How to Get Around Dominican Republic

Guaguas — shared minibuses running fixed routes — are how Dominicans travel: very cheap, frequent, crowded, and leaving when full. For longer trips, Caribe Tours and Metro run comfortable air-conditioned coaches between the main cities on a timetable.

Hire cars give you the mountains and the south-west, which are awkward otherwise. Roads are decent on the main routes and poor off them. Drive defensively: the accident rate is among the worst in the region, motorcycles come from every direction, and driving at night outside towns is best avoided.

Motoconchos, motorcycle taxis, cover short hops everywhere. They are cheap and not especially safe; helmets are rarely offered.

Taxis should be agreed in price beforehand; Uber works in Santo Domingo and in the main city of the Cibao.

Flying into Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata or Samana puts you close to most regions; internal flights are limited.