Internet, Mail & Shipping in Dominican Republic

Internet, Mail & Shipping

Paid Internet access of some kind is available in almost every hotel, though you may sometimes have access to only one slow and old terminal in the lobby, maybe with a Spanish keyboard. Many all-inclusives have concessionaires who operate a bank of computers in either a separate room or in the back of one of the shops, but it can be an astronomical $5 for only 30 minutes.

Wi-Fi is becoming more prevalent in the better hotels, particularly in Santo Domingo; it is usually free but generally exists only in the lobby and some public areas, rather than in your room. There are dozens of Internet cafés in Santo Domingo, and several more centrally located in Cabarete, Sosúa, and Playa Dorada.

Airmail postage to North America for a letter or postcard is RD$40; letters may take more than two weeks to reach their destination or never make it. Or you can pay big money, RD$695, for a "fast mail" stamp (which will take 3 days) through a new service called EMS INPOSDOM, which is also named EPS, or our UPS. You can send packages and get a tracking number, but the success rate is not so high. The main branch of the post office in Santo Domingo is on Calle Heroes del Luperon at Rafael Damiron La Ferla. If you need to send a package home, it's more reliable to use FedEx or DHL, though they cost a small fortune.