santo domingo airport

[jfarrow]

I will be travelling to the D.R in July with my husband and baby girl who will be 5 months when we arrive. I have read in a couple of guidebooks that Las Americas airport is not safe....my flight arrives at 1am and the earliest we can get a rental car is 8am...should I be concerned about staying in the airport for that long? If it's a better idea does anyone know a hotel really close to the airport that we could go to for a few hours? thanks for any help!

[NALs]

The Santo Domingo Airport ( actual name Las Americas International Airport) is as modern and safe as any in the modern world. You should just take the same precautions you will be taken at the airport of your initial departure. Most of the warning for tourist goes for those wanting to take a taxi, the key is not getting into a taxi cab outside, but calling one on the phone. That way you know it's a taxi cab and not some low nobody trying to ruin someone's life! That said, the airport is pretty safe, modern and smart. Everything you'll need (from tourist office to fast food restaurants, etc) is available at the terminal. Depending on how many flights arrive at the same time you get there, the airport may seem peaceful (if your flight is the only) or hectic (if your flight coincides with any other flight from who knows where). Don't worry too much, it tends to spoil perfectly sound vacations! Enjoy the Dominican Republic!!

[Jimmydr]

You can go to a cabana which charges about $5-$7 for a few hours. They have a taxi dispatcher there as well.

[ricktoronto]

Originally Posted by jfarrow

I will be travelling to the D.R in July with my husband and baby girl who will be 5 months when we arrive. I have read in a couple of guidebooks that Las Americas airport is not safe....my flight arrives at 1am and the earliest we can get a rental car is 8am...should I be concerned about staying in the airport for that long? If it's a better idea does anyone know a hotel really close to the airport that we could go to for a few hours? thanks for any help!

It is clean, well lit, reasonably air conditioned and from one a.m. to eight a.m. about as boring as watching paint dry. Unless you are on your last pennies on this vacation take a taxi to Boca Chica which is 10km/6 miles/10 minutes/ US$18 away, stay in a nice clean safe hotel like Costalunga (the guard will have the key if you arrive at 1 a.m.) or El Candil, Garant, etc. Hotel is about $40.

Then in the a.m. (you don't have to go right at 8 a.m. either) go and get your car after breakfast.

If you like, Private Message me and I will send you the name and # of Jose, my regular driver with a licenced tourist van/taxi in Boca Chica, he will come get you with a sign for you to see, he speaks English and knows how to get you to BC for the night and can take you to the rental car office the next day. If you reply before Friday I can tell him you are going to call him as I am there on Saturday the 22nd for 4 days.

On the driving subject are you sure you want to rent and drive in the DR? I hope you've driven in Rome or Montreal already to get used to what it is almost like.

For the cost of a car you can take a lot of taxis.

[m65swede]

ricktoronto's advise is absolutely right on the money.

One other item to be prepared for is that you will most likely be escorted into a room at the airport where your child will be photographed by Dominican authorities. Be sure to have her birth certificate at the ready!

The process only takes a few minutes; I'm simply letting you know about it in advance so you won't be alarmed. It only took them about 5 minutes to process the 3 children (ages 5, 3, 18 months) travelling with me last month.

Have a great trip!

Swede