How to get from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo

[calor]

Hola:

My hubby and I will be staying in Punta Cana, and will like to make a side trip to Santo Domingo. NOT A TOUR. We speak spanish okay so we can get around on our own, however we also want to be cost effective.

Can anyone advise how you can get to Santo Domingo from Punta Cana:

1. mode of tranport (perferably bus)
2. approximate cost
3 length of time to get there.

I appreciate all comments.

MUCHAS GRACIAS!

--Calor

[ricktoronto]

Hire a taxi (away from the dispatcher's ears) and haggle ( we booked a van and driver for 12 hours one day for US$80) or...........................

This has been covered before but you can take a taxi from PC to Higuey (?) then a bus to La Romana, another bus La Romana to Santo Domingo via San Pedro, Juan Dolio, Boca Chica/Andres.

I am pretty sure the gua-guas do not go straight through from Higuey to SD. There is maybe a stop at LRM.

These are gua-guas not air conditioned Greyhound like Metro or Caribe buses. So they are cheap, like under $1 between Boca Chica and the capital.

Expect to pay maybe $5 in total plus a taxi to Higuey ( No idea $ - probably $15) and spend the better part of a day as it is at least a 3-4 hour drive from Boca Chica and then add an hour to that. So with gua guas and their stops, maybe 5 hours or so?

Here's a recent post:

Gua gua

From PC get a taxi to Beron 5 mins, to la gran parada, take the bus to higuey, they will drop you in the bus station in front of the cathedral, take the bus to SD 3 hrs about 200 pesos, I dont know havent been there in a year.
Good luck.

And another: ( searching the DR1 site is pretty productive)

You have a couple of options. There is the Santo Domingo to Bavaro bus (809) 686-0637 that leaves Sto Domingo from Juan Sanchez Ramirez #31 near Maximo Gomez, express direct to Bavaro/Punta Cana. The bus leaves at 7 am and 4 pm, the cost is about 130 Pesos.

Your other option is to go to Parque Enriquillo in the Capital and catch an hourly express bus to Higuey for about 80 Pesos and then take a local mini-bus (gua-gua) about 25 Pesos to Bavaro/Punta Cana.

Note: If you are traveling with baggage be advised the gua-guas from Higuey do not have stowage. What you have with you will have to be placed in you lap or you pay for the seat to stow it. Plus, the gua-guas are crowded. Better bet is a taxi from Higuey to Bavaro/Punta Cana that will cost about $300 Pesos. Regards, PJT

[calor]

Thanks Rick in Toronto! appreiciate your comments

[*Esther*]

HOLA!!

Bueno, si vais a ir desde Punta Cana teneis diferentes formas de viajar hasta Sto.Domingo. La opción más barata sería coger una guagua pública hasta Higüey, lo cual son unos 30 pesos, y luego desde allí coger otra que vaya hasta Sto.Domingo -unos 80 pesos. Desde aquí de Punta Cana creo que hay dos buses diarios a Sto.Domingo, pero no sé cuál es el precio.

Otra opción más cara pero mucho más cómoda y rápida es contactar con alguna agencia que se encargue de traslados de pasajeros y eso. Con Barceló Destination Services, por ejemplo, un transfer privado son unos U$120, y si es compartido son U$50/persona.

Si preferís coger un taxi, lo mejor es que acordéis el precio antes de montaros, o de lo contrario os saldrá bastante caro.

Que os lo paséis muy bien aquí en República Dominicana!!!