Vital Information - Transportation - Getting Around Cuba

AIR

• Most Cuban cities have an airport
• Cuba’s state-owned airlines have a monopoly
• Flights are often booked up weeks in advance, especially in peak season

BUS

• Víazul (www.viazul.cu) and Transtur (www.transtur.cu) are the tourist buses for foreigners
• Víazul tourist buses connect major cities and resorts
• The state agency Omnibus Nacionales (formerly Astro) operates all interprovincial services linking cities throughout the island. These buses are off-limits to foreigners, except for students attending Cuban institutions

CAR

• There are no restrictions on where you can go with a car
• To drive in Cuba, you must be 21 years or older an hold an international driver’s license (IDL) obtainable through automobile association offices worldwide (in the U.S. www.aaa.com)
• Traffic drives on the right
• Speed limits are vigorously enforced
• Cars are in short supply and roads are full of hazards

TAXIS

• Cubataxi
  • Operates radio-dispatched turistaxis
  • Since 2011, taxi drivers have leased the vehicles from the state
  • Few taxi drivers use their meters and most now negotiate a fare
• Peso Taxis
  • Since 2009 these peso-only taxis have been permitted to carry foreigners
  • The workhorses are colectivos (also called máquinas or almendros)– shared cabs that pick up anyone who flags them down
  • They run along fixed routes and charge fares similar to the local buses and usually take as many passengers as they can cram in
• Private Cabs
  • These were legalized in 2009
  • They can be anything from Ladas to Audis
  • The fare is negotiable, agree on it before getting in and make sure you know if it is one-way or round trip
• Coco-Taxis
  • These bright yellow motorized tricycles look like scooped-out Easter eggs on wheels
• Bici-Taxis
  • The Cuban version of the rickshaw
  • They offer a cheap way of getting around and sightseeing
  • Always negotiate a fare before starting off
• Coches
  • These horse-drawn cabs are a staple of local transport
  • They operate along fixed routes and usually charge 1-3 pesos, depending on the distance

Article by Faith Hutson