The Dominican Republic operates two primary domestic airlines. Air Century maintains scheduled routes between Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, La Romana, and Samaná. Sky High Aviation serves similar destinations with smaller aircraft. Flight times between Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros run approximately 35 minutes. Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata requires 45 minutes. Both carriers operate primarily from Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo and Cibao International Airport in Santiago de los Caballeros. Domestic ticket prices fluctuate between 80 and 200 US dollars one-way depending on route and advance purchase. Charter operators including Helidosa Aviation Group and Air Century offer helicopter transfers between major resort zones and urban centers. A helicopter from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana takes 40 minutes compared to three hours by road.
The Metro de Santo Domingo opened its first line in 2009 and expanded to two lines by 2013. Line 1 runs 14.5 kilometers from Villa Mella in the north to Centro de los Héroes in the city center with 16 stations. Line 2 extends 5.3 kilometers from the National Congress to Eduardo Brito Avenue with 14 stations. Trains operate from 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM Monday through Saturday and 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday. The system moves approximately 300,000 passengers daily. A single ride costs 30 Dominican pesos, approximately 0.50 US dollars. Rechargeable cards can be purchased at any station. The metro connects to the Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses bus network at multiple transfer points. Line 2B under construction will add 18 kilometers connecting Santo Domingo Este to the existing network with completion projected for late 2024.
Santo Domingo operates the OMSA bus system with approximately 300 buses on fixed routes throughout the metropolitan area. Fares cost 25 pesos per ride. Routes operate from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily. OMSA buses display route numbers on the windshield but do not publish comprehensive route maps. Drivers announce major stops. Guaguas operate as privately owned minivans following semi-fixed routes throughout the country. These 15 to 30 passenger vehicles stop on request anywhere along their general path. Santo Domingo guaguas charge 25 to 40 pesos depending on distance. Intercity guaguas depart when full rather than on fixed schedules. The Santiago de los Caballeros to Santo Domingo guagua costs approximately 300 pesos and takes three to four hours depending on stops. Puerto Plata to Santiago de los Caballeros runs 150 pesos and 90 minutes.
Caribe Tours operates the largest intercity bus network with modern air-conditioned coaches departing on published schedules. The company maintains terminals in Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Puerto Plata, La Romana, and Samaná. Santo Domingo to Santiago de los Caballeros runs hourly from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM at 350 pesos for the 2.5 hour journey. Metro Tours and Expreso Bavaro compete on major routes with similar pricing and service levels. Expreso Bavaro specializes in Santo Domingo to Punta Cana service with departures every 30 minutes during peak hours at 450 pesos for the three-hour ride. All three companies allow advance ticket purchase online or at terminals. Buses include bathrooms and make one rest stop on journeys exceeding three hours.
The Dominican Republic maintains 19,705 kilometers of roads as of 2023. Approximately 9,872 kilometers carry asphalt surfaces. The Autopista Duarte connects Santo Domingo to Santiago de los Caballeros as a four-lane divided highway covering 135 kilometers. Tolls total 320 pesos for passenger vehicles traveling the full length. The Coral Highway links Santo Domingo to Punta Cana along the southeastern coast spanning 124 kilometers with four toll plazas charging between 60 and 120 pesos each. Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico runs from Puerto Plata to Samaná along the northern coast as a two-lane road crossing the Cordillera Septentrional through mountain passes reaching 600 meters elevation. This 180-kilometer route requires approximately four hours driving time due to curves and grade changes.
International driver's licenses remain valid for 90 days from entry date. Visitors holding licenses from the United States, Canada, European Union member states, and most Latin American countries may drive using their home country license during this period. After 90 days, Dominican law requires a local license obtained through the Dirección General de Tránsito Terrestre. Rental agencies require drivers to be 25 years or older though some accept 23 with additional fees. Credit card hold amounts range from 500 to 1,500 US dollars depending on vehicle class.
Major rental agencies including Hertz, Avis, Budget, and National operate from both international airports and maintain offices in Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, and La Romana. Local companies including MC Rent a Car and Nelly Rent a Car often offer lower rates. Compact sedans rent from 35 to 50 US dollars per day. Full-size SUVs range from 70 to 120 US dollars per day. Insurance options include collision damage waiver at 12 to 18 dollars per day and third-party liability at 8 to 12 dollars per day. Most credit cards that provide rental car insurance exclude coverage in the Dominican Republic, requiring verification with the card issuer before declining agency insurance.
Santo Domingo street parking operates through parking meters in the Zona Colonial and central business districts. Meters accept coins and cost 20 pesos per hour from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday. Attendants wearing official vests monitor many streets and collect fees of 50 to 100 pesos for several hours of parking. Private parking lots charge 100 to 200 pesos for full-day parking in commercial areas. Santiago de los Caballeros follows similar patterns with meter zones in the city center charging 15 pesos per hour. Resort areas including Punta Cana and Puerto Plata provide free parking at most hotels and attractions.
Gasoline costs fluctuate weekly based on government-set prices tied to international oil markets. As of late 2024, premium gasoline sells for approximately 293 pesos per gallon and regular gasoline for 274 pesos per gallon. Diesel costs 221 pesos per gallon. Shell, Texaco, and Esso stations appear throughout major cities and along principal highways. Rural areas and mountain roads may have gaps of 40 to 60 kilometers between fuel stations particularly on routes through the Cordillera Central. Credit cards work at major brand stations in cities but cash remains necessary at many independent stations and in rural areas.
Traffic in Santo Domingo concentrates between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM inbound and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM outbound on weekdays. The Winston Churchill Avenue, John F. Kennedy Avenue, and 27 de Febrero Avenue corridors experience the heaviest congestion. The Duarte Bridge connecting the Zona Colonial to Santo Domingo Este backs up in both directions during peak hours. Santiago de los Caballeros sees similar patterns on the Circunvalación Norte and Autopista Duarte access points. Holiday weekends generate heavy traffic from Santo Domingo toward coastal destinations beginning Friday afternoon and returning Sunday evening. Semana Santa in March or April creates the year's most intense traffic with six to eight hour journey times on normally three-hour routes.
Motorcycles and motor scooters dominate urban transportation. An estimated 1.2 million motorcycles operate in Santo Domingo alone as of 2023. Motoconcho services provide motorcycle taxi transportation throughout cities and towns. Riders stand on street corners with their motorcycles waiting for passengers. Fares are negotiated before departure with typical Santo Domingo trips costing 50 to 100 pesos for distances under three kilometers. Motoconchos do not provide helmets for passengers though Dominican law requires them. The government banned motoconcho operations in the Zona Colonial in 2021 to reduce congestion and accidents but enforcement remains inconsistent.