When is the best time to visit Punta Cana?+
From December to April, when it's dry, humidity is bearable, and the trade wind blows. This is also the high season with the highest prices. From May to November it's humid with afternoon showers, and hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in September and October. The sea stays around twenty-seven degrees year-round.
Do I need a visa for the Dominican Republic?+
No, Czech citizens don't need a visa and can stay in the country for thirty days. Before traveling, though, you fill out the electronic E-Ticket form, which is free and completed on the official migration website; you show its QR code at the airport. The passport must be valid for six months after return. The tourist card has been included in the airfare since 2018.
What about drinking water and food safety at the resorts?+
Don't drink tap water even at a five-star hotel, and don't brush your teeth with it — the plumbing is old. Bottled water is in the room, and at a shop it costs a fraction of the hotel price. Ice at resorts and larger restaurants is made from treated water and is safe; skip salads and fruit at roadside stands for the first few days.
How much should I tip?+
By law, restaurant bills include ten percent service and eighteen percent ITBIS tax, so the final total runs about a quarter higher than menu prices. Little of that reaches staff, though, so an extra five to ten percent is left in cash. In all-inclusive resorts, give the bartender a dollar per drink and the housekeeper one to two dollars a day.
Is Punta Cana safe?+
The tourist zone is patrolled by its own CESTUR police force and the risk there is low. Outside it, crime in the country is high, so don't go to Santo Domingo or inland towns alone after dark. The biggest risk to tourists, though, isn't crime but traffic — Dominican roads rank among the world's most dangerous, and rented ATVs and mopeds are a common cause of serious injury.
Is it worth leaving the resort, or is all-inclusive enough?+
Anyone who just wants the beach can manage fine within the resort — the strip is self-contained and there's little outside it. Anyone who wants to see the country has to leave, since Punta Cana itself isn't a city or a culture but a hotel zone. The best value comes from the Saona trip, Altos de Chavón, and dinner at a local spot in El Cortecito, which costs a tenth of an à la carte dinner at the hotel.
What's the currency, and should I bring dollars or euros?+
The currency is the Dominican peso, but dollars are accepted practically everywhere, and prices in the tourist zone are often even quoted in dollars. Bring dollars in small bills; euros are accepted less readily and you'll lose on the exchange rate. For small purchases, paying in pesos works out cheaper than dollars, since the hotel's exchange rate is always unfavorable. Cards are accepted without issue at resorts, but not at small local places.
How do I get from the airport to my hotel?+
PUJ airport sits right in the middle of the hotel strip, and the transfer is usually included in the package; depending on the resort's location it takes twenty minutes to an hour. Those traveling independently can choose a shared shuttle for around twenty-five dollars, a fixed-rate taxi by zone for thirty-five to fifty dollars, or Uber, which is roughly half the price but will only pick you up at the resort gate.
