The transport system in Cuba is completely different to that in other countries.
Thinking of travelling by train? Forget it! There are very few tracks and those that do exist are poorly constructed, outdated and extremely slow!
The public bus service, Vía Azul, is just as bad. It is expensive, inefficient, slow and is always full.
The best mode of transport is taxi, and if you really want to save money, you can share taxis.
Taxis are the best way to get about within the different cities and also to travel from city to city, purely because it is the quickest and most efficent mode of transport out of all of your available options.
Below we have provided the contact details for various different, well priced, taxi drivers in Cuba. If you would rather search for your own driver we would suggest that:
- Get to the station of Vía-Azul early in the morning and catch a bus to the destination that you wish to travel to.
- In the queue to get your bus ticket look out for other tourists and ask them where they are going. If you are heading in the same direction and you will all fit in a car, you may be better getting a taxi.
- Looking for the driver: at all of the stations there are always many drivers therefore it will be eaiser to bargain a price with them. You have an even better chance at getting the price down if you have enough people with you to fill the car.
- Did you not manage to get the price down? Start walking back to the station. If the driver doesn´t offer you a reduced price onced you have walked about 50-100m, someone else will offer you a better deal!
As a general rule: the more modern the car is, the more expensive the taxi will be.
Your first experience in a car that is from the 50´s could be amusing, but after it is over you will not mind paying a more few dollars to be able to hear yourself when you are speaking! So if you get the chance to travel in a car that is less than 30 years old… do not hesitate… take the opportunity!
Once you have found a taxi driver that you trust and feel comfortable with, give them your number and get theirs!
Each taxi driver covers a certain zone or particular journey. therefore if you want to go somewhere else, you will have to look for an alternative driver. Don´t worry… we can help!
Below there is a list of various different contact details for trusted taxi drivers and the area that they cover.
Havana City
Lenis – 53306574 / Casa 76204906
Lenis is a very friendly guy who also offers services outside of the city of Havana. He drivers a Peugeot 207.
The car is not very big, but it is comfortable.
From Havana to Viñales or viceversa
Yereidi – 53311690 / Casa 048696817
The husband of Yereidi, who runs a B&B in Viñales has a modern car and can organise trips from Viñales to Havana and viceversa (20 CUC) and can ensure you get dropped off at a certain house or hotel. The car is a Peugeot from 1996, it is in fact the best car that I have been in whilst in Cuba, it is quiet, clean and fast!
Not only can he organise trips between Havana and Viñales but he also has contacts who have great cars that can take you to Varadero, Trinidad, Cienfuegos etc.
He is very friendly and he thinks himself to be the king of the BBQ!
Yuri – 58343645
Yuri has a black Chevrolet which can be used to travel from Havana to Viñales. He charged 17 CUC, however the car was extremely noisy, more so than a tractor! And it took us almost 3 hours to get to Viñales because we stopped for breakfast on the way!
Miguel (taxi colectivo) – 005358745398
From Viñales to Varadero we were charged 25 CUC per person. I guess this a cheap considering the car was from the 50´s!
From Varadero to Havana
Juniel – 52955259
Juniel has a very comfortable white Mercedes. He does not say that he is the best of the group, bu he offers better rates than the rest of his competitors in Varadero. He can take you from Varadero to Havana doe 20 CUC per person if you can fill all 4 seats in car.
Viñales Cayo Jutías
Rafael – 52239086
Rafael offers a day trip to Cayo Jutías, a beautiful beach near Viñales, for only 15 CUC. If you buy this at certain places, you will be charged 20 CUC. The trip will be in a russian car from the 80´s.
Almendrones
They are cars, based in Havana, that always travel down 23rd Street or the road to Capitol Hill.
The trip will usually be 10 CUC per perso (if you don´t travel across the bridge or through the tunnel). I personallu used them a lot because travelling on the buses to get to the city centre was like being in a sardine can! You can pay in CUC, but you will always loose money, and if you don´t give exactly what you owe they will take it all!
Now you already know the best ways to get around Havana, surely you will be interested in finding out more information about the excursions that are on offer in this zone.