transporte
Arriving in the country and getting around Santo Domingo
Airports, the official taxi, the metro and transit cards: verified prices, how to pay, and the mistakes everyone keeps making.
Two airports, two very different trips
Las Américas (SDQ) sits outside Santo Domingo and is the one you use for the capital. Punta Cana (PUJ) is at the other end of the country: if your plan is Santo Domingo, landing there means crossing half an island.
Before you book, check which airport you are looking at. It sounds obvious; it is the most expensive mistake of the trip.
Before you fly: the e-Ticket
The Dominican Republic requires an electronic entry and exit ticket, filled in at eticket.migracion.gob.do. It is mandatory for every passenger. Fill it in on the official portal and travel with the confirmation downloaded — do not rely on airport wifi.
From the airport into the city
At SDQ the official taxi is not hailed on the street: there is a desk at the main entrance on level one, run by the SICHALA union, authorised by the Ministry of Tourism. Phone: 809-549-0245 / 809-549-0011 / 809-549-0364.
Two things worth knowing before you get in:
- The fare is set at the desk, by destination. The airport does not publish the table on its website, so ask there before leaving and pay where they tell you.
- Apps (Uber operates in the country) are usually cheaper, but airport pickup depends on the permitted zone and the time of day. If you land at night and do not want to negotiate, the desk is the no-surprises option.
If someone approaches you inside the terminal offering a “taxi”, that is not the official service. The desk is marked.
Getting around: the metro is cheap and limited
The Santo Domingo Metro is clean, cheap and useful, but it covers two axes: good if your route matches, not a general plan.
| Product | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single trip | RD$20 | Metro and Cable Car |
| Plastic card (PVC) | RD$60 | Must be bought with at least two trips |
| Cardboard card, 1 trip | RD$35 | Single top-up |
| Cardboard card, return | RD$55 | Single top-up |
| Cardboard card, 24 hours | RD$95 | Single top-up |
| Multi10 plan | RD$185 | Reloadable cards only |
| Multi20 plan | RD$360 | Reloadable cards only |
Cash only at the ticket windows, so arrive with pesos in hand. You cannot load two plans onto the same card: finish the first one.
The rest of the city moves on OMSA buses, shared taxis (fixed route, fixed price) and motoconcho. Motoconcho is fast and cheap, and also the highest real risk of any short trip here: I would not take one at night or without a helmet.
Mistakes that keep happening
- Paying in dollars when the price was in pesos.
- Getting into a taxi without agreeing the fare first.
- Estimating journeys with map time instead of real rush-hour traffic.
- Reaching the metro ticket window without cash.
- Assuming the metro goes everywhere.