Getting There

Air

In addition to these scheduled flights there are hundreds of charter flights from N America, Europe & S America which are usually cheaper but vary according to the season.

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To Santo Domingo...

• From North America: American Airlines fly from Boston, Miami and New York; Continental, Queen Air, Tower Air and TWA also from New York. Aeromar and Apa International also from Miami; TWA from Orlando and Boston; from other US cities, connections in Miami or San Juan, Puerto Rico. an fly from Miami, Orlando and New York; Continental, TWA also from New York. Aeromar also from Miami; from other US cities, connections in Miami or San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• From Europe: Iberia flies from Madrid several times a week and has connecting flights from most European and Spanish cities, for example Barcelona. Air Europa flies from Madrid; Lauda Air from Milan and Rome; Air France from Paris daily. Martinair flies from Amsterdam once a week. Condor flies from Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne/Bonn.
• From the Caribbean: American Eagle from St Maarten and St Thomas. ALM has flights from Curaçao. Air Guadeloupe from Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France; Copa, American Eagle, Air Guadeloupe, Aces, American Airlines, Iberia, Aeromar, TWA, all from San Juan. Cubana from Havana; Aeropostal from Aruba and Curaçao.
• From Central America: Copa from Panama City, San José, Guatemala City, Managua.
• From South America: Aserca and Aeropostal from Caracas via Curaçao; ALM from Caracas direct; Copa from Lima; other capital cities are connected through Miami or Panama City.

To Puerto Plata...

• From North America: American Airlines from Miami, New York. TWA also from New York. Northwest Airlines from Minneapolis.
• From Europe: Martinair from Amsterdam; AOM from Paris; Condor from Berlin, Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart (some flights only in high season); LTU from Dusseldorf (via Gander, Newfoundland, Canada), Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich.
• From the Caribbean: Sky King from Providenciales; American Eagle from San Juan.

To Punta Cana...

• From North America: Lan Chile from Miami; TWA and Queen Air from New York. Aeromar was also due to start a weekly service in 2000 from Miami with a stopover in Santo Domingo.
• From Europe: Martinair from Amsterdam; Condor from Berlin, Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart. LTU from Dusseldorf (one flight via Gander), Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich. Hapag Lloyd from Frankfurt, Hanover; TAP from Lisbon; Air Europa from Madrid; AOM from Paris.
• From the Caribbean: American Eagle and Condor from San Juan; Cubana from Havana.
• From South America: Lan Chile from Santiago; Aces from Bogotá; Aserca and Aeropostal from Caracas.

To Santiago...

• From the Caribbean: American Eagle fly from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Travel to Haiti: Air- Air Santo Domingo from Las Américas airport to Port-au-Prince Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 1200, one hour, return1230, prices from US$72 before tax, T6838020. Tropical Airways d’Haiti fly daily from Herrera airport to Port-au-Prince at 0730, returning at 1730. Remember there is a 1 hr time difference between Haiti (GMT-5) & the Dominican Republic (GMT-4).

Airport Information: Las Américas (Santo Domingo, T5490450/80), Herrera (Santo Domingo, T5673900), Gregorio Luperón (Puerto Plata, T5860219), Arroyo Barril (Samaná), Cibao (Santiago, T5824894), Punta Aguila (La Romana, T5565565), Punta Cana (Higüey, T6868790) and María Montéz (Barahona, T5247010). In 2000 a new domestic airport was being built to replace Herrera, 40 minutes north of the centre of Santo Domingo in the Higuero sector.

Airline Offices: Air Canada, ACES, Aeroméxico, Britannia, Lufthansa, LTU and Finnair all at Gustavo Mejía Ricart 54, T5415151; Air Europa, 27 de Febrero; TWA, T6899151; Aeromar, T5334447; Air France, Avenida George Washington 101, T6868419; ALM, L Navarro 28, T6874567; American Airlines, Edif IN TEMPO, W Churchill, T5425151; American Eagle, Juan S Ramírez esq Mahatma Gandhi, T6820077; Carnival Air, T5635300; Continental, T5626688; Copa, T4722223; Iberia, T5080188; Martinair, M Gómez y Juan S Ramírez, T6886661; Cubana, T2272040; at 27 de Febrero esq Tiradentes are Varig, T5659151; at George Washington 353 are Hapag Lloyd, T6828133 and Condor, T6828133. Air Santo Domingo information and reservations, T6838020, at Herrera airport T6836691, at Las Américas T5491110, at Punta Cana T2211170, at Puerto Plata T5860385.

Land

Santiago de Los Caballeros - There are good links by road from Santo Domingo (four-lane highway all the way) and Puerto Plata on the coast. Several bus companies have services to the city, see Getting Around.

Car: If driving to Haiti you must get a vehicle permit at the Foreign Ministry (T5331424). Hire cars are not allowed across the border. The drive from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince takes about six hours.

Bus: By far the easiest way is with Terrabús, which has a service between Santo Domingo and Pétion-Ville, US$50 one way, US$75 return, US$80 open return, T4721080, terminal at Avenida 27 de Febrero esq Anacaona, Plaza Criolla, Saturday-Monday departs 1200, arrives 0500, Wednesday-Friday departs 0600, arrives 1200, they deal with all border formalities for you (except customs). Caribe Tours also has a service to Haiti, departing daily at 1100, arriving in Port-au-Prince at 1400, US$75 return. The return bus leaves Port-au-Prince at 0700. There are cheaper options but they take longer, are less comfortable and can be hard work to arrange.

A bus goes once a day, sometimes twice, from outside the Haitian embassy, leaving when full (if it leaves in the afternoon, it stops overnight in Jimaní), Kenya Express, T5661045, leaves Saturday 1100, Chuchula, T5401151, Luz Tours, T5422423, leaves Tuesday at 1000 (1200 more likely). Be quick on arriving at embassy, get through gates ignoring hangers on and cries of ‘passport’, unless you want to wait in the street and pay someone else US$10 to take your passport in. All the passports are processed together. Payments may be required. Do not wear shorts. Another option is from Dormitorio San Tomé, Calle Santomé, beside Mercado Modelo, Santo Domingo (T6885100, ask for Alejandro). Alternatively, take a minibus to Jimaní from near the bridge over the Río Seco in the centre of Santo Domingo, 6-8 hours; get a lift up to the Haitian border and then get overcharged by Haitian youths on mopeds who take you across 3 km of no-man’s-land for US$3. From Haitian immigration take a lorry-bus to Port-au-Prince, 3-4 hours, very dusty.

You can also take Dominican public transport to Dajabón, cross to Ounaminthe and continue to Cap Haïtien. If driving to Haiti you must get a vehicle permit at the Foreign Ministry (T5331424). Hire cars are not allowed across the border. The drive from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince takes about six hours. Buy gourdes from money changers outside the embassy, or at the border, but no more than US$50-worth, rates are much better in Haiti. Also take US$25 for border taxes, which have to be paid in dollars cash.

Sea

Boat: There are cargo and passenger shipping services with New York, New Orleans, Miami and South American countries. Many cruise lines from USA, Canada and Europe call at the Dominican Republic on itineraries to various ports on Caribbean islands or the mainland. Agencies which handle cruises include Emely (T6822744, for Festival, Holidays, Jubilee, Sur Viking). Ferries del Caribe has a car and passenger ferry between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The Regal Voyager departs Mayagüez Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1900, 12 hours, departs Santo Domingo Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, 2000, prices from US$131 return, including port tax, sleeper cabins available for up to 4 people, US$116, T6884400.

Ports of Entry: Santo Domingo, Luperón, Puerto Plata, Samaná, Punta Cana (with 24 hours notice).

Boat Documents: Customs fees US$10 per person. 30 days immigration clearance. Declare weapons and check in with Customs officials ashore at each port of entry. Do not depart from anchorage before sunrise after picking up weapons.

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