Cheapest way to get to Nagua from POP airport beside very costly tourist taxi

R

RV429

Bronze
Apr 3, 2011
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Walk out to the main road. Get a Carito or guagua going east, hopefully a Rio San Juan bound one. Change in RSJ to a Nagua guagua or Carito. Or if you get to Sosua then look for one to RSJ, change and then on to Nagua in the guagua with some agua.
 
CristoRey

CristoRey

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Apr 1, 2014
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I used to live in Nagua and traveled to and from Sosua many times. If your not bringing more
than a backpack, some chickens or a small suitcase, its pretty darn cheap. What you'll need to
do once you exit the airport is walk down to the main road. Cross it, then sit and wait for one
of the white mini vans with a small sign on top that says Puerto Plata/ Rio San Juan. Flag it
down and hop in. Last time I took the van over was in 2013 I paid around 85 pesos/ $1.85 USD.
Once you arrive at the mini van/ bus station in Rio San Juan you'll need switch mini vans and
hop in the one ( usually 3 or 4 waiting) with a small sign on top that says Rio San Juan/ Nagua.
Again, last time I took this route was in 2013, shouldn't be more than 150 pesos/ $3.25 USD
from RSJ to Nagua.

So all total you're one way trip to Nagua from the airport in Puerto Plata should cost around 235 pesos/
$5.13 USD.
Again, I haven't traveled this route since Feb 2013 but I know the public transportation prices on the
North Coast have not increased much, if any, in the last three years. A motoconcho once you arrive in
Nagua should not cost more than 50 pesos/ $1.09 USD no matter where you are going within the city.

A few things you need to know before jumping in the van. None of these vehicles are equipped with
safety belts. This route on Highway 5 is one of most scenic but most dangerous roads in the country
which means its also one of the most dangerous in the western hemisphere. They don't stop for
bathroom breaks. Some of them used to stop at the half point between PP and RSJ in
Gasper Hernandez but this is usually only for a few minutes. Not sure if they still do.
They drive fast and reckless. At times, they can be overloaded with more passengers then they
have room for but traveling this way is the best way to really get a feel for every day Dominican life :D

Good luck and safe travels.
 
C

Casino127

Member
Jan 13, 2012
233
15
18
CristoRey said:
I used to live in Nagua and traveled to and from Sosua many times. If your not bringing more
than a backpack, some chickens or a small suitcase, its pretty darn cheap. What you'll need to
do once you exit the airport is walk down to the main road. Cross it, then sit and wait for one
of the white mini vans with a small sign on top that says Puerto Plata/ Rio San Juan. Flag it
down and hop in. Last time I took the van over was in 2013 I paid around 85 pesos/ $1.85 USD.
Once you arrive at the mini van/ bus station in Rio San Juan you'll need switch mini vans and
hop in the one ( usually 3 or 4 waiting) with a small sign on top that says Rio San Juan/ Nagua.
Again, last time I took this route was in 2013, shouldn't be more than 150 pesos/ $3.25 USD
from RSJ to Nagua.

So all total you're one way trip to Nagua from the airport in Puerto Plata should cost around 235 pesos/
$5.13 USD.
Again, I haven't traveled this route since Feb 2013 but I know the public transportation prices on the
North Coast have not increased much, if any, in the last three years. A motoconcho once you arrive in
Nagua should not cost more than 50 pesos/ $1.09 USD no matter where you are going within the city.

A few things you need to know before jumping in the van. None of these vehicles are equipped with
safety belts. This route on Highway 5 is one of most scenic but most dangerous roads in the country
which means its also one of the most dangerous in the western hemisphere. They don't stop for
bathroom breaks. Some of them used to stop at the half point between PP and RSJ in
Gasper Hernandez but this is usually only for a few minutes. Not sure if they still do.
They drive fast and reckless. At times, they can be overloaded with more passengers then they
have room for but traveling this way is the best way to really get a feel for every day Dominican life :D

Good luck and safe travels.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much. I know there is a bus from POP who goes to Samana at 2;30 pm and another one in the morning for 250 pesos to Nagua. From there i can go to SFM where i live. Other option i shall try to fly to Samana in 2017. I have allready my ticket for nov2016. I am on a 21 days flight now. Thanks again for the infos.
 
W

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Casino
Unless you fly from Canada, the Samana flight is out of the question... no more JFK/JetBlue

The guagua choice is easy... flagging down a Samana bound bus may not be so easy on the main road.
They leave from Pto Plata proper, as I understand it.

If you live in SFM, you'll be fine with the guagua and will know it is not the most dangerous drive in the world....
bathroom breaks might be a problem....

good luck
 
CristoRey

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,774
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"will know it is not the most dangerous drive in the world....
bathroom breaks might be a problem...."


I thought the rich aristocrats on the island only traveled by
helicopter or private jet... I stand corrected.
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
Casino127 said:
Thank you very much. I know there is a bus from POP who goes to Samana at 2;30 pm and another one in the morning for 250 pesos to Nagua.
Click to expand...

try to call them beforehand to check times and maybe even arrange that they wait for you few minutes: Transportes Papagallo (809) 749-6415.
 
R

RV429

Bronze
Apr 3, 2011
1,574
1
36
Transportes Papagallo does stop on the road, but do call them as DV suggests.
From Nagua Caribe Tours goes via SFM with a few of their Santo Domingo buses.
Also, have you thought about flying into STI? Might be easier.
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
just weeks ago a poster said they called papagallo and arranged to be picked up in cabarete so you never know until you ask.

Nabreu said:
Hi, just wanted to give a quick report on taking public transit from Cabarete to Las Galeras today. I called one day before the trip to Transportes Papagallo (809) 749-6415, and in Spanish we arranged to be picked up in front of Janet's supermarket at the bus stop (covered waiting area next to a school on the main road) heading east at 7:30. The minibus arrived at around 7:50, and was half-full. Instead of purple the van was light/dark blue. It was no frills, 300 pesos each, with intermittent music blaring over the central audio system, but professional. We had two quick reststops to get some snacks and/or use the bathroom. We requested to go to Samana bus station for the guaguas to las galeras. We had to reiterate that we wanted to go to Las Galeras and not Las Terrenas, as our driver had initially thought, and so did not get off at Sanchez but continued into
Samana without problem. It took about 3.5hrs to get to Samana, and after getting to the guagua station there,we passed through a thicket of motoconchos and asked around for a guagua to las galeras, which turned out to be a pick-up truck with some benches in the bed of the truck to throw some people in the back. There was a sign up front signaling the trip to Las Galeras, and after loading my sole carrying into the back and getting enough people to go, we drove onward to Las Galeras. It was slow at first, trying to pick up additional passengers through Samana, and with occasional stops along the way for the driver or passengers, but ultimately got us to the main intersection at Las Galeras after about 1 hour for 100 pesos each. All in all, it worked out well and for a good price, and would highly recommend calling to confirm the pickup time and location with the Papagallo team before making the trip.
Click to expand...
 
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