The buffer is not the drive time
Santiago city is 15 to 25 minutes from the terminal, and we still ask you to be in the lobby two hours before departure. The gap is not padding for the road. It covers the airline's check-in cutoff, the queue at the counter, security, and the walk to the gate — even at a small, quick airport like STI, international flights need a real check-in window.
STI generally closes check-in 60 minutes before departure on most carriers. Miss that and the ticket is gone, whatever the traffic was. Every buffer below is built backwards from that cutoff with margin, then the drive is added on top.
The second reason is the shape of the day. STI's morning bank of US departures — JetBlue, American, Delta, United — clusters check-in traffic into a couple of hours, and the same short drive from Santiago puts you in a longer line at 09:00 than at 06:00.
Buffers by destination
Santiago and Licey/Tamboril: 2 hours. The drive is 10 to 25 minutes, so nearly all of it is terminal time.
Gurabo 2 hours, La Vega and Moca 2.5 hours. These are the destinations where guests most often try to shave 30 minutes and then spend it in the check-in queue.
Jarabacoa and Puerto Plata 3 hours — the mountain road to Jarabacoa and the Cordillera Septentrional crossing to Puerto Plata both take 60 to 80 minutes and are not roads to rush.
Sosúa 3 to 3.25 hours, Cabarete 3.25 to 3.5 hours, San Francisco de Macorís 3 to 3.25 hours. Santo Domingo 4 hours — the drive is 2.25 to 2.75 hours on the Autopista Duarte plus the possibility of city traffic at the Las Américas end.
When we add time
Christmas week, New Year, Easter and the first half of February: add 30 minutes on every destination.
Departures between 09:00 and 12:00, when the US morning bank clusters: add 20 minutes on Santiago-area destinations.
Groups of seven or more in a van: add 15 minutes. Loading a van with luggage at a hotel entrance is slower than loading a car.
Two hotels on one pickup: add 20 minutes. Tell us at booking and we build it into the time we confirm.
What the return costs
Driving time is only one part of departure planning. Confirm the pickup time against your airline's check-in requirements, the destination's road approach and any additional stops.
VIP prices are one-way, per vehicle for 1–6 passengers. Taxes included. Santiago $59; La Vega $89; Jarabacoa $149; Puerto Plata $145; Sosúa $159; Cabarete $169 USD. VIP 7–14: +$40 USD.
Book both legs together for 5% off the combined fare.
Seven to fourteen passengers move to a van: VIP plus $40 on local destinations.
How the pickup runs
We message you the day before with the lobby time and the driver's name. The driver is at the hotel ten minutes early.
Check out the night before if the pickup is before 06:00, and ask reception at dinner for a boxed breakfast.
Payment happens the same way as on arrival: cash in US dollars or Dominican pesos to the driver at the end. Nothing is prepaid to hold the booking.
If your flight moves
Send us the new time on WhatsApp as soon as the airline tells you and we re-cut the pickup. There is no change fee and no re-quote; the price you were given stands.
A delay announced while you are already in the car is not a problem either — the driver drops you at the terminal and you wait there.
A cancelled flight with a hotel night attached is the only case where the run is genuinely re-planned. Message us; we rebook for the new day at the same rate.
Drive time and one-way rate by destination
| Zone | Normal traffic | Peak 15:00–18:00 | Night 22:00–05:00 | VIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago de los Caballeros | 15–25 min | 25–40 min | 15–20 min | $59 |
| Licey / Tamboril | 10–20 min | 20–30 min | 10–15 min | $59 |
| La Vega | 30–45 min | 45–60 min | 30–40 min | $89 |
| Jarabacoa | 60–80 min | 75–95 min | 70–85 min | $149 |
| Puerto Plata / Playa Dorada | 60–80 min | 75–95 min | 60–75 min | $145 |
| Sosúa | 75–95 min | 90–110 min | 70–85 min | $159 |
| Cabarete | 85–105 min | 100–120 min | 80–95 min | $169 |
| Santo Domingo city | 2.25–2.75 h | 2.75–3.5 h | 2.25–2.5 h | $269 |
| SDQ (Las Américas Airport) | 2.25–2.75 h | 2.75–3.5 h | 2.25–2.5 h | $269 |
Add the buffer above to the drive time. One-way, per vehicle, one to six passengers, taxes included. 7–14 passengers uses a van (VIP +$40 on local destinations).
Price is per vehicle, one-way, taxes included. 7–14 pax uses a van: VIP +$40 on local zones; quoted in the form.
Send the flight, get the price in writing
Hotel name, flight number, date and party size. We reply with the fixed rate, track the flight and meet you inside arrivals with a name sign. Pay the driver on arrival.
Book on WhatsAppQuestions we get on this
- What time should I leave Santiago for a 10:00 flight?
- 08:00 from the lobby. The drive is 15 to 25 minutes; the rest covers check-in, which closes 60 minutes before departure, and the mid-morning queue.
- How early do I have to leave Puerto Plata?
- 3 hours before departure. The drive over the Cordillera Septentrional is 60 to 80 minutes and is not a road to rush. The return is $145 VIP, per vehicle.
- Is the return more expensive than the arrival?
- No. Same figure both ways. Booking both legs together takes 5% off the combined fare.
- Does an early morning pickup cost extra?
- No. A 04:00 lobby time costs the same as a 15:00 one. There is no night surcharge on any destination.
- What happens if my flight is delayed after the driver has collected me?
- Nothing changes for you. You are dropped at the terminal and wait there. If you know about the delay before the pickup, message us and we move the lobby time.
- Can the driver pick us up at two different hotels?
- Yes. Tell us at booking; we add about 20 minutes to the buffer and confirm one lobby time per stop.
- Do you track the departure time or should I?
- We check the flight the evening before and again on the morning of the run, but send us any change the airline gives you — you usually hear first.