To move yourself around Havana is easy, there are several options to do so. You do not need a rental car in Havana. Busses, legal and illegal taxis, horse drawn carriages, bicitaxi, or the cute yellow cocotaxi ... name it. They are all waiting for you to drive you around Cuba's capital Havana
Sounds very touristic and it is :)
But really worth the ride! You can hop on and hop off and see all Havana in a few hours. Great for your orientation about Cuba's capital Havana
More than 60 stops and three interesting routes from the extreme east and west of the capital to converge at the historic Plaza de la Revolución José Martí, and in Parque Central.
Price for the hop on hop off bus tour is from 5 CUC (convertible pesos) per day per person
Coco Taxi A cheap touristical way to go from one point to the other in Havana. Yellow ones are for tourists, black (with yellow) are for Cuban locals
Cubataxi Since winter 2008 all taxi companies work under one name: Cubataxi
Be aware that when the taxi has no meter make a price before you get in the taxi.
If they have a meter, at daytime the meter code is "1" at night time "4" these numbers calculate a different price per km
To make it complex, some still work under their old names: Panatax is the cheapest ... The most expensive taxis are Turistaxi, Transgaviota and Taxi OK. They are white with red signs and yellow with black signs at the side
Grancar Old Chevrolets licensed to transport tourists. You recognize the Grancar name at the side of the taxi. Expensive the price is about 30 cuc per hour!
You find these taxi's in the touristical areas of Havana city and in front of the more expensive hotels like Hotel Nacional
Horse drawn carriages
In Habana vieja you can hop on such a touristical exclusive horse drawn carriage. Romantic way to see the city but expensive. They charge about 30 cuc per tour from an hour or so.
You find lots of them in front of Hotel Inglaterra
Bicitaxi
The cheapest way to go around Habana ... 1 cuc
Officially not allowed to cary tourists but they do.
You have a chance to kicked off the taxi and walk for a few minutes if the police is close by. But around the corner you can hop on again and continue the ride.
Local Taxi in Havana; Colectivos
The old cars like Chevrolets from the '50 recognizable by their taxi signs at the front window. They ride a one way route, people stand along that route and hop in and out. The Almendrones (slang for old car) start their route at Parque Central at the corner of Prado and Neptuno.
Since Feb 2011 this taxi is also allowed to take foreigners.
The yellow with black Lada Taxi'ss, will cost you about 0,40 cuc a km. Great to deal with for longer distances ... These drivers are not alowed to pick up tourist at hotels. You will find them all over Havana.
The bus in Havana
Just the bus Gua Gua, slang for Public transportation in Havana, for the real Cuban experience you most try at least once, take care of your belongings pickpockers are common here ...
M-1 Alamar - Vedado via Fraternidad
M-2 Fraternidad - Santiago de las Vegas
M-3 Alamar - Ciudad Deprotiva
M-4 Fraternidad - San Agustin via Mianao
M-5 Vedado - San Agustin
M-6 Calvario - Vedado
M-7 Parque de la Fraternidad - Alberro via Cotorro
Bike rent in Havana
Where to rent a bicycle in Havana?
Address:
Edificio
Metropolitano,
San Juan de Dios esg. Aguacate,
Habana Vieja
Tel: 53- 7 - 860 8532
Costs
about 12 cuc a day
Astro bus
The regular National public transportation Cubans will pay with pesos, foreigners with CUC (convertible pesos)This bus drives all over the island, cheaper than the Viazul Bus but less seats for foreigners
Adress Astro bus-stations Havana: Av de la Indepencia y Calle 19 de Mayo Havana
Unfortunately we do not have time tables from the Astro bus
Viazul bus
Most easy to drive around Cuba is 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 One suggestion is to bring a sweater because it can be a bit chilly inhere
Viazul Bus Station Havana:
26th Ave. y Zoológico
Nuevo Vedado
Havana, Cuba
Tel: +53 7 811413, 815652 / 811108
Fax: +53 7 66 6092
