Getting Here and Getting Around
A vacation here in the Dominican Republic will almost always start by air as you fly from your nearest international airport into one of the many airports in this country. Virtually all of the airports can accept private aircraft, depending upon size and space availability, and commercial flights arrive daily into the major airport hubs. Listed below are the airports you will most likely fly into if you are in a commercial or private aircraft.
- Airports in the Dominican Republic -
| City |
Airport Name |
IATA Code |
Customs |
Runway |
IFR |
Length |
| Barahona |
Maria Montez Int'l |
BRX |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
9800 ft. |
| Higuey |
Punta Cana Int'l |
PUJ |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
10100 ft. |
| La Romana |
La Romana Int'l |
LRM |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
6500 ft. |
| Puerto Plata |
Gregorio Luperon Int'l |
POP |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
10100 ft. |
| Samana |
El Portillo |
EPS |
Yes |
Paved |
No |
2900 ft. |
| El Catey |
Samana Int'l |
AZS |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
9843 ft. |
| Santiago |
Cibao Int'l |
STI |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
5000 ft. |
| Santo Domingo |
Las Americas Int'l |
SDQ |
Yes |
Paved |
Yes |
11000 ft. |
| Note: this information is provided as a courtesy and should not be considered definitive or a replacement for official information. |
Drive Times
The Dominican Republic is not your typical island nation you can drive around in a single day. This is the second largest nation in the Caribbean with an area of roughly 48,730 sq. kilometers (km2). By comparison, Jamaica is 1/4th of the size and Puerto Rico is 1/5th the size of the Dominican Republic. Popular islands such as St. Barts (21 km2) and Anguilla (102 km2) are extremely small by comparison.
The reason we point this out is because often tourists will want to fly into Punta Cana but stay at one of our villas on the North Coast. The driving distances between the various airports and locations along the north coast can be deceptive unless you understand the scale of the country. Here are some popular drive times you should use when considering which airport to fly into.
- Typical Driving Times -
| Airport |
Sosua |
Cabarete |
Cabrera |
Las Terrenas |
| Puerto Plata (POP) |
30 mins |
45 mins |
90 mins |
3 hrs 30 mins |
| El Catey (AZS) |
2 hrs |
90 mins |
45 mins |
1 hr |
| Santo Domingo (SDQ) |
3.5 hrs |
3 hrs |
2 hrs |
3 hrs |
| Santiago (STI) |
1 hr |
90 mins |
2.5 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
| Punta Cana (PUJ) |
7 hrs |
7.5 hrs |
8 hrs |
9+ hrs |
Taxi Services
As a general rule we recommend using the local taxi companies to provide your transportation needs while you are here in the Dominican Republic. Although you can easily rent and drive a car here, there are many unique characteristics of driving in the Dominican Republic that most travelers will find unsettling. The safest mode of transportation is to allow someone else to do the driving so you can enjoy the passing scenery, entertaining lifestyle and sip an ice cold Presidente beer.
Travel Tip: Check with the local taxi services to reserve a daily stand-by taxi. For one low price you can often reserve a taxi for the entire day for unlimited local transportation. Ask for one of the minivan style taxis capable of holding up to 8 adults. It is safer and less expensive than a rental car since you can hold so many people.
Car Rentals
Most of the major airports in the Dominican Republic have car rental agencies able to help provide you with a rental automobile. International companies such as Hertz, Avis, Europcar and many domestic car rental brands are represented. We do not provide or recommend any specific rental agency so please check with your travel professional to select the agency of your choice.
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