Hotel Bookings Havana
There’s no shortage of excellent hotels in Havana and Old Havana UNESCO heritage city. Booking in advance is crucial and we offer the following link for Havana Hotels. Old Havana Hotels are easy to book most of the year. We offer you a wide range of choices and all the information needed to choose your hotel in Havana. Old Havana , with a five-century-old history rich in traditions, provides the most demanding visitors with a wide variety of accommodation facilities, ranging from big hotels run by first-line companies to small boutique hotels in Havana’s historic heart. If you want to reserve hotels in Old Havana then we offer every hotel
Hotels in other areas of Havana
Need Havana Hotels? Cuba Travel Services Havana Hotels offers gets you exclusive discounts on hotels in Havana. Our discount Havana hotels rates have been negotiated directly with all individual hotels to guarantee the lowest possible rates and the best quality.
Reserve your Havana hotels now with us… our team are waiting for you in Havana!
Cycling in Cuba
Cycling can be a great way to get around Cuba. Especially in Havana where streets like the Malecon boardwalk have wide footpaths where cycles are permitted. Old Havana and Varadero are also extremely cycle friendly venues. There are a number of international tour companies that offer guided cycling tours such as Havanatur. Some tours even take riders from Havana to Santiago de Cuba!
Various locations and hotels in Havana, Varadero, Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo rent cycles to guests, so it’s quite easy to rent a bicycle in Cuba.
Taxis in Cuba
As a tourist, the most convenient way of getting around Havana, Varadero and other cities is by taxi. Some of the taxis are old American cars from the 1950’s, others are modern taxis like Peugeots, Skodas and even Mercedes.
Tourists can ride in taxi now and not just the official government taxis. Since the relaxation of self employment laws many Cubans now are taxis. However, it is often easier to wave down one of the old Chevys or American cars from the 50s. When riding in private taxi, negotiate the fare ahead of time. The fare in private taxis will be no cheaper than the official taxi fare but you’ll probably have more fun.
Taxi collectives are the old, beaten-up American cars with a taxi sign on the roof or in the front window. Tourists take them all the time and some have been beautifully restored and you will rarely run into problems and they are a fun and cheap alternative to the state-run taxis. They have set fares and run set routes, so you may need some assistance when taking them the first few times.
Fares vary from 10 CUP for a short (5 km) run during the day to 20 CUP for a longer run or at night. The drivers are generally honest regarding the fares and most cars now have taxi meters anyway, but it is best not to appear oblivious by asking how much at the end of the trip.
Coco Taxis and yellow three wheel motor tricycles are a cheap way of getting around central Havana and seem to have got you around the back street quicker than cars.
Cuba by Boat
Due to political circumstances, it is difficult to enter Cuba by sea from the United States however it is becoming easier. The Cuban Yacht Marinas located around the island offer excellent services for visiting mariners, although they need to make arrangements in advance of entering the port to avoid difficulties. Also, most some ports are closed to unauthorized visitors. The best ports currently available are:
Havana
- Hemingway Marina
- Tarará Marina
Varadero
- Darsena de Varadero
- Chapelin Marina
Cienfuegos
- Cienfuegos Marina
Trinidad Sancti Spiritus
- Trinidad Marina
Northern Keys
- Cayo Coco Marina
- Cayo Guillermo Marina
Viazul Buses Cuba
Viazul Buses operate an city bus service to/from most major destinations including Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad, Varadero and Viñales. The main Viazul bus terminal is 3km southwest of central Havana near the Plaza de la Revolucion. Departing buses also stop at the central (Astro) bus terminal, but arriving buses don’t. If you are using the central bus terminal, you buy tickets and wait for the bus in a nicely mainatined air-conditioned office near the west entrance of the terminal. Schedules for Viazul buses are sometimes shown on the Havanatur website.
Car Rental in Cuba
Car Rental in Cuba will cost you from 34 to 128 CUC per day. The car will have a special tourist plate, which means you will be asked to give tips every time you park your car in a crowded place.
Taking into account the all-around unreliability of Cuban transport, Car Rental in Cuba can be a great choice for those who don’t want any hassle whatsoever when moving around.
Please remember that picking up hitchhikers is almost a moral obligation for the “aware” tourist, especially when travelling between cities. Picking up a hitchhiker with your Car Rental in Cuba can be the best way to arrive to your destination without getting lost.
You can book a car rental in Cuba with Cuba Travel Services at our link above, ensuring you have a car before your arrival
Credit Card Use in Cuba
In tourist facilities and other service units, prices are set in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). In Varadero, Cayo Largo del Sur, Jardines del Rey (Coco and Guillermo Keys), Santa Lucía and Covarrubias Beaches, and Holguín province (tourist resorts on northern coastline), you one can also pay in euros.
Credit cards – except those issued by US banks or their branches in other countries, all are accepted. Among those accepted are MasterCard, Visa International. Maestro, CABAL.
The CUC is not an internationally circulated currency. When withdrawing cash with a credit card, the CUC will be converted first to the US Dollar, the amount in USD will be deducted from your account plus 3%. Example: if you want to cash CUC 100,00 with your credit card, USD 103,00 will be billed.
Cuban Convertible Pesos have unlimited legal course in the national territory. Cuban convertible pesos can be changed upon departure at bank offices at international airports and ports in Cuba.
Travelers Checks are accepted, but are subject to a commission and in case of loss; they cannot be substituted in Cuba at present.
National Holidays in Cuba
Although they are not all holidays, they are also considered important dates:
- January 28: Anniversary of the birth of José Martí, Cuba’s National Hero, in 1853.
- February 24: Anniversary of the beginning of the War of Independence, in 1895.
- March 8: International Woman’s Day.
- March 13: Anniversary of the attack to the Presidential Palace of Havana, by a group of revolutionary youths that sought to execute the tyrant Fulgencio Batista, in 1957.
- April 19: Anniversary of the defeat of the mercenary attack at the Bay of Pigs, in 1961.
- July 30: Day of the Martyrs of the Revolution.
- October 8: Anniversary of the death of Major Ernesto Ché Guevara, in 1967.
- October 28: Anniversary of Major Camilo Cienfuegos’ death, in 1959.
- November 27: Commemoration of the execution of eight students of Medicine, by the Spanish colonial government, in 1871.
- December 7: Anniversary of Antonio Maceo’s death in combat in 1896, an outstanding figure in Cuba’s War of Independence against the Spanish colonial rule.
- December 25: Christmas is celebrated in Cuba since 1990´s
- January 1st: New Years Day
Cuba Travel – Migratory Regulations
Visitors should possess a valid passport, valid at least 6 months from your arrival date, or a trip document stating their name and the corresponding visa or Tourist Card, excepting those countries that Cuba maintains Free Visa agreements with such as Russia, China and Venezuela.
Tourist Cards can be requested at the Cuban consular representations and are also available in the arrivals lounge at all airports in Cuba. Most airlines will sell the Cuban Visa when you check-in at the airport, the price is usually 25 USD or the equivalent in your currency.
Medical Insurance & Cuban Health Care
As of July 2010, Cuba requires a travel insurance policy to cover medical expenses for all travelers, foreign and Cubans living abroad, in order to enter the country. The resolution states that the insurers issuing the policies, should be recognized on the island, and announced the sale of Cuban insurance policies at points of entry into the country for those unable to present an appropriate insurance policy. Havanatur offers such travel insurance
In about 95% of hotels a doctor is present to provide primary care to patients. In addition there are nine international clinics that offer specialized treatment.
