Las Americas Airport, Santo Domingo; credit Lacreta
Santo Domingo Transportation
Airport
Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) is located in Punta Caucedo near Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Las Américas usually receives a wide variety of commercial aircraft. It is the second-busiest airport in the country and handles over 3.5 million passengers.
Most American traffic comes from NYC JFK, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, San Juan, Newark, Atlanta, Boston, and Orlando airports.
Las Américas has five gates on the main satellite concourse. Terminal B now features a co-branded Copa Club operated jointly by United Airlines and Copa Airlines, and a Private Lounge exclusive to members and business people. The airport was modernized, and two more terminals were added with 20 more gates.
Daily flights in and out of Las Américas Airport range between 68 and 84 flights. JetBlue, Aeromexico, Air France, American, Avian, Condor, Delta, Spirit, and United are major airlines operating at Las Américas.
Terminal B is the newest Terminal filled with amenities. The Copa Club lounge is located at Terminal B near gate B4. Its daily hours are 5 am-7 pm. Terminal A has a Sala VIP Caribe Lounge located airside to watch planes come and go. Services and facilities at both Terminals include:
– Free Wi-Fi access
– ATMs and Banking
– Currency Exchange
– Post Office
– Car Rentals
– Duty-Free, Shops, Food & Drinks
– Pharmacy
Several companies provide shared van service to/from the airport to the city center or any other destination in the area. Driving a rental car can be tricky — traffic in many parts of the country is very fast-paced.
Rental rates are lower during the fall months. You’ll find the following Car Rental counters at Santo Domingo Airport located at Terminal North:
Avis – 809-549-0468
Budget – 809-549-5559
Dollar – 809-549-0738
Hertz – 809-221-5333
Honda Rent-a-Car – 809-549-0362
National-Alamo – 809-549-0763/ 549-8303
Nelly Rent-a-Car – 809-549-0509/ 549-0505
Payless – Phone: 809-549-8911
Thrifty – Phone: 809-549-0930
The new expressway crosses a new suspension bridge that spans the Ozama River, connecting traffic to the city’s Elevated Freeway and Tunnel system.
Santo Domingo Metro train; (c) Santo Domingo Ministry of Tourism
Rapid Transit
Santo Domingo Metro features two Light Rail lines serving 30 stations over 17 miles. The first line serves Máximo Gómez and Hermanas Mirabal Avenue, connecting Santo Domingo with neighboring Santo Domingo Norte. The second line serves the Duarte-Kennedy-Centenario Corridor from west to east.
The Boleto Viajero is a reloadable contactless smart card used for fare payment on Santo Domingo Metro. The card can be acquired in a Santo Domingo Metro station for DOP$60. It is an alternative to the single-use cardboard cards. Cardboard cards have a lower initial cost of DOP$15, but cannot be reloaded.
The public bus system goes just about everywhere else.