Transportation from Santiago International
Airport (STI) to Cabarete
This destination is becoming increasingly popular due to JetBlue's low fares flights arriving here. However, do make your calculations as you might be unpleasantly surprised by its inconveniences where you often end up paying more due to high taxi fares, arriving and departing at ridiculous times (Jet Blue arrives at 3:38 or 4:28AM and departs at 6:00AM - updated Mar, 2007) and loosing precious time in Cabarete as you have to calculate the time getting from and to this airport.
After passing through Customs & Immigration and picking up
your luggage, you'll exit the Arrivals Terminal. It's
here that you'll be met with warm tropical air and the hustle
& bustle of people looking to help you with luggage or taxi
service. If you would like luggage assistance, the going rate is
US$1.00 per piece of luggage. If you do not wish for assistance,
just firmly say 'No thank you', or even better, in Spanish,
'No gracias'. If your vacation does not include airport
pick-up, you have two options of transportation to reach Cabarete.
Taxi
Cost: US$80
Travel Time: 90 Minutes
Taxi is the quickest and most comfortable form of transport and
the rates are negociable up to a point. Before getting into your taxi,
make sure you confirm the rate with your driver. Carrying the correct
amount of RD Pesos or US dollars will be helpful, as some drivers
do not carry change. If you bring windsurf equipment count on adding US$10. It is
also a good idea to have Cabarete's
map printed out to find the final destination within Cabarete.
The main problem is the time of arrival of Jet Blue. You are pretty much left with no other option than to take a taxi, and they know that. So, negotiating a special rate is nearly impossible. The other inconvenience is once you arrive at your hotel. Most of Cabarete's hotels will have no receptionist at the time you arrive at about 3AM. Just make sure your hotel is aware of your arrival and that the taxi driver knows exactly where to go. I have to stress the point of printing out a map, and don't expect the taxi driver to know how to read it. You'll most likely have to direct him... good luck.
Public Transport (+Taxi)
Cost: about US$45
Travel Time: 3 hours
This is the least expensive transportation option. First you will have to take a taxi from the Airport to the Caribe Tours or Metro Tours Bus Stations, which is located in downtown Santiago. The cost of the taxi is about US$15 and takes about 15 minutes. Please check the bus schedule for departure times. The bus ride from Santiago takes up to 2 hours and costs about US$10. The buses are air-conditioned so bring a sweater or light jacket for the ride. Once you get to the bus terminal in Sosua, you'll probably want to take another taxi to Cabarete (US$15).
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