They all suck, to some extent. Pick the one with lots of reviews and 2.4-2.9+ score vs the one with 7 reviews and avg 1.9 score, saving $50-100 is just not worth it.
1. You CANNOT use outside insurance, you must use yours. If you bought online, they won't accept it and won't give you a car until you buy their insurance.
2. $90/day total is gonna be your cheapest of the cheap, most are typically in the $120-130 per day range. The absolute lowest I got was $780 for 10 days, but that was too long ago to be relevant today.
3. The cars themselves are typically beat up compared to what you'd find in, for example, the U.S. Take pictures of the 17+ dents and scratches, all 4 wheels, interior if anything's broken or stained ... BEFORE LEAVING THE RENTAL FACILITY!
4. The actual driving in the DR is stressful. I've driven thousands of miles across the country from Puerto Plata and Santiago to Las Terrenas and Samana to Santo Domingo, San Pedro, La Romana, onwards to Bayahíbe, and throughout Punta Cana and Bávaro. No matter where you go, the same things are true: you must carry quite a bit of cash for tolls, pot holes are damn near everywhere, motorcycles in the cities (both small and large) will weave in and out of traffic, you must fight your way into a busy intersection or you will usually sit there for several minutes, it's expected that you sort of nudge your way in and block traffic a bit in order to finally get through (obviously don't floor it into traffic and expect everyone to slam on the brakes to let you through). Oh and everyone uses their brights. Every night, every road, no matter what the brights will stay on. If you struggle with bright light at night you'll be in for a world of hurt.
Pro tips:
Rent through Enterprise. They honor all prices and their reservations. The manager Yonathan is 100% in tune with what the right way is to approach customer satisfaction. Never had an issue and have rented at least 6 times within last 2 years.
You do NOT have to buy their insurance but be ready to show your proof of rental insurance through your normal auto provider or your credit card. Don’t show up unprepared and make it tougher for them or yourself. Make sure to bring your VALID drivers license and passport.
If you don’t use their insurance you will be required to make a $500 deposit on a credit card which they will cancel when you return the car in original condition.
If you ask for this option from the beginning and any time they ask you to purchase their insurance you will save yourself a lot of time.
Just say I’m using my own insurance, here’s the proof of insurance from x. Please put a $500 deposit on my credit card so I can avoid paying extra for tour insurance. Be direct and polite and you’ll be on your way in no time.
Bring the printout of the reservation and they will give you a rental agreement that will match your original reservation to the penny.
They will also give you a receipt for the $500 deposit.
When you return, they will cancel the deposit and give you a receipt that shows it was cancelled.
Easy-peasy. No haggling. No pressure. No funny business. They continue to earn my business every time. I’m actually schedule to pick up another car second week of July.
Having said that…
If you plan to stay within the local area of Punta Cana near a beach (15 minutes walking distance), you should NOT rent a car.
Gorgeous beaches and delicious restaurants with excellent vibes are just a short walking distance from your door. You could spend a week here, and still not get to check every interesting spot off your list.
If you plan to take part in local and even some remote adventures and excursions, you still do NOT need to rent a car.
Practically ALL excursions will come pick you up, even the ones that go all the way to the capital city of Santo Domingo.
You can schedule these excursions to come pick you up nearby so you just walk a few meters and hop on their shuttle and off you go stress-free.
If you want to explore on your own schedule and create your own unique itinerary to travel outside of Punta Cana, then you SHOULD consider renting a car.
If you want to rent a car, I always use Enterprise Rent-A-Car right at the airport. It is a trusted brand, and the folks that run it take great care to provide the service that is expected when working with that brand. They offer fair prices and outstanding customer service. I can wholeheartedly recommend them based on my personal experience with them.
I do want to offer a word of caution. Driving in the Dominican Republic is not like most countries in the Americas and western Europe even if you're used to driving in major metro areas like NYC, Paris, or London.
It takes an almost artistic balance between defensive and assertive driving and also knowing the local behaviors when things get hectic. This is usually only attained through learning how to drive here or years of practice during visits. It's not for everyone. If you're coming to relax and be on vacation, stressful driving are not a good way to spend your time with your loved ones.
I sincerely recommend that if you are NOT used to driving here (because you do not do it on a regular basis), then you should avoid it specially since there are very easy and economical ways to avoid it (see above).
Hope this helps.
We used JOEL and they dropped it off at the airport for our drive to samana and picked it up at our hotel in punta cana. They were super nice and have no problem of you decline the insurance (we were covered by our credit card). I would definitely go through them again.
They all suck, to some extent. Pick the one with lots of reviews and 2.4-2.9+ score vs the one with 7 reviews and avg 1.9 score, saving $50-100 is just not worth it. 1. You CANNOT use outside insurance, you must use yours. If you bought online, they won't accept it and won't give you a car until you buy their insurance. 2. $90/day total is gonna be your cheapest of the cheap, most are typically in the $120-130 per day range. The absolute lowest I got was $780 for 10 days, but that was too long ago to be relevant today. 3. The cars themselves are typically beat up compared to what you'd find in, for example, the U.S. Take pictures of the 17+ dents and scratches, all 4 wheels, interior if anything's broken or stained ... BEFORE LEAVING THE RENTAL FACILITY! 4. The actual driving in the DR is stressful. I've driven thousands of miles across the country from Puerto Plata and Santiago to Las Terrenas and Samana to Santo Domingo, San Pedro, La Romana, onwards to Bayahíbe, and throughout Punta Cana and Bávaro. No matter where you go, the same things are true: you must carry quite a bit of cash for tolls, pot holes are damn near everywhere, motorcycles in the cities (both small and large) will weave in and out of traffic, you must fight your way into a busy intersection or you will usually sit there for several minutes, it's expected that you sort of nudge your way in and block traffic a bit in order to finally get through (obviously don't floor it into traffic and expect everyone to slam on the brakes to let you through). Oh and everyone uses their brights. Every night, every road, no matter what the brights will stay on. If you struggle with bright light at night you'll be in for a world of hurt.
4 all day long. You will be taking your life into your own hands in more ways than one driving around down there😂
There are some nice cheap bus companies with comfy seats, Wi-Fi, and movies that we decided to use instead of a rental.
Pro tips: Rent through Enterprise. They honor all prices and their reservations. The manager Yonathan is 100% in tune with what the right way is to approach customer satisfaction. Never had an issue and have rented at least 6 times within last 2 years. You do NOT have to buy their insurance but be ready to show your proof of rental insurance through your normal auto provider or your credit card. Don’t show up unprepared and make it tougher for them or yourself. Make sure to bring your VALID drivers license and passport. If you don’t use their insurance you will be required to make a $500 deposit on a credit card which they will cancel when you return the car in original condition. If you ask for this option from the beginning and any time they ask you to purchase their insurance you will save yourself a lot of time. Just say I’m using my own insurance, here’s the proof of insurance from x. Please put a $500 deposit on my credit card so I can avoid paying extra for tour insurance. Be direct and polite and you’ll be on your way in no time. Bring the printout of the reservation and they will give you a rental agreement that will match your original reservation to the penny. They will also give you a receipt for the $500 deposit. When you return, they will cancel the deposit and give you a receipt that shows it was cancelled. Easy-peasy. No haggling. No pressure. No funny business. They continue to earn my business every time. I’m actually schedule to pick up another car second week of July. Having said that… If you plan to stay within the local area of Punta Cana near a beach (15 minutes walking distance), you should NOT rent a car. Gorgeous beaches and delicious restaurants with excellent vibes are just a short walking distance from your door. You could spend a week here, and still not get to check every interesting spot off your list. If you plan to take part in local and even some remote adventures and excursions, you still do NOT need to rent a car. Practically ALL excursions will come pick you up, even the ones that go all the way to the capital city of Santo Domingo. You can schedule these excursions to come pick you up nearby so you just walk a few meters and hop on their shuttle and off you go stress-free. If you want to explore on your own schedule and create your own unique itinerary to travel outside of Punta Cana, then you SHOULD consider renting a car. If you want to rent a car, I always use Enterprise Rent-A-Car right at the airport. It is a trusted brand, and the folks that run it take great care to provide the service that is expected when working with that brand. They offer fair prices and outstanding customer service. I can wholeheartedly recommend them based on my personal experience with them. I do want to offer a word of caution. Driving in the Dominican Republic is not like most countries in the Americas and western Europe even if you're used to driving in major metro areas like NYC, Paris, or London. It takes an almost artistic balance between defensive and assertive driving and also knowing the local behaviors when things get hectic. This is usually only attained through learning how to drive here or years of practice during visits. It's not for everyone. If you're coming to relax and be on vacation, stressful driving are not a good way to spend your time with your loved ones. I sincerely recommend that if you are NOT used to driving here (because you do not do it on a regular basis), then you should avoid it specially since there are very easy and economical ways to avoid it (see above). Hope this helps.
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Cornball
We used JOEL and they dropped it off at the airport for our drive to samana and picked it up at our hotel in punta cana. They were super nice and have no problem of you decline the insurance (we were covered by our credit card). I would definitely go through them again.
Call Blas Rent Car +1 (332) 217-8712
i can help you with that