do these express buses stop in most of the small towns, or just the major transit/tourist hubs? And the non-express buses, are they public? I'm wondering how I might be able to find out some info on their pricing (both express and non-express)...

Yeah, Texas to Idaho is quite a jump, I realize that. I just have no idea how transportation costs add up though, in comparison with the Dominican peso and with the cost of living in general. For example, if I were to be placed in the remote south-west area of the country near Haiti, like in the town of Enriquillo, the distance would be 185 miles to Santo Domingo according to Google Maps. This is further than the distance between Philly and DC, and in the states would cost me over $200 by cab (more than half of my weekly paycheck). But who knows, in posting this thread I was hoping to get a glimpse of maybe whether by some chance cab transportation was/is significantly cheaper than the US. Any insight there?

In the case that I were to just stick with buses, which is what the general consensus seems to be, how long and how expensive might it be to get from the extreme east or west to Santiago/Santo Domingo? Any way I can look this info up online, like I could with Greyhound?
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
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From POP campo to Santo domingo ( anywhere u want he will drop u off ), 500 rd pesos by person. I would say at least 200 km.

In every village there is always lots of motoconchos ( for short trips), a couple of carro publicos ( to get to nearest town) and a guy or 2 who will drive his minibus daily to the capital, and will also work as "packet delivery".

Once ure out of the campo, easy, buses, minibuses, carro publicos go everywhere, and more. And they are all very frequent.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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Horarios Desde Santo Domingo

http://metroserviciosturisticos.com/

Paste these in for destinations, schedules and prices. If you arrive 30 minutes before departure, you are almost certain to get a seat. The first one is for Caribetours.
Unlike most of Latin America, there is NO central bus depot. Every one of the dozens of bus companies has its own station.

Metro and Caribetours equipment is clean, comfy and as good as or better than Grayhound, and is the preferred method of intercity travel. Caribetours used Marcopolp buses with Mercedes engines. Metro uses an equally comfortable European-style bus. They have a restroom on these two lines. Other lesser companies do not, and make potty stops every 2 hours as a rule.

The prices for smaller guaguas (example, Toyota Coaster, 20 passenger) are only a bit less than for Caribetours or Metro, and they can take a lot longer and you might be asked to pay extra for baggage or get an uncomfortable seat. The bigger the bus, the safer you are.

If you are in a small town, you will most likely need to take a guagua to a larger city and thence to SD or Stgo.

Example of prices: from SD to Barahona costs RD $250 (US$5.82) and takes four hours to travel about 170 miles.
A rough estimate would be about US$1.50 per hour
 
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Birdman

Active member
Jan 29, 2013
238
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28
I use the guaguas a lot. Ask an old lady who is traveling on the bus how much the price is as the cobradors will charge you double.
 

RV429

Bronze
Apr 3, 2011
1,574
1
36
Forget Taxis, you don't have the budget. Caribe Tours and the link given above will be your friend. From any Campo you will find a motoconcho or guagua to take you to a spot to catch a bus. There are numerous buses plying Santiago and Santo Domingo. You should take a trip here to look around. It is easy, with patience, to get around cheaply.
 
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
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Then there is the salary issue: if you are getting 300 pesos per hour X 20 hours per week, you are likely to get RD$6000 per week and $24000 per month. Better than the average Dominican, but the average Dominican is quite poor. You will be getting RD $24000/ US$558 per month. Hardly a princely sum. A decent hotel in SD or Santiago will cost you at least $30 a night, most cost more. I do hope you learn to like arroz con gandules.

Alas, when one lives separated from his lady love, and one has little money, things tend to not work out. That has been my experience.

There is a saying: Amor de lejos, amor de pendejos. It often turns out to be accurate.

I am not saying that this applies to you, but, well, it is a possibility. Buena suerte, in any case.
 

Curacaoleno

Bronze
Apr 26, 2013
585
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Even if you can afford it it may be a real hassle timewise. You maybe travelling all day just to see eachother at night? and the next day you must return. Maybe you are better off done working in a call center in Santiago.
 

KateP

Silver
May 28, 2004
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What strikes me the most is the provided housing. I would ask what type of housing it is they're talking about. Having to stay in a very basic home with possibly no running water, iffy electricity, the list goes on... not sure if you'd last long. Everyone has their standards of course but if I were you, I'd look for something based in Santo Domingo or Santiago.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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He could just live with her. Kill two birds with one stone.

============================================
They would then not be lejos, and perhaps not pendejos.

But he would have to earn his share of the keep, and there is the problem.
 

dajjorg

New member
Sep 29, 2014
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.... Maybe you are better off done working in a call center in Santiago.

[Pero mas lejos aun es tener que volar a la RD desde Nueva York para visitarla cada otro fin de semana, y mas caro tambien. Menos lejos=menos pendejo soy yo]

Would a call center hire someone who didn't already have a work visa? Would they really be willing to go through the effort of securing me one? And if so, how would I apply?

One huge positive of this program is that it is a guaranteed 11 month legal work visa, backed by the Ministry of Education. And I guess I could also pick up another side job, also having that temp work visa, no? Or does a work Visa only allow you to work that one specific job? Working illegally is not an option I will take.

She will have a shared place in each of the two cities (with 3 other full-time researchers, and occasionally some other visiting researchers). Hotels, at least, I/we will not have to pay for. Since she is already the bread winner, so I am not looking to support her financially but rather just to not let her slip away from me into the hands of some bachatero, haha. Or to be there in case some **** happens to her and she needs help.

Also, if anyone read the exact wording of my original post, one would note that I could be getting a full 40 hours (this would happen after the first couple of months and the evaluation period). Regarding housing conditions, I have found several ex-participants of the program and will be asking them about the acceptability of housing conditions. I believe the housing will be as part of a home-stay, which may mean possible free meals too. But yeah, I have no idea how far a given quantity of dinero will get me in the DR, and what the costs of living are.

Also, they don't specify that town as necessarily being somewhere too far away from Santiago or Santo Domingo. It's possible, if I do the program, that I could end up fairly close to either of the two. I just want to assume the worst for hypothetical purposes.

About finding other work legally in the DR that would include a work visa, including answers to my call center questions, any info would be appreciated.
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
4,305
1
0
i broke down one afternoon on the autopista...we found a place to push the car to and i was really concerned about getting home while my companion was nonplussed... in less than 10 minutes public transport came and stopped... we got on,,,paid..and was on the way home...
in the states it would not have happened that way... lot of transport around...
 
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
My experience has been that you get less money than you expect, and you need more. Perhaps you will be luckier.
Derfish's motorcycle idea sounds at least somewhat exciting. Get a bike and pray it does not rain.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Hello All,

In January my girlfriend, who is an American-born Puerto Rican, will be moving to the DR to begin her graduate research work in Sociology. She will be conducting this research in both Santiago and Santo Domingo, and expects to be done in roughly 1.5-2 years.

I've decided that I would like to search for work in the DR so as to be there to support her and whatnot, and have been looking into finding some ESL jobs/programs that would allow this. The most promising one I've found thus far is through a non-profit, but where I would likely not be placed in either Santo Domingo or Santiago. From the job description, it reads that I would be teaching....

"at universities, institutes, and centers run by the Dominican Ministry of Higher Education in towns and villages throughout the country.... Therefore, most of the teaching locations will find you in the smaller towns of the Dominican Republic....."​

The program duration, however, is a full year, which is very much to my liking and why it is at the top of my preference list. As for the pay, it reads I would earn...

"200-300 Dominican pesos per hour and will be guaranteed 20 hours of paid work per week, but could work up to 40 hours per week."​

... and that the Ministry of Education will work with the non-profit to find me local area houseing free of charge.

Anyways, my question boils down to, in the worst case scenario that I were placed somewhere on either extreme of the country (close to the Haitian border, or close to Punta Cana), would it be economically and logistically feasible (or even possible) to take either bus or taxi to visit her on the weekends in the closer of the two cities. This would be based on the fact that I would be making a minimum of 16,000 pesos per month, balanced against the cost of living, minus rent (since the Ministry will be providing free housing). If anyone could provide some insight into (1) costs of taxis around long distances on the island (2) the cost of bus fares to these major cities from more remote parts of the island, as well as their reliability (i.e. how long it might take), and (3) how this would compare to the overall cost of living (since I have no idea how far 16,000 would get me in terms of basic necessities per month), it would be greatly appreciated.

As for some logistical side notes, my girlfriend would be able to allot her work so as to be in the closer of the two cities (Santiago or Santo Domingo) to wherever I would hypothetically be located. And secondly, I am fairly fluent in Spanish, having minored in it in College and having spent a year abroad in Costa Rica during that time, as well as dealing with my girlfriend's monolingual Spanish speaking parents on a regular basis in NY. Therefore, I am hoping that this will help me from being COMPLETELY taken advantage of by cab drivers, if cabs end up being the only way of visiting her.

Thanks,
-D

You are better off to look at International schools in Santo Domingo where you will be permanently in the city. If you have to travel it is possible but not easy if you are out in the countryside. The pay you are talking about is $5-6 usd per hour. I think you can do better than this. Check out the internet for other opportunities.
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
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elizabetheames.blogspot.com
public transport is readily available and cheap. The longest trip is probably now Dajabon, on the Haitian border, to Santo Domingo.. five or six hours by bus or car.. And Pedernales, on the South of the Haitian border to SD, about the same. Dajabon to Santiago is easy, under an hour. But Pedernales to Santiago.. ach! not on a weekend.

All public transport hubs seem to go from the Capital out. The highes price is about 300 pesos. Riding the little guaguas instead of Caribe Tours buses will get you there cheaper but not always faster, as you have to stop to let folks on and off. But definitely fun.

I would not recommend a call center over teaching, if you are qualified to teach. Call centers are really regimented, life in cubicles, dealing with customer service over the phone in English. NOTHING like the sort of situation that you will have teaching in a campo school.

It sounds like a great opportunity and you two will probably have plenty of time to see one another.
 

dajjorg

New member
Sep 29, 2014
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0
I would not recommend a call center over teaching, if you are qualified to teach. Call centers are really regimented, life in cubicles, dealing with customer service over the phone in English. NOTHING like the sort of situation that you will have teaching in a campo school.

Duly noted (about the call centers). On the topic of other jobs, is there any chance of finding hotel jobs that would legally hire English-Spanish bilingual foreigners? Such is my current area of expertise (Hospitality).