Cuba-Junky | Transportations, bus, train, carhire rental

Transportation in Cuba

Traveling around Cuba
When going to Cuba with the intention of traveling the whole or a part of the Island on your own; prepare yourself with a good map, a good guidebook and visit good discussion boards on the Internet like the Lonely Planet Thorntree, where people can give you advice on how to plan your vacation.
Remind Cuba is a HUGE island of 1200 km (745 miles) long

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Renting a car
You have to overthink a few things before you decide driving in Cuba.
Be in time if you want to make a reservation on forehand. Cuba does not have enough cars during high season (Dec/Jan/Feb and July/August) besides this, most car rental agencies have to ask availability in Cuba by email which takes time, sometimes even weeks.

Renting a car in Cuba is expensive but the other side is you can stop where you wanna stop and have all the time for your own, its well worth the money.

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Gas and Gas Stations:
Cupet-Cimex and Oro Negro, are the regular gas stations, at good Cuban road maps, these stations are marked. Take good notice of this, because the autopista is not overwelmed with Cupets Gas Stations!
Fill up your tank FULL with gas if you are intended to drive a long distance, do not think there will be another gas station within the next 50 km.
A good roadmap like the Guia Carretera shows all the gas stations along the road, but even then, don't count on it.

Roads
The Central Highway (Carretera Central) is the most important communication axis of the country. It joins the main urban centers all along and to the center of the Isle and it is connected with other main ways such as the National Freeway, the Monimental, Via Blanca, La Farola, etc. It is a narrow way with two lanes and it was built in the thirties

The National Highway, even more modern, connects the western part of the country, all along the Isle to Ciego de Avila, located in the center of the country and near the eastern part of the country. It is most rapid, modern and wide way, provided with several lanes. However, it doesn't get to the eastern provinces of the country. It extends all through the south center of the island. It is a wide way, with 6 and 8 lanes and it was built in the seventies

And once again ...
Don't forget that Cuba is about 1200 km (745 miles) long!
La Isla Grande remember ...

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Your highway guide
We have created 12 pages on how to drive best around Cuba. Routes from one city to the other and what to see on the way.
Check out the print friendly version of this handy document, print it out and take it with you to Cuba.

- Highway Guide >>

Viazul bus

Most easy and cheapest to go around Cuba is by the Viazul Bus
A hyper modern airconditioned bus with video and toilet
For a good price you can travel between all the big cities of Cuba p.a. a ride from Havana to Varadero will cost you 10 cuc.
One suggestion is to bring a sweater because it can be a bit chilly inhere.

Make your reservation a day before your departure by phone, online through their website, or just go to the busstation.

- Viazul website >>

Astro bus
The regular National public transportation
Cubans will pay with CUP, foreigners in CUC

This bus drives all over the island, a bit cheaper than the Viazul Bus but less comfertable and reliable.
The Astro bus has a few places for tourists per bus!

Since 2005 The old Astro bus is replaced by this new bus above (see picture) These busses come from China.
We do not have a schedule from the Astro bus, if anyone is able to help us please send it to info@cuba-junky.com

Train
Since the last years the Cuban railways bought French first class airconditioned trains. Train schedules in Cuba are not reliable, you have to have some patience. I must say it is a real Cuban experience to go through Cuba by train, in specific for train fans, back-packers, and people who love to mingle with locals.

The nr 1 and 2 trains from Havana to Santiago de Cuba v.v is 4 hours faster than the Viazul Bus!
Remind that all other trains besides the number 1 and number 2 are never on time

- Train timetables >>

Domestic flights
Yeah, sounds scary, a domestic flight in Cuba :)

But its ok, you can easily take a flight within Cuba. I personally only have heard of one crash with an excursion flight from Cayo Coco to Trinidad area in 2004

Taking a domestic flight saves you a lot of time to go p.a. from Havana to Santiago de Cuba. Besides this, if you would like to go to Cayo Largo you have no choice and have to take a domestic flight simply because there is no ferry transfer to this part of Cuba

Flights on Cuba-Junky are ready for purchase and will be confirmed instantly. Via Cuba-Junky flights can be booked 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The entire booking process only has 5 simple steps and can take as little as 5 minutes.

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Public transportation
How Cubans move from one place to the other ...
"No es facil", the Cubans used to say when these kind of topics come up.

All the drivers of cars who are owned by the state of Cuba (blue and light red) have to take all hitch-hikers with them, after they finish work. Can be (empty) tourist busses as well the trucks.
That's why you see alot of hitch-hikers standing next to the road on the autopista or at crossroads in the inlands.

To be sure of a fast ride people bring all kinds of merchandise like garlic, chickens, money, cheese ... everything they can trade to get a fast ride.
The perfect solution when a country as Cuba has a terrible public transportation like busses and trains.

Remind that by Cuban law, a Cuban without a taxi-licencee is NOT allowed to take you, a foreigner, with them in their car. Not even when it is your best friend.
Of course you will meet Cubans who want to drive you to where-ever, but it is not allowed. The risk you take is that when the police stops you, the driver gets a fine and you have to out of the car, even when it is in the middle of no-where!

Does there exists a ferry from ... to Cuba ???

NO!
There is no such thing as a ferry service from Cancun or whatever country to Cuba.
Yes, there is a company who has daytrips from Jamaica to Cuba by boat, but this company does not take passengers for just a transport to Cuba.

One of the ferries that do exist is the ferry in Havana to Regla neigborhood, see the picture.

Cuban numberplates
Cuban cars have different colored numberplates, these numberplates tell who is the owner of the car, where he comes from. Handy for you foreigner to know that yours will be red and starts with a T so people can see you are a tourist.

Yellow
Private Car

Dark Red -
Beginning with a "T" (tourismo) is a rented Car

Orange
Second letter a K is a car of a foreigner working in Cuba

Light Orange
Managers and important people, free gasoline

Light Red
State own, have to return after working hours

Blue
State own, can go home after working hours

White
Officials / ministery

Black
Embassy

Green
Army

Light Green
Interior ministery

Camel bus
Public transportation in "La Habana"
More then 300 people are fitting in this bus, but for the real Cuban experience you most try at least once, take care of your belongings

* Since June 2008 the camel busses in Havana are replaced by new Chinese busses

Bike rent
I only know of one address where you can rent a bike in Cuba ...

Edificio Metropolitano
San Juan de Dios
esq. Aguacate, Habana Vieja
Tel: 53- 7 - 860 8532
Costs about 12 cuc a day
btw; they have better bikes than the picture shows :)

But ... I recommend, if you want to rent for a longer period of time, bring your own bike.

Havana Airport

Airports

Aeropuerto “Ignacio Agramonte”
Aeropuertos
Camagüey
Tel: (53 322) 6-100

Cubana de Aviación office
Hotel Tryp Cayo Coco
Tel: (53 33) 30 1300. ext. 710

Aeropuerto “Carlos M. de Céspedes”
Bayamo
Tel: (53 23) 42-3695

Aeropuerto “Frank País”
Carretera Central Vía Bayamo, km. 15
Holguin
Tel: (53 24) 42-5271
Fax: (53 24) 46-2534

Aeropuerto “Antonio Maceo”
Aeropuertos
Santiago de Cuba
Tel: (53 22) 9-1014

Aeropuerto “Máximo Gómez”
Ciego de Ávila
Tel: (53 33) 3-2525 y 4-3695

Aeropuerto “Jaime González”
Carretera a Caunao,Cienfuegos
Tel: (53 432) 55-2267 y 55-2047
Fax: (53 432) 55-132

Aeropuerto “Mariana Grajales”
Aeropuertos
Guantánamo
Tel: (53 21) 3-481

Aeropuerto “Rafael Cabrera Mustelier”
Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud

International Airport “José Martí”, Avenida Van Troi, Havana
Tel: 53 - 335155

Jardines del Rey International Airport
Cayo Coco
Tel: (53 33) 30 9165

Aeropuerto “Sierra Maestra”
Manzanillo, Granma
Tel: (53 23) 5-4984

Aeropuerto de Moa
Moa
Tel: (53 24) 6-7678

Aeropuerto “Hermanos Ameijeiras”
Aeropuertos
Las Tunas
Tel: (53 31) 4-2484 y 4-290

International Airport “J.G. Gómez” , Carbonera Matanzas, Varadero
Tel: 614783

Distances in Kilometers

	Hav	Pinar	Mata	Vara	SCl	Cienf	SanS	CdA	C.C	Cama	Tuna	Holg	Baya	SandC
Havana	*
Pinar del Rio	147	*
Matanzas	98	264	*
Varadero	142	308	36	*
Santa Clara	270	425	199	194	*
Cienfuegos	256	421	197	184	55	*
Sancti Spiritus	348	513	284	279	85	150	*
Ciego de Avila	423	588	359	354	160	220	78	*
Cayo Coco	491	656	420	422	219	286	170	92	*
Camaguey	533	698	469	464	270	330	186	116	202	*
Las Tunas	657	823	594	589	395	465	310	235	327	125	*
Holguin	734	900	671	606	472	532	387	312	404	202	77	*
Bayamo	757	897	670	655	471	531	386	311	403	201	76	73	*
Santiago de Cuba	860	1025	797	792	598	658	513	438	530	328	203	134	127	*
Guantanamo	910	1075	847	842	648	708	563	498	580	378	253	132	177	86

Reviews Transportation in Cuba

- Send us your review about transportation in Cuba >>

From:
Date: June 1 2009
Country: Canada

The Viazul Scam

The guide books tell you how great Viazul buses are. How comfortable etc.

However I have to disagree.

They're as cold as ice box for a start. Any polite request that they turn down the a/c is met with a very gruff... 'No Possible'.

So you sit throughout your 15 hour overnight journey shivering. Sleep is out of the question. They love their Scarface movies and DVD's of very loud salsa bands snakehipped charmers in glittery tuxedos circa 1978 and large ladies howling at the top of their voice prohibiting at possibility of sleep.

Viazul stops every hour in ever village and town in Cuba, throughout the night this slow torture continues.

There's no pint in getting off unless you are desper4ate for the men's room since all you will find in those desolate cafes is the ineitable stale cold white bun with a sliver of plastic cheese that will stick in your gut like a lead baloon all night.

Here comes the scam. As you pull into your destination, in our case it was Varadero, you ask politely if you can be dropped off 5 minutes past the terminus as it is closer to your hotel. Sure, no problem they tell you.

What they fail to say is that they will mug you for another 10CUC once they hop off to retrieve your bag.

The 10CUC is swiftly stashed in their pocket. A nice little earner when you consider how many they try this on with during the Santiago to Havana journey.

The charmer who drives the bus is usually accompanied by his wife who brags that her husband earns 5ive times her wage and she's a doctor in Havana. I can believe it if he pulls this scam each night. Little wonder his doctor wife can take time off work to accompany hubby on his long overnight journeys.

This little charmer can be spotted snogging in the front of the bus with his doctor wife when the other driver takes over. Not snogging like a married couple I might add.

If you can find an alernative method of transport throughout Cuba I would advise it. I would not recommend Viazul to my worst enemy. The overnight journey is a particular purgatory, and the scam at the end of your journey is all you need when you are low on cash and at the end of your holiday.

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