Getting to Santo Domingo and getting around
August 2026 · 2 min read
From the airport to the door
Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) sits east of the city, and the ride to the Zona Colonial takes about half an hour in normal traffic. You have two good options: an official airport taxi from the marked stand, or an Uber ordered from the arrivals area. Agree to nothing offered at the curb by someone without a stand or an app — that rule alone prevents most airport headaches.
The Pallazzo uses self check-in with a lockbox, so your arrival time never depends on anyone waiting for you. Waner sends clear directions before you land, and if anything is unclear he answers within the hour.
Once you are here, walk
The entire Colonial Zone is walkable, and many of its streets are closed to cars. From the front door you can reach the first cathedral of the Americas in three minutes, Calle Las Damas in a few more, and more than 60 restaurants without ever needing a vehicle. Walking is not a compromise here; it is the whole point of staying inside the historic district instead of a resort outside it.
Apps for everything beyond
For the rest of the city, both Uber and inDrive work well. The house recommends inDrive with a reason: it lets you choose the driver and the fare before you commit, which adds a layer of predictability. Rides across the city cost little by North American or European standards.
- Bicycles and electric scooters can be rented inside the colonial district.
- A horse-drawn carriage covers the colonial streets at a slower, older pace.
- For trips across the island — Punta Cana, the north coast — the long-distance coach companies run large, safe, air-conditioned buses.
The one thing to skip
The house is direct about this on the listing, and we will be direct here: skip the rental car. Tourists driving rentals report being stopped by informal police checkpoints and pressed for small payments, and the experience sours a trip fast. Between your feet, the ride apps, and the coaches, there is no itinerary in this guide that needs a car — including the beach.