Transportation from Santo Domingo airport to Las Terrenas

We have been using Santo Domingo Taxi: https://www.santodomingotaxi.com/

Ken, the owner, is great to work with and the drivers are some of the best I've seen down here. They will try to give you an English-speaking driver if at all possible, and if not, then Ken is available by phone for the drivers to use for translation.

From SDQ to Las Terrenas is $145 plus tip. Considering the tolls are about $40 each way, that's not as bad as it might initially sound! We were paying closer to $200 each way with another company before we discovered SDT last year. Tell Ken that Denise sent you! And see if Felix is available. He's our "designated driver" whenever he's available.

I should add that there is a way to go by bus, but you have to take a taxi from SDQ into Santo Domingo to catch the bus, then once you get to Las Terrenas you will need a taxi to take you from the bus to wherever you are staying. If you go that route, I can give you the contact info for a reliable local taxi in LT.

we use SDT too and have been very happy with them.  we keep saying we're going to take the bus next time because it's so much cheaper.  But we live 15 mins outside LT and they come right to our door and they are always on time.  getting out of the airport after a long flight it's a no brainer, walk out of customs and they are there and you are on your way.  it takes an hour (sometimes longer) to rent a car. or you can take an uber to the bus station.

Denise, who is your reliable taxi in LT?  I was under the impression they all charge $20 to go anywhere

No there is no direct service from SDQ airport to Las Terrenas.

But you can get a taxi to the entry point of the Juan Pablo 2 highway to Samana and pick up a bus service to Las Terrenas there. Taxi fare will be about usd15 for the short trip.

Or go to the capital and pick up the bus at the terminus.

The attached below (las Terrenas live) gives you the times of service and telephone contact numbers and maps showing you the terminius and the pick up point at the end of the Samana highway - you must book in advnce for pickup.

There are other options....Carib tours have a depot at the en of the Samana highway and they go to Samana and can drop you off at Sanchez at the turn to LT (Cruz de Las Terrenas as map) where you can pick up a guagua over the hill road.  https://caribetours.com.do/https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sanch … 69.6125192http://www.las-terrenas-live.com/las-te … licas.html

Thank you all who took the time to respond.  It seems like when you have luggage, the best way to go, is having a car waiting for you.

I have done the bus and the taxi.

For the taxi, I second Santo Domingo Taxi. Ken is awesome.

The bus is quite nice overall. The driver is usually in a hurry, so if you don't speak decent Spanish it can be stressful as you're trying to figure out what's up or down, but it's clear the driver just wants to get going asap.
They do have storage under the bus for larger luggage, but I do not suggest this as a good option if you have more than one piece per person under the bus. Although, overall, the less you bring, the easier everything is.
The biggest challenge with the bus is that the schedule may not well align with yours. It is quite cheap ($400 RD or ~$8 USD) per person, so can be helpful if the schedule is convienient. Here is the schedule that is posted at the stop everyone is talking about:
Drop this plus code into google maps to see the bus stop near the air port: F75G+WC Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic
If you have never been to the Dominican Republic, I recommend bringing a cell phone with coverage there, or else budget extra time to go to the Claro store as you leave the immigration/security area. The locals seem to all use whatsapp to chat, so you'll need some signal to get in touch with someone. Without your own working cell phone so you can contact Ken, you will have about 20 people converge on you asking you if you need a taxi and insisting they're the driver you were looking for. Normally the driver is waiting for you with a sign, but if you're early/late, sometimes it can be stressful if you do not have a plan B.

I once went on a flight that arrived about 4am and decided ahead I would use the bus. I saved a little money, but between taxi to the bus stop, two bus fares, I was out about $36 vs $140 in exchange for 4-5 hours of hanging around the airport. It stopped being fun after an hour. If you are anything like me, once you get tired enough, you start to spend money just to make it go away, even if it's not a good idea. If you know this ahead, you can make better choices, even if you wouldn't have made the same choice when fully rested.

I hope this is helpful. Enjoy your travel.

taking SDT from SDQ to LT seems like a great idea considering how long it takes to rent a car at the airport, however, does anyone have any good recommendations for car rental in LT, if we need a car for a few days?  appreciate it!

I rented from Ovidio in Las Terrenas at $55/60 per day plus a deposit. Also, because I didn't have enough cash to pay, I paid with credit card, which meant I also paid itbis (something like 20% sales tax), so it was really expensive since I rented for more than a few days. The deposit is quite expensive, something like $800 USD. They keep copies of your passport, and you will be asked to sign a contract - in Spanish. You will also fill out a damage inspection report. I suggest you take pictures/video and report anything irregular right away to keep from being on the hook to pay.

My wife did not like the idea of paying a taxi everytime we wanted to go out, but the reality is that if you can put in just a little time planning, it will be way cheaper to rent a taxi if you plan routes, make use of shuttles, walk short distances, etc.

So, in my case, I kept the peace and rented, but if I had rented a taxi each time, it probably would have saved over $1k since I rented for about 6 weeks. In the USA, we have a car, which has a feeling of independence, so your tolerance for giving that up will depend on how vulnerable that makes you feel.

Lastly, be aware that being the driver also means you are at fault if there is an accident. That may seem obvious, but in LT, there are many mopeds and bicycles zipping about, people parked on the street, situations where you must fold in the mirrors to pass other cars, places with a gaping hole in the ground (I understand these are mostly getting fixed). You must be mentally prepared to drive slow, in tight quarters, and feel like at any moment you might hit someone. Driving there is like flowing chaos. For example, if a motoconcho feels pressed for time, he may choose to just jump the curb onto the side walk, and share that space with pedestrians. There are no street lights, and the frequent honking is people making sure you don't run them over as they maneuver.

Parking is also a bit dicey. Sometimes to get out of the spot, you must back into traffic slowly, letting people dodge you, until some kind soul lets you in, half because they are kind, half because you are in the way.

One bit of advice. Do not be overly courteous as you will cause an accident. People expect you to take right of way if you normally should. If you give away right of way, get eye contact, and be as obvious as possible to what you are doing. Generally speaking, drive slow, turn the wheel slow (so you do not hit a moped), but do not stop.

Hope that helps.

jhgoodwin, that about sums up driving in LT!  Eyes in the back of your head, and your head on a swivel!   I am the one that drives us around LT. My wife is a good driver, but THAT is the problem - you can't act as a a good driver here. Balance between cautious and aggressive.   :0)

Thanks for the insights, jhgoodwin!  I've had the pleasure of driving in LT once before .... exhilarating to say the least!

Just trying to find a few reputable rental locations in LT if we need a car for a couple of days on our next trip versus renting from SDQ for an extended period of time.  Will make note of Ovidio. 

thanks again!

Hi all

There is a new bus depot close to the airport, does anyone have any experience with this location? We are looking to try the local way to get to Cabrera!, any advice on taking Carib busses?

Thanks

Carib doesn’t come to Las Terrenas, so I don’t have experience with them, but I have taken the Asotrapusa bus to/from the airport. The station is right next to Carib. 1000 DOP taxi from the airport. Just be sure you know the bus schedule!

@michael7014

Yes, Caribe Tours to Cabrera from that location

There are express bus times.... and regular..... just a stop in Nagua , not that slow

Thanks for the replies, being the taxi's are waiting to take people as far as they can to get good far, how do you get to the new Carib bus stop thats close to the airport. this is the google map location for the new pick-up location on google maps  F75G+WC Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic

I suspect an airport Taxi will not want to give up his spot for a short ride, or is that not an issue? We also thought of spending the night but that kind of chips away from the promo far Arajet is currently offering.

No issue....