[QUOTE=CharlesPooter;1740459]Rental car is fine over a period for those who want to take that option, but who the hell wants to go to the hassle of renting a car just to make a one-time trip into town or to Sosua or wherever? Anywhere else (Sosua, Cabarete, Fields of Dreams, etc) you just get in a publico, 25 to 50 pesos.
The real problem at Blackbeards is not getting out. That can be achieved with a combination of walking, moto and publico. The problem is getting back after dark once the publicos stop running.
Anyone who has spent any time there knows the answer to that one. Their pimps / husbands / boyfriends bring them at the start of their shift and take them home afterwards. Or, as regular customers and Dominicans, they cut deals with the taxi-drivers which are not available to gringos, paying them in cash or in services rendered.[/QUOTE]Just limit your girly fun to BB. Sosua is a dump, and scams abound. Just read the Sosua pages. The best thing about places like BB is that that the girls are vetted, and fair behavior is incentivized by the fear of being kicked out. That ability to enforce good behavior is a rarity. That' what you are paying for at BB, really.
The problem is that BB is pretty far from everything else. If your only desire to getaway is for non-girly fun, that is easily arrangeable by things like publicos, as I assume you would return before dark. Lots of great stuff to do on the Northern Coast -- kite surfing in Cabarete, Damajuga Falls, etc. I assume that reputable tour services would pick you up. The problem is if you want to go out to Sosua and return at night. Then you are at the mercy of the taxi mafia. But the truth is, you are better off at BB in that regard anyway. There is nothing special about Sosua, and I have never understood why some advocate it so fiercely. You'll see it when you get there. Costambar has a beach too. Sosua has more restaurants to be sure, but for the most part, they are not substantially better than what you would find in Costambar. And if you are thinking you are missing genuine Dominican nightlife, forget it. At night, Sosua is just an expat girly hunting ground. If you want to meet other Dominicans, better to hang out in Puerto Plata or Santa Domingo.
The other option is to rent a car. That topic is somewhat controversial, with many thinking that the risk is too great to ever justify it. I disagree, though I do understand their point. The risk isn't theft or violence. its the risk of being involved in an accident, as DR drivers and motorcyclists are often crazy. I have rented a car before, as I hate being couped up on vacations. I drove only in the daytime to the various tourist attractions and beaches. I went without incident, though I will verify that some Dominican motorcyclists are absolutely crazy. But most of the time, i was driving on wide open roads. When you are near the towns, just slow down alot. Give up the right of way to everyone, even if you should have it.
That being said, there are also lots of horror stories as well. I think that you should buy a tourist book about the DR, and decide what it is you want to do. Then try to make arrangements for pickup and so forth, explaning that you will be in Costambar. Try as hard as you can to get along without a car. But if it can't be arranged, I wouldn't diminish your trip for the fear of driving. But if you want to rent a car just so you can punt in Sosua, then you are definitely introducing an unnecessary hazard.