Taxi in Cuba - prices and rules. Transfer on your own

Havana and Varadero are among the most popular resorts in Cuba. Many vacationers want to visit both cities during their vacation. The settlements are connected by a direct Viazul bus. By public transport, Havana - Varadero can be reached in 3-3.5 hours. The first flight departs at 06:00, the last at 17:30. How much does it cost to travel from Havana to Varadero? Approximate price: 10 dollars. The bus is equipped with air conditioning, TV, toilet.

If you want to diversify your trip, take the train to Matanzas first. There, board a bus that will take you to your final destination. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Matanzas. Trains depart every 30 minutes. The bus will take you there in an hour.

If you plan to be on the Varadera beaches as soon as possible, use a taxi. You can also book a transfer from Havana to Varadero with Kiwitaxi.

Taxi from Havana to Varadero

Despite the conveniences of Cuban public transport described above, taxis are a more comfortable means of transportation around the island. There are tourist and local taxis in the country.

Tourist is more comfortable and expensive. It is equipped with a radiotelephone and air conditioning. You can pay in dollars. The company operator controls the trip, so it is relatively safe.

Local taxis are usually cheap, but driving such cars is not very pleasant. Most often these are old Soviet cars: Moskvich, Zhiguli. Many private owners do not have licenses and insurance, while transfer drivers always have them.

It is easy to distinguish between public and private taxis. The first ones have blue license plates, the second ones have yellow ones. Officials place the “Taxi” sign on the hood, roof or glass.

One kilometer of travel is usually equal to 1 dollar. The distance between Cuban resorts is about 140 km. It is easy to calculate that the average price of a taxi from Havana to Varadero is $140. However, you will have to pay extra for a large amount of luggage or passengers, as well as for boarding and waiting.

You can bargain with private owners and reduce the price. You will only be able to find out exactly how much a taxi costs from Havana to Varadero upon arrival at your destination.

Transfer from Havana to Varadero

Transfer Havana – Varadero is the most convenient and safest way to travel. Kiwitaxi will provide first-class cars that are no more than seven years old. The transfer interiors are perfectly clean, the seats are new, and the upholstery is smoke-free.

Anyone can find out in advance how much a transfer from Havana to Varadero costs. All information is presented on the website. The amount is fixed and will not change after booking. The cost of an individual transfer Havana – Varadero depends on the class of the selected car. The transfer catalog includes economy, premium and business class cars.

It is better to book a transfer in advance, at least 16 hours before the trip. Payment is made on the website. You can use rubles, dollars or euros. If you decide to first pay only part of the transfer cost, the rest of the amount must be handed over to the driver. If you encounter any difficulties when booking a transfer or have questions, you can contact the support service at any time.

The cost of the transfer is not much different from the tariffs of taxi drivers. In some cases it will be even lower.

Don't forget to indicate the need for child car seats in your application. Only in this case will there be special protection for children in the transfer.

About the route Havana - Varadero

The cities are 140 km apart from each other. You can get there by transfer or taxi in 1 hour 50 minutes. The condition of the track is decent, the roads are smooth. Along the way, you can enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as admire the streets of Matanzas and other Cuban cities through which you will pass.

Local in Varadero

Moscow–Varadero: direct flights and flights via Havana.

When you plan to travel to a country on your own, in this case to Cuba, the most expensive purchases are air travel and hotel accommodation. Therefore, I approached the purchase of an air ticket to Cuba very carefully: I monitored prices from different airlines, followed promotions and discounts, signed up to send cheap tickets from aviasales.ru , was waiting for charter flights.
As a result, I bought an air ticket to Cuba on the route Irkutsk-Moscow-Havana-Moscow-Irkutsk for only 57 thousand rubles, which by Irkutsk standards, taking into account the expensive flight to Moscow, is very cheap.

You can get to Varadero in Cuba as follows: direct flight Moscow – Varadero , and through Havana.

Direct flight Moscow-Varadero it takes the same amount of time as a Moscow-Havana flight, but such flights do not always happen. For example, Nordwind Airlines (North Wind Airlines) has charter flights in the Moscow-Varadero direction.
You can navigate prices and availability of direct flights from Moscow to Varadero using the low price calendar:

You can get from Moscow to Varadero via Havana.
If you compare the prices for flights Moscow-Varadero and Moscow-Havana, the difference can be more than 10 thousand rubles in favor of a flight to Havana.

Flight over Varadero)

You will find all the information about how to find accommodation when arriving in Havana, book accommodation in Havana in advance, and about transfers from Havana airport to the city in the article
If you are not going to stay in Havana and immediately want to go to Varadero then...

How to get from Havana airport to Varadero on your own.

The distance from Havana to Varadero is 134 km.
Travel from Havana to Varadero You can travel on your own by using the Viasul intercity bus. In general, it is cheaper to travel around Cuba by these buses than by taxi or shared taxi. Buses have a convenient schedule, and bus stations are located only in Havana, far from the center, and for example in Varadero, Trinidad, Santa Clara, etc. right in the city.
The fare to Varadero from Havana is 9.5 cookies (which is equal to 9.5 euros). Travel time – 3 hours.
Intercity buses from Havana to Varadero run several times a day. Bus schedule - screenshot from the official website of Viasul):

Bus schedule from Havana to Varadero (screenshot from the Viazul website page)

Transfer Havana-Varadero, taxi prices from Havana to Varadero.

Transfer prices from Havana to Varadero range around 150 CUC. If you catch a taxi collectively, then this cost is divided among all passengers. Approximately 25 cookies per person in a 6-seater car.
You can catch taxis and shared taxis in the central square in Havana or near the Viazul bus terminal, as well as at Havana airport.
You can order a transfer from Havana to Varadero in advance through the service Kiwi taxi .
You can book a Havana-Varadero transfer or find out the price using this form:

Excursions to Varadero: Cayo Blanco island and swimming with dolphins.

When vacationing in Varadero, travel companies offer a variety of excursions. We liked an excursion to an island in the Atlantic Ocean - Cayo Blanco. In principle, the island will not be something outlandish for sophisticated travelers. An ordinary island, white sand, emerald water.

Cayo Blanco island, the sky was gloomy, and eventually it started raining)

The excursion lured us with the opportunity to swim with dolphins.
However, we were very disappointed with how things turned out.
And so, they take you to the island on a comfortable catamaran.

Catamaran in Marina Marlin Bay, Varadero

Drinks and snacks are included in the price of the excursion. First, as with all sea excursions in countries located near seas and oceans, the first stop is at a coral reef. Everyone is given masks and snorkels.
If you have been to the Red Sea in Egypt, then you will most likely be disappointed with snorkeling off the coast of Varadero. Compared to the flora and fauna of the Red Sea, the Atlantic Ocean (at least in this part - near Varadero) is greatly inferior. However, there are still colorful fish.

Next is the announced swimming with dolphins. We bought this excursion just for this pleasure.
The price for an excursion from Varadero to Cayo Blanco is 110 CUC (110 euros). If you do not swim with dolphins, the price of the excursion will be lower - 80 CUC.
On excursion brochures, photographs of this attraction look something like this:

me and a dolphin, and no one around) And if it weren’t for the life jacket, then one could say that this was a chance meeting in the ocean)

In reality, everything is much simpler - like this.

Mini-aquarium and trained dolphin)

A couple of trained dolphins swim in this mini-dolphinarium and free swimming with them is prohibited. It’s also not possible to take photographs, since there are a lot of people and everyone stands in a line with their backs to the pier. There is a professional photographer working on site who, for 10 cookies (10 euros), is ready to photograph you without other people. The trainer will give commands, the dolphin will perform (for example, lie on the palm of your hand) and the photographer will photograph how you supposedly hold the dolphin. The photographs will be ready in the evening of the same day and they will be delivered to you directly to the hotel or to the private office.
Ride a dolphin for 10 seconds (one tiny circle) - 10 cookies. Only in this case does it become possible to take photos yourself. Otherwise, you need to order a photographer.

An indescribable feeling, of course, but I didn’t have time to enjoy the process in 10 seconds)

Lunch on Cayo Blanco

The excursion to Cayo Blanca begins from the very beautiful Marlin Marina bay. We were a little envious of those who lived at the BLAU VARADERO hotel - they immediately ran from the catamaran to their rooms to relax after such an eventful journey across the expanses of the Atlantic) And we went to the center of Varadero, since we rented accommodation from the locals.

Excursion from Varadero to Havana: book your own tour of Havana.

Having arrived in Cuba on your own, you can book excursions at the offices of the CUBA TOUR company. In Varadero, the Cuba Tour office is located in a shopping center located right in the center of Varadero. This is one of the largest travel companies in Cuba. But small local travel agencies also sell excursions to Havana.
Attention! If you buy a tour to Varadero from a travel agency, it will be in either English or Spanish.
A tour of Havana with a Russian-speaking guide can be ordered from local residents:

You can go on an excursion to Havana on your own, without a travel agency. Walk along the streets of Old and New Havana or take a tour bus (omnibus), which departs every 15 minutes from the central square in Havana. The cost of such an excursion is 10 cookies per person. The bus runs to the sights of Havana. You can leave and enter throughout the day using one ticket. The audio guide tells about Havana in English.

Architecture of Old Havana

Varadero-Havana

2) by taxi. Prices start from 150 CUC.

3) by taxi collectively. Price 25 CUC per person based on 6 beds.
You can catch taxis and collective taxis near the Viazul bus terminal in Varadero or on the main street of Varadero.

I wish you a wonderful holiday on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Sincerely, Katya Bashkurova.
I would be glad if you share your impressions or your experience of vacationing in Cuba in the comments.

local population on Varadero beach, Cuba

Cuba cannot boast of comfortable, convenient and developed public transport, so one of the most popular means of transportation in Cuba is a taxi. Like Cuban money, taxis on the island are divided into tourist and local.

Tourist cabs are equipped with air conditioning and a radiotelephone. Payment for the trip is taken in dollars. A trip in such a taxi is safe, since the movement of the vehicle is controlled by the operator. A local taxi is cheaper, and you can catch it on the street, but the car in such a taxi is old, worn out, and no one will give a guarantee of safety.

In Cuba, you will meet retro cars that carry tourists, these cars are of various colors and brands - from American cars of the 50s of the last century to Soviet Zhiguli and Moskvich cars.

Types of taxis in Cuba

In 2008, all state-owned cab companies were united under one brand, Cubataxi, but the companies transport passengers under the old names. There are three state-owned companies operating in the taxi business in Cuba: Cubanacan, Turistaxi, and Panataxi.

The Cubanacan company provides tourists with a Mercedes car, but the cost of the trip will be rather high. A trip in Japanese small cars from the Turistaxi company is also an expensive travel option. Expensive pleasures of traveling around Cuban cities include trips in cars of the Transgaviota and Taxi OK companies.

Only in the capital of Cuba, the cheapest taxi “Panataxi” carries passengers through its streets. You can recognize him by his familiar Lada. Not every tourist can afford a ride in an old Grancar Chevrolet: you will have to pay up to 30 cookies for an hour of travel. The Cocotaxi company transports local passengers in black and yellow cars, and visitors in yellow cars.

There is also the so-called national taxi “Colectivos”. His trip price is fixed: 10 pesos. This company operates American cars, Zhiguli and Moskvich. Bicycle taxis "Bicitaxi" are not allowed to carry tourists, but it seems that no one pays attention to this ban.

A trip around the cities of the country, along the streets of big cities, can take place by bicycle taxi, or by car in the form of a capsule, or by horse-drawn cart.

What is the difference between a Cuban state taxi and a private one?

The difference between a state cab and a private one is very simple: state cabs have blue license plates, private cabs have yellow license plates. And the colors of the cars are represented in all shades of the rainbow. Colorful, bright colors are also loved among taxi drivers. The taxi sign can be attached to the glass, on the roof, or on the hood.

There are also shared taxis on the island. You can team up with your hotel guests and order station wagon buses or minibuses to travel to the sights of the country.

Special buses run in resort areas. You pay for travel on them once, and then you can get off at the stop you need, then get on a similar bus again, as many times as you like.

Post-instructions on how to get from Havana Airport in Cuba to Havana and the most popular resort on the island - Varadero.

• Havana airport code: HAV
• International airport name: Jose Marti International Airport
• Airport address: Avenida Nguyen Van Troi, Boyeros, La Habana, Cuba
• Local time: GMT -5
• Opening hours: 24 hours a day
• Visa: A visa to Cuba for Russians and Belarusians is not required when staying on the island for no more than 30 days. Citizens of Ukraine must obtain a visa to visit Cuba. A passport for visiting Cuba is valid for at least 1 month from the end of the trip. When arriving in Cuba, you must fill out a migration card in two copies.
• Currency of Cuba: Cuban peso, 1 peso = 100 centavos. Current exchange rate: 1 Cuban peso = 0.03 US dollars or 2.2 rubles. You can safely change money at the airport, because... the rate is the same everywhere.
• Date of construction of the airport: 1930
• Passenger turnover at Havana Airport: more than 4 million passengers
• Airfare Moscow – Havana: from 390 US dollars roundtrip
• Regular Aeroflot flights from Moscow fly from Russia to Havana airport.
• Location of Havana airport: Cuba island, 11 km south of Havana
• Distance to resorts: Havana Airport - Varadero 170 km
• Airport phone: (53 7) 266 4644 / (53 7) 33 5777
• Weather at Havana Airport throughout the year: the hottest months and the warmest sea are from July to September (average air temperature: +30 +32 °C, average water temperature: +30 °C), the coldest and windiest months are from January to March (average air temperature: + 25 +27 °С)
• Services at the airport Havana: ATMs, post office, currency exchange offices, paid Internet, smoking areas, offices of travel agencies and tour operators, car rental offices, taxi stand, VIP lounge, pharmacy, elevators, playroom for children, rum and cigarette shop, restaurants, cafeterias . The airport does not have luggage storage, hotel or free internet access.
• Beaches closest to the airport: Playa de Este (42 km from the airport), Playa de Jaimanitas (22 km from the airport)

Brief description of the airport

José Martí International Airport in Havana is the largest international airport on the island of liberty and a hub for Cuban airlines Cubana de Aviación. The airport connects Cuba with other Caribbean islands, the USA and Latin America, as well as Europe. The airport in Havana is the only airport in Cuba with regular direct flights from Russia. Travel time Moscow – Havana is 13 hours, flights depart every day.

Havana Airport Terminals

Havana Airport has 4 passenger terminals and 1 cargo terminal.

• Terminal 1 – Domestic flights within Cuba
• Terminal 2 – charter flights from the USA
• Terminal 3 – international flights (including flights from Russia)
• Terminal 5 – flights from the Caribbean

Shuttle buses run between individual terminals.

Among the most popular ways to travel from Havana airport to the center and resorts are bus, taxi, shuttle, and rental car.

Shuttle bus

This travel option is available to those who have purchased a package tour with transfer to their resort. When leaving the airport terminal, you will be greeted by a representative from your tour operator who will tell you which bus you need to take. Some tourists who fly to Cuba on their own make arrangements with transfer guides in advance and travel to their hotel on a bus with other tourists for 25-30 CUC per seat.

Bus to Havana and Varadero

There are no direct comfortable buses from the airport to the center of Havana. Local buses depart from Terminal 1, but fares are charged in Cuban pesos (CUP) rather than Cuban convertible pesos (CUC). The fact is that the money that is exchanged in exchange offices for tourists is the Cuban convertible peso, created specifically for the tourism sector and currency shops. Residents of the country make payments in Cuban pesos.

Some tourists get sophisticated and go from the airport to the highway, where they can wait for hours for a city bus P12 or P16 to get to Havana on a budget. The fare for this bus is 10 pesos for an adult and 5 pesos for a child. The operating hours of the route are approximate, even airport staff may not know it - from approximately 6 am to 21 pm. However, for me, searching for such a bus and waiting for it for a long time in the heat is a dubious pleasure, especially after a many-hour transatlantic flight.

To get to Varadero, you will first need to take a taxi to the bus station in Havana. The address of the bus station in Havana from which buses depart: Ave. 26 y Zoológico, Nuevo Vedado. Buses on the most popular route - Havana - Varadero - run 4 times a day. Travel time is 3 hours, ticket price is 10 US dollars. In Varadero, the bus station is located at Calle 36 y Autopista. Bus tickets are available for sale online at Viazul.com or at the ticket office at the bus station. In addition to Viazul buses, Cuba also has a budget bus carrier, Astro Bus.

Car rental

All rental companies at Havana Airport are located in the arrivals area or near the parking lot. In Terminal 3 there are offices of local car rental companies Cubacar, Rex, Havanautos and Via Transgaviota. It is recommended to book a car in advance, because... During high season, demand for rental cars often exceeds supply. Depending on the time of year and class of car, prices vary from 50 to 125 CUC per day. It is obligatory to purchase insurance at a cost of 15 cookies per day.

It only makes sense to rent a car at the airport if you are going straight from the airport to your resort. If you want to first explore the capital - Havana - then you will not need a car. In this case, you can rent it later in the capital itself.

Travel time by car from Havana Airport: 30 minutes to Havana, 1 hour to Playa de Este, 2 hours to Varadero. On the roads of Cuba you can often see Russian cars from the 1950s: Zils, Ladas, Muscovites. Traffic is not too busy. By car you can reach the most remote corners of Cuba and will not depend on public transport. For example, to the popular Russian hotels Iberostar, Amigo Atlantico, Brisas del Caribe.

If you don’t want to drive yourself, you can book an individual excursion with a driver around the entire island, which will take into account all your wishes.

Taxi transfer from Havana airport

Airport transfer is one of the most convenient ways to get to your resort or hotel. Local taxis can be taken from the stands located in front of all terminals. A taxi ride from the airport to the center of Havana takes approximately 20-30 minutes and costs 20-25 CUC (equivalent to 20-25 USD) one way. Always agree on the cost of the trip in advance, because... Although some taxis are equipped with meters, they are rarely turned on. Please note that taxis for locals are different from taxis for tourists. They are not equipped with air conditioning, broken and not always clean. But the fare for them is very low. There are now fewer and fewer rare taxi cars in Cuba, and orange modern Hyundai and Skoda taxi cars drive from the airport to the city.

Offered INDIVIDUAL And EXCLUSIVE Transfers to the main tourist Provinces and Resorts of Cuba per company up to TWO-THREE person in one car (depending on the presence of a guide-interpreter in the car).

You can find the list of VEHICLES on the website page–

Each transfer includes the rental of a standard passenger car, driver services and fuel costs . If you are interested in a specific RETRO Car, minibus, jeep, the cost and terms of the transfer will be agreed upon additionally.
Transfers DO NOT INCLUDE entry fees to the territory of Nature Reserves, Parks, Paid Beaches, Islands and other expenses.

If you are interested in ordering another Transfer along the route you specified, which is not on the list, the cost and conditions of the transfer will be agreed upon additionally.

YOU CAN ORDER THE SERVICES OF A GUIDE-TRANSLATOR-ASSISTANT for ANY NUMBER OF HOURS, according to YOUR SCHEDULE, for ANY TIME, to solve YOUR VARIOUS TASKS ANYWHERE IN CUBA based on the following prices and conditions:

1 hour of work 15 CUC during the day and 20 CUC at night, minimum 5 hours of work, maximum 15 hours of consecutive work by ONE specialist during the day.

The cost and conditions for the provision of CONSULTANT servants are discussed INDIVIDUALLY.

In order to order a Transfer, write a request to our mailbox indicated On the page -

HAVANA.

1. Havana International Airport Jose Marti – Havana – 35-40 km. – from 45 CUC
The transfer price includes a Russian-speaking guide waiting for you at the airport in a car with a driver, assistance at the airport on all issues, including exchanging money, travel to the apartment or Hotel in Havana, solving all issues regarding check-in (professional translation, issuing keys, other organizational issues and initial consultations upon arrival in Cuba)

The cost of this transfer depends on the length of time you wait at the Airport (flight delay, delay in baggage claim, etc.), as well as on the Type of car (meeting in a vintage car is agreed upon additionally.

2. Havana – Varadero – 160-180 km. – 140 CUC

3. Havana International Airport. Jose Marti – Varadero – 200-220 km. – 170 CUC
The transfer price includes a Russian-speaking guide waiting for you at the airport in a car with a driver, assistance at the airport on all issues, including exchanging money, transportation to the apartment or Hotel in Varadero.

4. Havana – Pinar Del Rio – 150 km – 120 CUC
5. Havana – Vinales – 170 km – 130 CUC
6. Havana – Soroa – 110 km – 110 CUC
7. Havana – Trinidad – 250 km – 190 CUC
8. Havana – Holguin – 350 km – 260 CUC
9. Havana – Cienfuegos – 220 km – 150 CUC
10. Havana – Santiago de Cuba – 1050 km – 450 CUC

PINAR DEL RIO.
1. Pinar Del Rio – Maria la Gorda – 250 km – 190 CUC
2. Pinar Del Rio – Vinales – 40 km – 70 CUC
3. Pinar Del Rio – Soroa – 60 km – 90 CUC
3. Pinar Del Rio – Cayo Jutias – 160 km – 130 CUC

TRINIDAD
1. Trinidad – TOPES De COLLANTES National Park – 80 km – 110 CUC
2. Trinidad – ANCON Beach – 40 km – 50 CUC

CIENFUEGOS
1. Cienfuegos – JARDIN BOTANICO Botanical Garden – 50 km – 90 CUC
2. Cienfuegos – RANCHO LUNA Beach – 40 km – 70 CUC

SANTIAGO DE CUBA
1. Santiago De Cuba – BOCONAO Beach – 110 km – 120 CUC
2. Santiago De Cuba – Pre HISTORIA Park – 80 km – 90 CUC
3. Santiago De Cuba – JUAN GONZALEZ Beach – 40 km – 50 CUC