Had I arrived a few minutes later, I'd not have gotten a spot on that ticket signup sheet for the 3pm bus. At 1:30pm they put out a piece of paper that said "3pm bus, 10 tickets" with 1 through 10 numbered on the paper. I tried buying a ticket again just for kicks and was told to wait until 1:30pm. I read other reviews saying get to station very early, so I came back at 1pm so as to ensure a ticket for 3pm bus. They said I needed to come back at 2pm when tickets went on sale. I went to station at 8am seeking to buy ticket for 3pm bus. I'd read other reviews stating that people were able to buy their ticket in advance on the same day. Took this bus yesterday from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana. Overall, it's a good option for traveling between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana/Bavaro, but it has its quirks, so just be ready for these. OK, I know this is a lot of random information, but hopefully this at least fills in some of the gaps information wise that doesn't seem to be mentioned online. That last point isn't a knock against the bus company, but just something I thought I would note in case you were looking to plan a similar itinerary to me. Five, leaving Bavaro going to Santo Domingo the bus doesn't stop at the airport (it does going to Bavaro), so you won't be able to use this as a cheaper alternative to get to the airport after a stay at a resort (I looked into this). Maybe if you speak better Spanish than me and are able to plead your case to the driver, maybe you'd have luck with this, but I didn't get the sense that this was an option for anybody. Four, I read a few places online that they'll make special stops at your hotel upon request. It was in Spanish with no English subtitles, but they play it on loop, so after seeing it three times you'll likely be able to figure out the plot. I thought this was a bit strange, but I guess not the worst thing in the world. Two, during the bus ride they seem to pick up people that will sell snacks/drinks along the way. Few other things to note: One, I had tried emailing them some questions well ahead of my trip to help avoid some of the issues I ultimately ran into, but they never responded to my emails, so communication seems to be a bit of weak point. I had told them what my hotel was, so to their credit they at least knew the closest stop. The bus workers at least had me get back on the bus when I tried to get off at the first Plaza Bavaro. Turned out there were two different Plaza Bavaros. At first I thought I wanted to get off at a hotel close to my hotel and take a taxi from there, but then I was told to get off at Plaza Bavaro. They announce the stops as they arrive, but they're difficult to hear and understand. Everybody else, even passengers who seemed more local were confused as well. Their website lists all of the stops (which they kind of followed), but then they made additional unannounced stops, which made it a bit confusing as I was trying to count stop numbers. Once on the bus, everything was pleasant the whole ride, but it was very unclear where to disembark. Moral of the story there is to be persistent. Once we finally got on the bus there were plenty of seats available, so I'm not quite sure what the deal was with the ticket agent. When we arrived at the bus terminal we were told there was only one more seat left at the time we wanted (there were two of us traveling), but after we pleaded our case a little bit the ticket agent made a phone call and there were magically enough spots left. We listened to our hotel, but probably should have just heeded the website. Our hotel said 25 minutes early would be enough. Their website says to get there an hour ahead of time. Go to the first stop since the bus is apt to fill up by the second stop. There are two stops in town, neither of which are that close to the Zona Colonial, so you'll need to take a taxi to get there. As evidenced by this review I chose the bus option and would suggest doing the same. I did my research online and found out that for traveling between Santo Domingo and Bavaro/Punta Cana, you can either rent a car (which you're crazy to do), pay a fortune for a private taxi, or pay an affordable price to ride on a nice Expreso Bavaro bus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |