Finding your airport shuttle at SDQ

[Kaki]

I've always flown into the compact La Romana airport but this season I fly into SDQ. From baggage pick up/customs is there any trick to finding which shuttle is mine? I am headed to Casa del Mar, in the La Romana area, flying with Air Canada Vacations in January and April, 2006.

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you!

Kaki

[ricktoronto]

Unless things are different lately, the tour company person stands there with a sign and tells you what bus to get on. It isn't Heathrow you are arriving at, you won't get lost in that airport. There is a natural progression to exit - passport control, baggage, customs bribe guys, then one exit. At some point there will be a tour rep.

[Kaki]

Thanks Rick. I appreciate your response.

I guessed there would be some situation in place, but can you give me any more detail than that? There was nobody with a sign at the La Romana airport so if I am left to my own devices due to oversight on somebody's part, do you know anything further? Would a bus go to each resort (so would I look for a bus bearing the name of Casa del Mar) or would they say the south coast strip (whatever that is called, stopping at all the resorts along the way) or do they refer to any particular region which I should know (I know Bayahibe in particular, La Romana in general, don't know the province or other delineations if there are any) or does it go by company (Air Canada Vacations or Turinter or other)?

If nobody knows anything further, I'm sure I'll make my way fine, but I find comfort in knowing what to expect when punchy after being 24 hours in transit!

Thanks again.

Kaki

[ricktoronto]

Ask the tour rep at the (Toronto) airport. I doubt you can tell by the buses - they will have a more than a few there maybe identified with numbers etc., and since the majority , I suspect, of passengers on the YYZ/SDQ flight other than in 1st class are likely package folks like you , follow the herd.

Your bus might stop in Boca Chica for the Hamaca if they offer that package, then Juan Dolio has a few AI's then La Romana is next on the autopista east. If you have the dough and can haggle in Spanish ask a cab driver to take you there and screw the bus and its stops and beat all the other sheep to the check in counter.

This is reason #863 for not staying at AI's - they abandon the sheep at the airport.

Note: I don't stay in AI's or travel on charter flights or go baaa. Well BAH! as to AI's I do. I once flew air only on Transat to SDQ when they went there and there were all sorts of sheep arriving and lots of shepherds with signs on arrival. I took off and took my taxi to my non AI.

[Kaki]

Thanks again, Rick, but your information continues to be unhelpful.

I can guess as to the answers too, without insulting myself or others. I am aware of the taxi option.

I was told that the posters at DR1 have the answers that the other Boards don't have. Not so far, but I'll see if maybe it's true in the future.

Kaki

[MommC]

Rick is trying to be helpful in his sarcastic way.....it's just him!

He's right in that when you exit the airport customs etc. there will be tour reps holding signs.
Look for the one that says Air Canada Vacations or the one holding the sign with the name of your resort.
Then buses are all parked in the parking area closest to the exit but they don't often have the name of the resort on them.
You can ask any of the personal holding signs from any of the tour companies and they will point you in the right direction if you can't see the person with the Air Canada Vacation or name of you resort sign.

Son't know what happened in La Romana as any time I've been there to pick up an incoming passanger there's always been tour reps right outside the exit doorway.

In SDQ you may even find tour reps inside the arrival lounge where the luggage pickup area is after you've cleared immigration.

You'll find SDQ airport is very well organized so you really shouldn't have any trouble.

Hope this is what you were looking for as an answer to your question!

[ricktoronto]

Originally Posted by Kaki

Thanks again, Rick, but your information continues to be unhelpful.

I can guess as to the answers too, without insulting myself or others. I am aware of the taxi option.

I was told that the posters at DR1 have the answers that the other Boards don't have. Not so far, but I'll see if maybe it's true in the future.

Kaki

Well that's nonsense. You arrive, look for the rep, find the rep, the rep tells you the bus. I doubt they just throw passengers to the wolves and let them find their own way. If they do, then reason #863 is valid. When I arrived at SDQ at the times there were charters arriving you couldn't move for the tour reps and their little signs. And hotel reps and car service reps and on it goes.

To MommC's point when they were prevalent at SDQ there were some in the luggage area and some right outside in the meeting area. The signs were quite obvious.

The one (stupid, stupid, stupid) time I took a package to Cuba the rep and a gaggle of about 20 others were there with the little signs and checklists. I suspect the same will apply at SDQ, in fact probably a lot less of them since AC is about the only airline flying to SDQ now - the rest, Transat and SKyservice go to LRM and have for a while.

Still the odds of there being 200+ regular SDQ visitors on that flight (it is a new non stop flight to SDQ starting in December) are slim and none and slim left town - it will be oodles of fellow AI sharpies with their plastic pouches of important tourist information quivering at the idea of going to the third world. Thus you will be among a group af AC Vacations clients and should do OK, as AC will likely have a number of reps depending on how they split the flight into busloads.

In Cuba, had I known a taxi was maybe $15 vs. the 1 1/2 hour wait for the idiot AI tourist with a wonky passport to get out of immigration, I would have paid to get ahead of the sheep. If I arrived today at SDQ for a package to LRM I'd tell a fellow sheep I am there (to tell the tour rep - assuming there is one and you haven't been abandoned) and beat feet out to a taxi and get to the resort hours earlier than the flock.

However as 99% of AI tourists have as their two main motivations for using packages - fear of experiencing something different combined with being cheapskates, most people would not DREAM of paying $50 or $75 for a few hours of freedom and convenience.

To play it safe have enough US$ with you to get there (getting back of course is a picnic since the hotel stages the buses) and enough Spanish to argue with a taxi guy for a decent one way fare.

[Remote]

I feel suitably belittled (going to an AI next spring myself). Job well done Rick! *lol*

Baaaahhhh .....

[ricktoronto]

Summary - they'll be there. She'll live. Taxi is a better idea.

I might even try a trip to SDQ now that AC has non stop and business class.

And think about setting out on your own as well when you arrive. On the beach with a cool drink while the shepherd reels in the flock feels pretty good. Depends on the distance. Going back avoiding the bus gets you prime checkin opportunity as well.

[lookin'forlove]

aargh!