Most first-time guests ask the same question two weeks before their trip: do we need to rent a car? (For the airport side of that question — LRM vs PUJ — see our airport guide.) However, the honest answer surprises them. At Casa de Campo®, the car is the optional vehicle. The golf cart is the essential one.
The resort covers 7,000 acres, but it is built around a network of cart paths, not roads. In fact, almost every villa, restaurant, beach, golf course and marina berth is reachable on a cart. Add a Jeep into the mix and you are paying twice for transport — once for a vehicle that gets you nowhere on property, once for the cart you actually need.
This guide is for guests deciding what transport to book for a 2026 trip — and at Casa de Campo, golf carts are the heart of that decision. It covers the cart-versus-car choice, what villa rentals do and do not include, what carts actually cost from independent operators, the rules guests trip over (age, alcohol, where you can drive), and the only situations where a rental car is the right call.
How Casa de Campo® Actually Works as a Resort
Casa de Campo® is laid out as a low-density, gated estate — closer in feel to a country club community than a hotel resort. Roads exist for residents, staff and service vehicles, but the primary guest infrastructure is cart paths. Every public area on resort — the hotel, the spa, the beach, the marina, the equestrian centre, the polo grounds, the shooting centre, all three Pete Dye golf courses, and Altos de Chavón — is signed for cart access.
This matters because it inverts the assumption most guests bring from other Caribbean destinations. In Punta Cana, you stay inside an all-inclusive footprint and a shuttle (or a taxi) moves you around. In Cap Cana, a car becomes useful because the resort is more spread out and there are off-property restaurants. At Casa de Campo®, the property is large enough that walking is impractical for most journeys, but the cart paths make a Jeep redundant. You are not driving anywhere your cart cannot already reach.
That is why nearly every villa on property has a cart parked under a covered bay. It is not an amenity — it is the front door of the resort.
Cart vs. Rental Car — Which You Actually Need
Before you book, run the decision against three questions. The answer almost always lands on “cart only.”
1. When a cart is all you need (about 90% of guests)
You are staying inside Casa de Campo® for the duration of your trip. Meals happen at the resort’s restaurants, plus one or two dinners up at Altos de Chavón, the Marina or Minitas Beach. Golf happens on resort. A private boat day-trip to Saona or Catalina may feature, but it leaves from the Marina, so a road vehicle is irrelevant.
In practice, this describes most Caribbean Paradise Homes guests. A cart covers every internal journey. The airport transfer is handled by your villa concierge and you do not need a vehicle on property.
2. When a cart plus an occasional taxi or driver works
You want to do one or two off-property excursions — a day trip to Santo Domingo (about a 90-minute drive each way), a shopping run into La Romana town, or dinner at a restaurant off the resort. Importantly, you do not need a rental car for this. A private driver booked through your villa concierge is faster, cheaper for a single day, and removes the parking and navigation problem.
A driver to Santo Domingo and back costs in the region of US$220–$280 for the day in 2026, depending on vehicle and waiting time. That is a one-off, not a recurring cost. A rental car booked for the same trip from La Romana airport will cost roughly $50–$80 per day plus fuel, plus insurance, plus the access fee for the car to enter the resort, plus parking — and you still need a cart for inside the gates.
3. When a rental car genuinely makes sense
There are three scenarios:
- You are based in La Romana but staying off-resort, and visiting Casa de Campo® as a day guest.
- You are planning four or more off-property excursions over a long stay (two-plus weeks).
- You are doing a Dominican Republic road trip that starts or ends at Casa de Campo® and continues onward (Las Terrenas, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo) for multiple days.
For everyone else, however, a rental car is a cost without a clear use. The fuel pumps inside the resort exist for residents and staff. The petrol stations outside the gates are a short cart-drive away if you ever needed one, which you will not.
What’s Included With Your Villa — and What Isn’t
This is where the guidance from competitors becomes unhelpful. Every villa is different. In short, there are three patterns to know.
- Villas that include a cart – Some Caribbean Paradise Homes villas include one cart (occasionally two) in the rental rate at no additional charge. This is most common with larger villas. Always check the included-amenities list on the villa page, or ask the team to confirm before booking.
- Villas that include a cart only in certain seasons or packages – A second pattern: the cart is included with the villa during low season (May–November), but charged in high season when demand is higher.
- Villas where the cart is always an add-on – The third pattern: the villa rate is exclusive of the cart, and you book it separately. This is the most common arrangement on property and the one most guests will encounter.
In all three cases, your Caribbean Paradise Homes concierge handles the booking. The operator delivers the cart to the villa before arrival — parked under the cart bay, charged and ready. You will not deal with a counter, a paper form or a deposit unless you are renting outside the villa workflow.
What a Golf Cart Actually Costs at Casa de Campo® in 2026
This is the question competitor sites will not answer directly. Here are the real numbers.
- Standard four-seater carts – A standard four-seater electric cart from an independent operator on property — rents for US$75–$95 per day in 2026, depending on operator, season and rental length. Weekly rates bring the daily price down meaningfully — typical weekly rates land in the $450–$550 per week range for a four-seater.
- Six-seater and larger carts – Six-seater carts (two front, four rear, useful for families and groups) run US$95–$125 per day, with weekly rates around $650–$780.
- Premium and customised carts – A small number of villas offer upgraded carts — leather seats, premium sound systems, golf-bag racks, lifted suspension. These rent in the $150–$200 per day range and tend to be tied to specific villas rather than available as a standalone booking.
- What is and isn’t included – Standard rental includes the cart and charging cable. Standard rental does not cover damage — a damaged cart is a real cost, often $500 or more, and worth flagging with your travel insurance.
Cart Rules, Age Limits and What Guests Get Wrong
The rules are simple but enforced. Get them wrong and the resort will charge you.
- Minimum age to drive: 16 – The minimum age to operate a golf cart at Casa de Campo® is 16. On the golf courses themselves the rule is stricter — players or accompanying guests under 17 cannot drive a cart on the course. The resort actively monitors this. If staff observe a child under 16 operating a cart, the resort adds a US$100 fine to your hotel bill and must be settled at check-out. This rule trips up families with teenagers used to driving carts at home or at private clubs. Brief them on arrival.
- Who can drive the cart – The cart rental contract names authorised operators — typically the guest who signed for it, their spouse and named members of their travel party. You cannot lend the cart to other guests, staff, drivers or visitors. Valet parking and emergency moves are the only exceptions.
Alcohol, lights and where you can drive
- Alcohol – The cart is a vehicle. Driving under the influence is a violation of the rental agreement and Dominican Republic law. The resort takes this seriously. If you are eating an evening out at the Marina or Altos de Chavón and plan to drink, take the cart there with a designated driver, or ask the concierge to arrange a return shuttle.
- Where you can drive – You can drive on all cart paths and most resort access roads. You cannot drive on Highway 4 (which runs along the southern edge of the property), on the Pete Dye courses themselves outside of an active round, or on Altos de Chavón’s interior cobblestone streets — there is a cart parking area at the top of the village.
- Headlights, seatbelts and night driving – Carts have headlights and rear lights. Use them after sunset (around 7pm year-round in the DR). The law does not require seatbelts in carts, but most newer carts have them — use them with children. Carts are slow, but the cart paths are dark, share use with cyclists and runners, and have unmarked speed bumps.
Driving Distances at Casa de Campo®
The single best argument for the cart-only approach is the actual geography. Once you see how short the journeys are, the rental-car case dissolves.
- Marina to Minitas Beach: 6–8 minutes by cart
- Marina to Hotel: 4–5 minutes
- Marina to Altos de Chavón: 8–10 minutes
- Hotel to Teeth of the Dog course: 3–4 minutes
- Hotel to Dye Fore course: 10–12 minutes (the courses sit further north on property)
- Most villas to nearest restaurant: under 5 minutes
- Furthest villa to the Marina: 12–15 minutes maximum
The longest cart journey you will make on resort is the trip to Dye Fore, and it is still inside fifteen minutes. Moreover, a rental car would not meaningfully reduce any of these times — the paths are cart-only or shared use, and the gate system funnels road vehicles through specific access points.
Casa de Campo Golf Carts: Charging, Range and Practicalities
Casa de Campo® carts are mostly electric. Range on a full charge is typically 25–40 kilometres of mixed driving — comfortable for a full day of moving around the resort. Your villa has a charging port in the cart bay. Finally, the protocol is straightforward: plug it in when you park for the night.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a driving licence to drive a golf cart at Casa de Campo®? You do not need to present a driving licence for the rental itself, but the resort treats the cart as a vehicle and the same general standards apply — sober, age 16 or over, no children driving. Insurance providers typically require a valid licence in the case of any claim.
- Can children ride in a cart? Yes. Children of any age can be passengers. Hold infants and toddlers — there are no car seats designed for carts — and keep children seated rather than standing on the floor. The age restriction applies only to driving.
- Are golf carts safe for night driving? Yes, with the headlights on. The cart paths are dark at night and shared with pedestrians, so drive slowly, particularly around the hotel, Marina and Altos de Chavón. Most accidents happen at speed near restaurants and clubs.
- How many people fit in a cart? Four-seater carts fit four adults comfortably with a small bag. Six-seater carts fit six adults or four adults and two children plus golf bags. For groups of seven or more, book two carts — it is cheaper than upgrading to a non-standard vehicle.
- Can I take the cart off resort to La Romana town? No. Carts are not road-legal outside the resort gates. La Romana town is a 15-minute drive from the resort entrance and requires a car, taxi or private driver.
- What happens if the cart breaks down or gets damaged? Mechanical failure: the operator replaces the cart, usually within the hour. Damage: depending on severity, you will be charged for the repair against a deposit or against the credit card on file. This is where travel insurance matters — confirm cart damage is covered before you arrive.
Related Reading
- Casa de Campo Villa Rental: What’s Actually Included — what comes with a villa beyond the cart
- Casa de Campo Access Fee Explained — the resort access fee, applied per guest per night
- Casa de Campo Golf Guide: All Three Pete Dye Courses Compared] — and what to know about course-specific cart rules
Book a Villa With the Cart Sorted
When you book through Caribbean Paradise Homes the cart is arranged before you arrive — included in the rate where applicable, organised through the concierge where not. Browse villas for your 2026 dates and the team will confirm cart inclusion at quote.