Mistakes to avoid on buses in the Dominican Republic

Arriving 15 minutes early when the operator asks for an hour

The first mistake is treating a Dominican bus like a European train. Expreso Bavaro requires you to arrive 1 hour before departure at its Cruce de Friusa stop, Caribe Tours recommends 45 minutes at its terminals and Asotrapusa asks for 30 at its Santo Domingo stop. The reason is that your seat is assigned when you pay, and whoever arrives late on a busy day waits for the next departure, which on the Punta Cana to Santo Domingo route can be approx. 2 hours later. Add the city leg: from Punta Cana airport to the stop it is about 20 minutes, and from the Colonial Zone to the Santo Domingo terminals 10 to 15. Count backwards from the departure time and add the operator's margin, not your own.

Carrying no cash in pesos

The second mistake costs you a ticket. Expreso Bavaro and Asotrapusa only take cash on board. Caribe Tours has ticket counters, but carrying pesos is still the practical choice. The typical problems are turning up with only dollars, or counting on a cash machine that is not at the stop. The motoconcho and the water for the trip are paid the same way. We confirm the fare with you before booking, once the seat has been checked with the carrier.

Looking for a direct bus that does not exist

The third mistake is spending an hour searching for a direct bus from Punta Cana to Las Terrenas or from Punta Cana to Puerto Plata. There is none. Both journeys go via Santo Domingo, with a change of terminal in the capital: Punta Cana to Las Terrenas is 340 km and about 7 hours including the connection, and Punta Cana to Puerto Plata 415 km and about 8 hours. In Santo Domingo the Expreso Bavaro bus arrives in Gazcue and the Asotrapusa bus leaves from Calle Barahona, behind Plaza Lama, a few minutes apart by Uber or taxi. Plan the whole day for that trip, take one of the first departures of the morning and never chain the connection onto the last departure of the second route.

Mistaking a stop for a terminal, and Bavaro for the airport

The fourth mistake is a map mistake. The Asotrapusa stop in Santo Domingo is a street stop, not a terminal with a waiting room: tell your Uber or taxi driver to drop you behind Plaza Lama and they will find it. In Las Terrenas the stop is in the town centre, and the nearby beaches are a few minutes away by motoconcho. The other confusion is Punta Cana itself: the airport and the Expreso Bavaro stop at Cruce de Friusa are about 20 minutes apart, and from the Bavaro hotels it is 15 to 20 minutes. If you only type Punta Cana into the map, you end up in the wrong place. Save the exact location of the stop before leaving the hotel.

Betting everything on the last departure and an online timetable

The fifth mistake is the most expensive. The timetables you see on operator websites are poorly maintained, and the ones on this site are still pending phone confirmation, so always check the day's schedule at the terminal or by phone. And never book the last departure for a leg that connects with a flight: if the bus fills up or is cancelled there is no plan B, and an emergency night transfer from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana costs 125 to 200 USD per vehicle. The one before leaves room for the unexpected. If you would rather have us prepare that leg with a margin, Guagualine assisted booking starts at 24.95 USD per person, is requested 3 or more days ahead, nothing is paid when you request it, and we reply by WhatsApp or email.