Two things

Can't tell you about hotels but Planner will chime in soon with some ideas as she lives there.
But rush hour starts at about 7AM and runs to 8PM or so.  Driving in SD is nuts.

Bob K

Thanks Bob

Could yoube more specific about rush hour, i.e. the morning rush hour and the evening rush hour?

Thanks

Bob it does feel that way.  Ok rush hour - starts just before  8 am and runs to about 9:30.  then from noon to 1:30  for lunchtime,  then again for end of day about 5 pm to about 7pm. 

As to 5 star hotel in SD,  sorry i will have to ask  a friend......

Every time I have been in SD it seems like rush day not rush hour. No matter what time of day you can be caught for an  hour trying to go a few miles. Rush hour is a misnomer sort of like Morning Sickness.  Ask any pregnant woman if it is only in the morning

Bob K

Ahhhh Bob I know it can sure feel this way!!!!  One reason I work from home most of the time.....

Here are the hotels as suggested by a friend who works in the industry:

Renaissance Jaragua
SD Hilton
Embajador
Hostal Nicolas de Ovando

The final one is a beautiful hotel right in the Colonial Zone where there is a lot to see and do,  good  restaurants, some shopping and clubs at night........

Hope that helps

Thanks planner

If you surf the net, some sites consider the first three hotels you mentioned as 5 star; others as 4 star, suggesting that they are 4 1/2 star and that there is NOT a single real 5 star hotel in SD.

I would consider the Hostal a 5 star from personal experience. remember where you are talking about as well.  LOL

Thanks.

Siempre!

Well... as you wrote "siempre"...

I am trying to get some info for my boss who is travelling to SD and wonder if you can help on transport matters:

Are there buses (proper buses) and many routes? How much do tkts cost?

What about taxis? Are they metered? Is there a reliable company that si better than others?

How much does a taxi cost from airport to city center?

Sorry...

No problem  I am happy to answer.  First,  expats are not encouraged to use public transportation unless you truly know your way around, speak Spanish and can handle the conditions.   

SD =  this is where I live. A taxi across town is about 200RD or US 5.  Taxi from airport will cost about  US 30 to the city center. 

If you need to call a taxi, I recommend Apolo taxi company, you pay based on a set price of location to location,  if unsure have the driver  call in to dispatch or ask in advance.  Waiting time is negotiated if you want to keep one driver all day.

I would be happy to recommend specific drivers for your boss based on my experiences here if he or she wants someone for a longer duration. I can also recommend professional translators if needed.

Thank you, planner

No problem  I am happy to answer.  First,  expats are not encouraged to use public transportation unless you truly know your way around, speak Spanish and can handle the conditions. "

But just to get a full picture could you give me some info on routes and cost of tkt, please? I am talking about the proper buses, not the guagua or whatever you call them. 


Waiting time is negotiated if you want to keep one driver all day."
What is the average cost for keeping the driver all day?

Thanks again

We have some routes, for example you can go alll the way from west to east on Calle Independencia for 30RD,  other routes well not exactly sure what they all are.

Waiting time - you might pay  1,000 RD over and above the costs of trips.  OR you can organize a pay for the entire day plus gas or propane costs.  It really depends on the driver and relationship.  IF you give me some ideas of places he needs to go  I can get you some pricing.

And by the way image is everything, no professional businessman will be taking the  bus! They might take the metro but seriously not the public transit!

no professional businessman will be taking the  bus!

Hi, he is going on holiday, not business, and I doubt he would consider public transport. I am writing a little report for him as full as possible (looking for a raise...!)

They might take the metro but seriously not the public transit!Now you've got me confused: what is the metro? What is the transit?

Thanks

LOL  now I understand.  Holidaying expat won't take the gua gua's etc.  So the Metro is our subway,  very new, very nice, very fast, air conditioned.  I have used it a few times.

The other system, public transit is a system of buses, gua gua's (think very beat up van) and carros publicos.  A bus is just that.  Gua Gua's are in horrible shape, maybe have a door maybe not, squeeze as many  in as possible. A carro publico is a beat up old car, maybe with lights, maybe mirrors, maybe turn signals (although driver has no idea how to use them)  and they run a route as well,  you flag one down and they stop whenever and wherever they want to.  The fare depends on the route but they are cheap. They will put driver plus 2 in the front and 4 in the back - regardless of the people's size...........  in this heat it is brutal.

Last but not least is the motoconcho- a motorcycle taxi.  In SD it is limited to the barrios and outlying neighborhoods. You won't see many in the main areas.  They will charge a fixed fare UNLESS they think they can get more out of you!  They are scary at the best of times and dangerous all other times!  Our accident mortality rate is horrendous because of the motoconchos and motorcycles here. I do not ever recommend this mode of transportation.

I hope your report is excellent and you get that raise.  What else do you need to know????

Thank you planner

I think I have everything I need on transport. Could you help me now recommending a number of good restaurants from tne relatively economical to the more expensive, without breaking the bank?

Thanks

This will depend on what kind of food they like, what area of the city. Colonial zone -  there are lots and lots of good restaurants from  Hard Rock Cafe to  small corner places that serve "plato del dia"  which is plate of the day - usually several options for about US 2.50

In Plaza de Espana (colonial Zone) any of these restaurants will be nice!!

Other areas of the city - there are dozens from  Korean food, sushi,  steak houses, italian etc etc.......

Try this site for lots of info http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/

Oh, I wasn't looking for rstaurants that cheap. Could you recommend the restaurants that you know and like, giving me their names?

Thanks

Pa de Palo
Segafredo
Outback Steakhouse
Adrien Tropical
El Cave (I think is the name)

Hi

I found these on the Net, which I believe are the ones you mentioned:

Pat'e Palo
Segafredo
Outback Steakhouse
Adrian Tropical
El Mesón De La Cava, Av Mirador Sur 1

Could you give me an idea of how much on average you would pay in each of them for a 3 course meal, without drinks?

Thanks

qim wrote:

Hi

I found these on the Net, which I believe are the ones you mentioned:

Pat'e Palo
Segafredo
Outback Steakhouse
Adrian Tropical
El Mesón De La Cava, Av Mirador Sur 1

Could you give me an idea of how much on average you would pay in each of them for a 3 course meal, without drinks?

Thanks

Really tough to say on costs as it all depends what you have.  Adrian is the least expensive of all of them.  El Meson has a fabulous sunday brunch for about US 20.

Hi planner-

Sorry to go back to buses but I am gettting conflicting info on the Net. I understood that there were some new buses that came from Brazil, air-con. But I also read the following that leaves me confused:

In Santo Domingo we have 2 kinds of buses:

OMSA buses: the government buses with scheduled stops, they come in 3 kinds: the ones without air conditioning and the cheapest ones, the ones with air conditioning and the express ones that make less stops. If you want to get off you simply pull the cord.

Union buses: property of the various transport unions, the route they drive is usually indicated by a piece of cardboard with the number of the route on the main windshield, visible so that we can stop the bus by stretching and arm and moving the index finger up and down (weird I know). On these buses there's a man hanging on the door called "cobrador" who will collect the fare and shout the route while on the road. Those buses are usually called "voladoras" because they drive like maniacs and at high speeds, and have no scheduled stops so if you want to get out you either shout "déjame" (let me off) or you tell the cobrador who then will signal the driver to stop by knocking on the carrocery of the bus.

So, which is which?

Thanks

new buses, good luck finding those!! They are already beat up.  the odd bus has air conditioning, most do not.  They only run specific streets and stop wherever they want.

Hi planner

I've moved onto tipping. Can you give me anidea of what you tip in restaurants when service charge is already included? Also in taxis.

Thanks

In most restaurants there are 2 taxes, one of which is a 10% tip or Propina,  if  you get good service match that 10% charge.

Taxis  - we don't tip.

what does the word propina mean? I thought it was the word for tip

That is correct - it means tip, or payoff.

hi planner

I'm nearly done. Now I need opening/closing times for the follwoing:

banks
shops
government offices
business offices
travel agencies

You've been great help and I hope you don't feel I am abusing your kindness

qim

qim wrote:

hi planner

I'm nearly done. Now I need opening/closing times for the follwoing:

banks
shops
government offices
business offices
travel agencies

You've been great help and I hope you don't feel I am abusing your kindness

qim

No problem at all!   So  we follow typical business hours - banks,gov't offices, most business offices 8 am to 5pm more or less.  They close holiays, some offices open 1/2 day saturday,  but NOT gov't.

Shops - malls 7 days a week, 9 am to 9pm more or less,  shorter hours some days.

Travel agencies - 8 am to 6pm is generally true.  Most seem to open saturday 1/2 day.

Our general work week is 5 1/2 days a week.

thanks planner

I found this site

http://dominicanrepublic-guide.info/tra … operation/

which do you think is nearest the mark (your times or theirs)?

Or shall I just take an average?

Thank you very much for everything. It has been appreciated.

qim