Having a car in the Dominican Republic is very convenient however driving in the Dominican Republic can be a challenge.
First get used to the horn; drivers in the DR have one hand permanently on the horn. Don’t get irritated when they use it. The horn is considered a notification devise, not just a sign that the person irritated at you. They will use it when they pass you, at intersections, when passing people or just when they feel they haven’t heard the horn enough that day.
People drive extremely close here regardless of the speed you are going. Cars drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid pot holes and for almost any other reason you can imagine. It’s common to see 3-4 cars side by side on a 2 lane road, when preparing to cross intersections etc. They pretty much consider the lines in the road to be optional, and which side of the road you are expected to drive on to only be a suggestion not a law. Motorcycles use either side of the road about the same, with only a slight preference of being on the right side of the road.
The only way to merge into heavy traffic is to force your way in, if you wait for someone to give you a break it is very unlikely to happen. When you are forcing your way in, or when they are forcing their way in, they will get within inches of your car.
Most of the roads here are pretty bad, so you need to constantly be on the watch for potholes. There are very few street signs to help you navigate.
With all that said, once you get out of the largest cities like Santo Domingo and Santiago, and if you are not trying to drive during the most congested times of the day or at night, then driving here really isn’t that bad. It just takes some getting used to.
Something to be aware of: I have a lot of foreign friends here in the DR. A few have gotten in small accidents. When you are a foreigner, you are considered rich. Therefore, if you get in an accident it is pretty much always considered your fault and it is very difficult to prove otherwise. Court proceedings can take years. When you drive here you drive at your own risk.
Here are some of the major car rental companies in the Dominican Republic. In addition to these there are a lot of smaller local ones. If you are just visiting, likely using one of the large companies would be easier.
Avis Santo Domingo 809-535-7191 |
Budget Santo Domingo 809-566-6666 |
Dollar Rent a Car809-200-7368 |
Europcar Santo Domingo * Santiago * Bavaro-Punta Cana * La Romana * Puerto Plata |
Honda Rent a Car Santo Domingo 809-541-8487 |
National – Alamo809-562-1444 |
Nelly809-687-7997 |
January 25th, 2012 at 10:28 am
Hello,
Please reserve an economic car for 3 days and pick me at La Isabella Santo Domingo Friday at 6.30 PM.
Thanks,
Franck
February 1st, 2012 at 5:33 am
@Franck I don’t rent out cars myself, you will need to contact a rental company for that.