What kind of car to rent....

[wjlc]

Would a car (4-door sedan) or SUV do in travelling around DR, in particular to Higuey since some people commented on the potholes in the roads. Is parking a major problem if we wanted to visit Santo Domingo by car?

Thanx,

wjlc

[Hillbilly]

Unless you have passed your Formula 1 Driver's Test and the Indianapolis Rookie Test, you should probably not drive on your first four visits to the DR.
The laws are draconian, enforcement arbitrary and capricious, and the jails suck big time.

The potholes on the roads around Higüey are not THAT bad. Apparently some pantywaists think that any little hole in the road will send you off into the boonies, but the holes, while a nuisance, are not fatal.

On the other hand, the drivers, and especially, the bus drivers ARE deadly....

And in the DR, fender benders tend to occur in an indirect proportion to your driving experience. Newbies quickly learn that if anyone is bleeding the least from a minor scrape, the opposing driver goes to jail until it is settled....yes, jail--the common jail in most places, and a special, expensive jail in Santo Domingo or Santiago. Be sure to bring KY Jelly with you....to ease the pain...

Take buses, taxis, leave the driving to others and enjoy a few beers along the way...Please.

HB

[planner]

HB is right!!! Don't rent a car - get a car and driver - they are called taxis. OR you can make arrangements in advance with companies like Isaira Tours - Dominican Republic[/url] THere are others as well depending what part of the country you will be in.

Once you factor in the cost of the rental, gas etc. the cost of hiring someone else is quite competetive.

[Robert]

I disagree 100%! Please list the names or posts of 10 people you know that are tourists and have ended up in jail here from driving? Of course you can't, as it's just not that bad. National write 15,000+ rental agreements a year, most of those are tourists. I don't see thousands of people coming on to the board posting how they needed KY in jail or had real bad experiences driving here.

Thousands of first timers rent cars here and never have a problem.
I'm sure most of them would do it again and wouldn't stop their friends from renting either. Plenty of DR1'ers rent and never have a problem.
It's by far the best way to see the DR and you will not regret it.

Yes, driving here is not like the USA or England, Germany etc. But if you use a little common sense, rent from a reputable company that will support you like National, Avis or Hertz you will be fine.

Go and rent, see the country and come back here and tell us about your experience.

[jruane44]

I agree with Robert as long as you don't have a short temper. Never, never, rent from some guy walking up to you at the airport. always go with the big named company.

[montreal]

I ditto Robert. Unless you don't have much good sense or fast reflexes. In all honesty the hardest part is getting somewhere you've never been before by car (no signs on highways or exits and not much good maps available either)

[cobraboy]

Driving in the DR is not for the faint of heart. It does take exceptional driving skill, a focused attention, and awarness of where your vehicle is, and it's dimensions.

You have to get into a driving "Zen", like a corpuscle in an artery, with your head on a swivel looking for threats coming from anywhere.

I've found my motorcycle experience, sort of driving defensively and paranoid, to be useful.

But DO NOT give your drivers license to an AMET or PN officer. Make copies, and use those instead.

It's doable in the DR. But if you're a poor, confused or slow driver elsewhere, one who follows all rules 100% and expect others to do the same 24/7/365 while always being courteous, you'll get eaten alive in the DR traffic. 5 cars wide in 3 lanes? Pffft...just another day on the road...

[Bob K]

"5 cars wide in 3 lanes? Pffft...just another day on the road..."

The problem is that all 5 cars are going in the same direction

Really we rented on our first visit and now drive here every day. Yes you need 8 eys, swivel neck, and superior reflexes but is doable. My wife describes it as virutal reality road game. Do carry copies of your drivers lic and do not give up your original. I would reccomend keeping the night driving to a minimum though.

Bob K

[CFA123]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

Unless you have passed your Formula 1 Driver's Test and the Indianapolis Rookie Test, you should probably not drive on your first four visits to the DR.

Originally Posted by Robert

I disagree 100%!

Perhaps only in DR could you both be so far apart and at the same time both be correct!

Best advice falls somewhere in between, I think, depending on the newbie and their travel plans. Without details, "use a taxi or driver upon arrival. you can switch to a rental car on day #2, #3, or never as you see fit"

Remember, there's a surprising # of people that fly to Punta Cana & think they'll make a day trip to Samana using the shortest route visible on a map!

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND a non-spanish speaking newbie fly into Santiago at 10pm, has a rental lined up, and plans to head to Cabarete or Rio San Juan. I'm not recommending that, are you?
GO FOR IT if you're a Spanish speaking newbie arriving in SDQ at 10 a.m. & wanting to drive to a hotel on the Malecon & spend a few days driving around the capital.

Those of us who are comfortable driving here typically gained that comfort level over time and know things that a first time visitor doesn't. Few of us headed off across country for the first time without some insight from friends & probably one or two people we could call for help.

We know:
a) at pickup the rental car will likely be running on fumes and where to find the nearest station before it runs out
b) how to head out of an airport toward town and arrive at our hotel (without many/any signs pointing the way)
c) around which curves on the mountain roads half of the road is washed away
d) to travel the mountain road thru Moca, not the old Carretera Turistica
e) driving Santiago to POP is going to take an extra 30-45 minutes due to road construction - more on a rainy day
f) that from Punta Cana to Samana to go through the capital as opposed to the 'shorter route' on a map
g) that to take the roads along the haitian border north to south is not the 3 hour trip it appears on a map
h) to generally turn around and take another route when we see burning tires or little mounds of rocks scattered in the road
i) what someone waving a red flag on a rural road signifies
j) where to turn off the autopista and what turns to take in moca to head to the north coast
k) which roads are truly one way and which one way roads are merely suggestions
l) how to tell if the 3 guys standing in the road with semi-automatic weapons who want to stop our car are the good(semi-good) guys or not
m) how to deal with political rallies in the street
n) how to get gas in the mountains or rural areas
o) enough spanish to at least get by

[Luperon]

..... And if you stop at a red light and the road is wet, keep an eye in the rear view mirror, as you will be rear ended. I hope with the new enforcement of red lights, it will be a little safer!