taxi alternative from STI to santiago

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laurapasinifan

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Sep 19, 2005
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well I left to come home monday from STI, and my GF saw me off. She had to go to santiago tio go to school that night. I told her to make sure she has money for the cab fare. And we talked about her getting the cab...and she told me she wasnt taking a cab. asked if she was going to try and get a bus...she said NO...she said she would take a Private Car.....

whats a private car? i asked

she says that it is just like a cab. She gets out on the road by one of the food courts there across from the airport entrance and waits . The cars come by like cabs . The cars dont have signs like a cab, but apparently are easy for her to spot...and the fee????

15-20 pesos!!!!!

I couldnt believe it....

of course if you have luggage, there might be issues.....but if you are traveling light..its an option...I GUESS

a local secret for you all.. ha ha ha ha

bob
 
C

Chip00

Guest
laurapasinifan said:
well I left to come home monday from STI, and my GF saw me off. She had to go to santiago tio go to school that night. I told her to make sure she has money for the cab fare. And we talked about her getting the cab...and she told me she wasnt taking a cab. asked if she was going to try and get a bus...she said NO...she said she would take a Private Car.....

whats a private car? i asked

she says that it is just like a cab. She gets out on the road by one of the food courts there across from the airport entrance and waits . The cars come by like cabs . The cars dont have signs like a cab, but apparently are easy for her to spot...and the fee????

15-20 pesos!!!!!

I couldnt believe it....

of course if you have luggage, there might be issues.....but if you are traveling light..its an option...I GUESS

a local secret for you all.. ha ha ha ha

bob
Click to expand...

I've never heard of that but I believe it.

FYI people give free lifts here all the time - they are called "bola" as in "dame una bola" - and especially to attractive girls like your gf.
 
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laurapasinifan

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Sep 19, 2005
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hey chip I just talked to her again..and she doesnt remember calling them a private car!! ha ha...she is now calling them a taxi with a regular scheduled route...like a bus has...

She thinks they are different than say a regular cab, where you pay the driver to take you exactly where ever you want.. and he doesnt pick up anyone else....

i guess some taxis have routes they follow and they just keep picking up people and dropping them off the whole way along and they make the rounds many times a day...

I have seen them on Las Carreras...with the letter K on their windshield showing the route they will take.

I dont know why i thought she called them 'private" cars.... ha ha ha

but it was only 20 pesos from the airport to downtwon santiago though

bob
 
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Ricardo900

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Jul 12, 2004
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laurapasinifan said:
I have seen them on Las Carreras...with the letter K on their windshield showing the route they will take.

I dont know why i thought she called them 'private" cars.... ha ha ha

but it was only 20 pesos from the airport to downtwon santiago though

bob
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Those publicos?? I never had the guts to get into one of those with 8 other passengers squeezed into a small toyota, cracked windshield and dragging tail-pipe, hahahaha. I'll splurge 3 bucks on the taxis.
 
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Uruby

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Oct 18, 2006
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Last time I was in DR I decided to "venture" into Moca with a friend to buy a disposable camera. (We were going dancing and I didn't want to take my digital camera in case I lost it). Needless to say, my friend is from San Victor (a campo in Moca) and she said it wouldn't be a big deal. To make a long story short, she told me that we should ride in the front of the car since it was "more comfortable"...halfway to Moca, the car filled up and the driver decided "que caben mas", keep in mind that in the front of the car were already the driver, myself, and my friend (in that same order). The guy decides that he can fit one more person in the front...all I'm going to say is that the car had a stick shift AND I WAS WEARING SHORTS. I'm sure you guys can guess that I stayed in Moca until my bf could go pick us up in his car.
 
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rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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laurapasinifan said:
hey chip I just talked to her again..and she doesnt remember calling them a private car!! ha ha...she is now calling them a taxi with a regular scheduled route...like a bus has...

She thinks they are different than say a regular cab, where you pay the driver to take you exactly where ever you want.. and he doesnt pick up anyone else....

i guess some taxis have routes they follow and they just keep picking up people and dropping them off the whole way along and they make the rounds many times a day...

I have seen them on Las Carreras...with the letter K on their windshield showing the route they will take.

I dont know why i thought she called them 'private" cars.... ha ha ha

but it was only 20 pesos from the airport to downtwon santiago though

bob
Click to expand...
It sounds like you're talking about publicos (there's another name for them, but I forget what it is). You can also negotiate with the driver to rent it as a "private" car.
 
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El Diego

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Apr 24, 2006
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the route is PA... like in ruta A, C, M, etc.. the one that goes to the airport is PA,,, i think there's another route but i don't know it. I believe it's 20 pesos/person... yes they're carro concho or concho de carro.... if you're w/someone and get in w/other passengers i would assume it's safe.. but alone, humm i would not get on.
 
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djlawlaw

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Jul 6, 2006
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A while ago I rode in one. Commonly called a publico. I think Conchos are the mini-van look alikes. It is completely safe, unless you are standing in front of it. I like to think of it as a Dominican Local Bus (except extremely smaller about the size of a Nissan Sentra). The driver will crowd it with as many people as they can get to sit inside (usually 7). Each one has a specific route that they travel. Most Dominicans will not travel any other way, unless they have a family or a close friend that is a taxi driver. It will drop you off and pick you up anywhere along the route.
 
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DavidZ

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Aug 29, 2005
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www.vipcigartours.com
Publicos (at least on the north coast) have little signs on the top that tell you the route (ex. Puerto Plata-Rio San Juan). And they are about the same price as a gua gua, and almost always toyota corollas or nissan sentras. Ive also been approached by regular cars asking of I wanted a ride... and often have people on the side of the road flagging me down for a ride...
 
SantiagoDR

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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laurapasinifan said:
i guess some taxis have routes they follow and they just keep picking up people and dropping them off the whole way along and they make the rounds many times a day...

I have seen them on Las Carreras...with the letter K on their windshield showing the route they will take.

but it was only 20 pesos from the airport to downtwon santiago though

bob
Click to expand...

How long have you been coming here Bob, and never seen the thousands of "Public" cars (A, B, C, K, M, O, Q, R, RPA, ZP, ETC)? It seems like 3 out of 5 cars are "publicos" on the main routes.

Except for the airport one, the rate is normally 10 pesos. The normal passenger limit is 2 in the front and 4 in the back. When I used to take them, I sometimes paid double for the front in order not to be squeezed in.

Don - SantiagoDR
 
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laurapasinifan

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Sep 19, 2005
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hey Don the problem stemmed from my GF description of the vehicle she was taking from the airport to santiago for school.

because i specfically asked her

"are you taking a taxi"

her reply was no...I am taking a private car.

but in reality it WAS A TAXI...just one that has a regular route..

she thinks a regular taxi just takes the one person where they go...which CA BE TRUE......but the "taxi" she was taking was one that just makes a regular route over and over...picking people up like a bus does

thus the confusion, and my inccorect posting of the thread...

when i walk on Las Carreras, and talk to a buddy who has a store there...I see the taxis with the K on the windshield all the time...

so I know about those......they are different than say a taxi in La Riena where you call the guy , he comes to your house and picks you up, and takes you where you want to go...and he doesnt pick anyone else up on the way...

they are different, but they are both taxis

my mistake guys ..sorry

bob
 
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