AIR: The Dominican Republic’s national airline is Air Santo Domingo (EX) (website: www.airsantodomingo.com).

 American Airlines offers daily flights from London via Miami. Direct flights from the USA are operated by Continental Airlines (from New Jersey), and American Airlines (from New York). Iberia operates every day to Santo Domingo via Madrid. Other airlines operating flights from Europe are Air France, Condor and Martinair.

Approximate flight times: From London to Santo Domingo is 11 hours (including stopover).

International airports: Santo Domingo (SDQ) (Internacional de las Americas), 30km (18 miles) east of the city (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxi services are available to Santo Domingo. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, post office, bank/bureau de change, restaurants, bars and car hire.

Puerto Plata International Airport (POP) (Internacional General Gregorio Luperón). Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, banking and exchange facilities, restaurant, bar and car hire (Avis).

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is 10 to 30 minutes’ travel time from the Punta Cana and Bávaro resorts. Airport facilities include gift shops, duty-free shop and taxi.

Departure tax: US$10. Passengers in direct transit and children under 2 years of age are exempt. A ‘stay tax’ is also levied on all passengers staying longer than 3 months: peso 60.48 (3 to 9 months); peso100.80 (9 to 12 months) or peso160.16 - peso600.32 (1 year or more).

Note: When buying an international air ticket in the Dominican Republic a tax of approximately 12 per cent is levied on the carrier by the Government. This expense is passed on directly to the customer on the price of the ticket. If the ticket is bought outside the Dominican Republic there is no tax.

SEA: Cruise lines calling at the Dominican Republic include Holland America, Seabourn and Windjammer.

ROAD: There are three routes from Haiti: on the road from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo at Jimaní/Malpasse; on the road from Cap-Haitian to Santiago at Dajabón/Ouanaminthe; and a third route near the center of the island at Elías Pinâ/Belladere. The borders are open from 0800-1600.