how long....

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by Phil&Gerry

Check with the other more knowledgable DR1 folks but I thought, could be wrong, that rush hour in the big city is like 7AM to 9AM Monday through Friday. I would pad that with an hour on each end and make sure I miss it by that much. It is a nice drive, once outside the big city you can relax (a little) and enjoy.

That seems pretty accurate to me.

[savu21@hotmail.com]

hola!
About a month ago It took me about 7 hours to get from punta cana to Puerto Plata, but I was driving a bit too fast. I guess 8 hours at a good speed would be a good time. Try to drive during the day. I left Punta Cana around 1 and I arrived to Puerto Plata around 8 30 pm, it was dark and raining... I tell you my head hurt at the end. It was not safe at all. I think that if you keep your eyes on the road you will be fine. It was my first day there and I felt comfortable!The road from Punta cana to Santo Domingo is a bit messy since they are doing some construction. Specially from la Romana to San Pedro de Macoris. Once you get pass Santo Domingo the drive is fairly easy and enjoyable. Still keep your eyes on the road if you never driven there before. Signs are not very visible and some times there just appear all of the sudden and when you see them it might be too late for you to merge onto the right road. Don't be afraid to ask but know that sometimes the way they give directions are not simple nor expecific.

Watch out for the motoconchos! They are all over! "Taxi motorcycles".
Have and be safe

[rubio_higuey]

Originally Posted by Rocky

IMHO, there couldn't be a worse time to leave than 4 AM.
That would put you in Santo Domingo at the peak of morning rush hour, costing you an extra hour and many gray hairs.

Leaving at 4 am woiuld get them to SD at about 7. 30 am at the latest.

Consider that the traffic between Bavaro-Higuey-Romana-SPM-SD is virtually non-existent at that hour of day. Roads are quite good as well.

I prefer to drive in SD at 7.30 or 8 AM than at 12 noon or 1 pm. 10 times more traffic. Besides, from my experience, traffic picks up at about 8.30 to 9 am and gets bad till 10 am. Then picks up again between 12 noon and 2pm when everybody goes out for lunch. Maybe other people have different experience but that is my experience and I go to SD every week.

[rubio_higuey]

Originally Posted by savu21@hotmail.com

Don't be afraid to ask but know that sometimes the way they give directions are not simple nor expecific.

I would add, that if you are asking for something that know many pople know about (is not a general knowledge place) ask at least 3 or 4 times the different people, as many times poeple give you wrong directions. Many times they just do not want to say they "don't know". So ask and ask and ask again and then go with the majority. Now this is valid for directions to "not-so-well-known" places. I got it learned hard by experience. For places that are fairly well known, most of people would be able to give you directions.

The funniest directions I have heard were (you go there and you make turn "ALLI" then go "ALLI" and make like "ALLI" and go "ALLI" until you get "ALLI" and then when you see "ESO ALLI" make turn "ALLI" ...all that while the guy was making some incomprehensible gestures with his hands)