Transportation

See www.BocaChicaBeach.net/transport.html. The same options that apply in Boca Chica, apply elsewhere on the island. There, you can compare options, prices, and the pros and cons of each.

There is no best option. It depends on what is important to you (cost, safety, convenience, ...)

Susan

Jim is right on the money! The public bus is the way to go....I'm not sure when the last time your mother was there.... but they are very reliable and cheap as well....to hire a driver for the entire week, would be very expensive! They have to make a decent living as well.....I would figure at least......about 75 dollars per day....at least! (anybody think this is out of whack?)The public bus would cost (from where you are going, from what's in your post)the most it would cost you would be about 5 bucks per trip! hope you enjoy yourself and have fun!

Caribe Tours bus goes from Sosua to Puerto Plata & Santigo & will take you in comfort & safety to those locals. Puerto Plata will cost you about RD $35, Santiago maybe RD $60 (US $2, US $3.50 respectively) but I could be a little out +/- 10%.
Caribe Tours is safer & more comfortable than the gua-guas (but not as much fun with the interesting locals!!) but you will have to get a taxi to your destination at Santiago if your relatives don't pick you up. - Grahame.

I live in Sosua. To get to Santiago, I take Caribe Tour. It leaves 20 past each hour from early in the morning to early evening. Depending on where you are staying, you may need to take a taxi to Caribe Tour stop (RD$50) and from Caribe Tour to your hotel when you return. There is a taxi stand across street from Caribe Tour for the return trip.

This bus stops in Puerto Plata before going to Santiago and Santo Domingo, so you can also take it to get there. However, I use the guaguas (RD$20) and publicos (RD$15). They squeeze people in both, but you can pay double and give your self some room. For example, usually they put 3 in front seat of guagua with driver. If seat available, my wife and I pay for 3, thus giving ourselves some comfort space, In publico, they put 2 in front with driver. My wife, when traveling alone, usually pays for 2 so she isn't squeezed into a small space. When we are together, we pay 3 for back seat, so that there are no more than 3 people in that seat, rather than usual 4.

The publicos are more flexible than the guaguas with respect to dropping you off where you want to go.

When you get to Santiago, you will need to take taxis. A great many available all over Santiago. Depending on how far you are going, the amount varies. But typically you will be charged RD$40 for the taxi.

If you want a private car to take you from Sosua to Puerto Plata or return, pay the driver of a publico RD$100 and he will operate like a taxi. This is less than half what would be charged by a regular taxi. The publicos are the cars with a red sign on top that says Puerto Plata-Sosua. From Sosua, you can also take publicos and guaguas to Rio San Juan. The publicos going in that direction from Sosua have a blue sign on the roof.

If you have unlimited funds, hire a driver and car for the week. But you can get buy, comfortably, paying a whole lot less.

Good luck.

Ken is quite right. Do what he says.

This ain't Kansas, Dorothy!.

You will not, ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine the changes in the past 20 years!

What used to be the outskirts of a town are now in the middle of town.

While I do not understand the "why" of Sosua, rather than Playa Dorada, I know you will be facinated with the country...again!

Welcome back.

By the way, the Caribe Tour bus station is way on the far side of Santiago, over by Las Colinas. If your business in nearer the center of Santiago, you would be better off getting to Puerto Plata and taking the Metro, which leaves you off near the corner of Ave Central (now called 27 de Febrero) and Av. Estrella Sadhala, where the Lata used to be.

HB

P.S. I forgot to add that at both bus stations in Santiago there are plenty of taxis (RD$40) and you are just a few steps from the major "concho" lines....In Santiago you can get a taxi by calling 581 TAXI....

HB

Hillbilly is quite right when he speaks of the changes since you were here last. My first visit to Santiago, for example, was in 1986. My second was in 2001. Any similiarity between the two Santiagos is purely coincidental.

There was no international airport at Puerto Plata when you left, thus no wall-to-wall tourist projects along the north coast. Sosua and Cabarete were just little country towns at that time.

At that time buses were, for the most part, second hand school buses from the US. Now the buses are equal to those in the US with air conditioning, TV in some cases, reclining seats, and just one person per seat.

Life here is not yet on a par with what you are accustomed to in the US, but it is far different than the 3rd world country you left 20 years ago.

It will be interesting to know whether you like it as well as you did the country you left.

AWESOME

Thank you everyone!

Ken many thanks. Who can I call you if I get lost? Just kidding.

We are renting a place by Playa Laguna II. Any clue where that is? My family is from Santiago and I lived in Sto.Domingo when we lived there .. this whole North Coast of the island is new to me. It sounds to me like the whole island will be new to me from what I've been reading. I can't wait. My husband is American and has never been to the caribbean, he knows me and loves everything about me and my people. Thus far his Spanish is going well but I am sure for a break he'll want to be around 'gringos' a few hours - I'll check what you guys have to say about that.

Thanks again for all your help.