Number #2 Public Transport (with timetables)

• Transport in Cuba

• Train Timetable

• VIAZUL´Timetable

Timetable (and price) of VIAZUL (update 05-10)

!Timetables and prices are always in a changing process,
we suggest to ask in Cuba before your trip once more about changes directy at a Viazul office!

• Habana - Varadero - Habana

• Habana - Playas del Este - Habana

• Habana - Viñales - Habana

• Habana - Trinidad - Habana

• Habana - Santiago de Cuba - Habana

• Habana - Guardalavaca - Habana

• Varadero - Trinidad - Varadero

• Trinidad - Santiago de Cuba - Trinidad

• Santiago de Cuba - Baracoa - Santiago de Cuba

• More information (directions and phone numbers)

back

Train Timetable

Further down I will give you the new schedule I received in December 2003. It includes all long-distance-trains. It's important to know that not every train is operating daily. I recomend to inform you before your journey at the local train station about the actual departures.

In Habana you have to buy your tickets in CUC (like almost everywhere). They sell them for you at the train station "La Coubre". This station is located between the Central station (Estación Central) an the Harbor. You will find it easily because of its yellow color. When you buy your ticket you need to inform you where you have to catch the train. Some trains are leaving at "La Coubre" other trains are leaving at "Estación central". If it leaves at "Estación central" you need to enter by a special door. It's a kind of waiting-room for tourists. This place is called LADIS (Ferrotur and LADIS are the same, there are two names in use..., it's an agency for CUC paying persons). It's located, near the Central Station ( in the corner of Arsenal and Egido/Cienfuegos Street. Their phone number is: 621929 and 614259.

At other train stations I recomend to ask first where you need to buy your CUC-tickets. If you don't do that you maybe make a queue at the wrong place... Very rarely you will get a ticket in Pesos. Sometimes you will get it at small stations and for local trains.

Timetable 2004

Scheduled but infrequently running trains:

to the top

Public Transport in Cuba

Public Transport in Habana

• Camellos. Translated: Camel. Something special, something that only in Cuba exists. A camel can transport 300 people. A ride cost 20 Centavos (Pesos), not important where you want to go. At the "Camel-Stop" (parada) you have to ask for the queue for M (Metrobus) (1/2/3/4/5/6/7). At the final stop are two queues, one for people which like to have a seat and the other for people which will stand. If you don´t travel to the final station go to the "stand-queue", you don´t have to wait as long here. Now, after you´ve found your queue you have to ask for the last in the queue (Quién es el ultimo?) and when you know who´s the last ask him after who he´s in the queue (y atras de quién usted va?), he will show you another person. You have to remember this two faces, because when the Camel´s arriving the people will form the queue. You ask for two persons because if the one before you leaves there´s another face you will remember...
  Be prepared for giving the answer to the next who´s asking for the last. Afterwards look for a nice place to wait, like the others.
  You have to get in at the middle door. When you get in you have to pay the 20 Centavos and you will receive a ticket. Move always to one of the other doors because if you don´t do this, you won´t have a possibility to get out quickly at your bus-stop!
  
  
• Guaguas. More or less normal buses. A ride costs 40 Centavos (Pesos). You have to get on at the front door. Also you have to form the queue as I explained it at the topic "Camellos".
  
  
• Colectivos. Taxis which drives a fixed ride. Normally you pay 10 Pesos. So when at the busstop a collectivo-driver shouts his ride (and if you haven´t a tourist outfit) go, pay and don´t speak much, and it could be that he won`t aware of your tourist being... But as soon as they become aware that you´re a tourist they will ask for the normal tourist price. Don´t pay that, because you´re sitting in a colectivo and not in a normal taxi. If you go to a place on his fixed ride, don´t pay more than 20 Pesos. If you need to go to an other place, you have to pay the normal tourist price, of course, because you no more sit in a colectivo!
  
  
• Particulares. Nearly all the privat taxis don't have a licence for the transport of tourists / foreigners. There are a lot of privat taxi drivers which offers their service to foreigners although this is forbidden by law. If you catch one of these taxis you need to know the normal price of the journey because the drivers normally want you buying more than in an official taxi! Don't catch a private taxi for an important journey, for example to the airport.

National public Transport

• ASTRO. The national bus/ coach company. By ASTRO you can travel to almost every city and also to many villages. As a foreigner you have to pay in CUC. Normally there are at the stations separate CUC-Offices. Your advantage: You don´t have to wait up to two weeks for your ticket, like Cubans. Normally you can travel the same or the following day after purchaising the ticket.
  When you´re travelling by ASTRO you will travel with Cubans and if you go to a untouristy place you´re the only tourist in the bus... (which of course not´s a problem.)
  ASTRO sometimes has problems with their buses/ coaches, so they aren´t always punctual. I myself never had problems with ASTRO. Enjoy the atmosphere. I recommend it!

• VIAZUL. This is a coach company (state owned) only for CUC paying tourists. If you´re Cuban you can watch "Pateando la Latta". (Disculpa para eastar tan cinico). Sorry. But I hate this kind of apartheid. VIAZUL drives you to all important cities in Cuba. You will almost always get a ticket. The coaches are modern, all of them have air condition, break-downs I think don´t existe, but, of course, you won´t have the Cuban atmosphere. Check the timetable for more information!

• CAMIONES. Because of the difficult situation of the public transport, trucks are very important for the peoples´transport. Most of the trucks, which are only for passengers, are privat. You can travel by truck in the whole country, between cities as well as between small villages. They don´t have a timetable or something like that, be prepared for waiting a lot. You pay in Pesos, a ride costs between 5 and 20 Pesos.
  If you have time, and if you don´t travel with much baggage, you have to travel by CAMIONES, it´s something special.
  Because there are many trucks without a top, don´t travel in rainy weather, there aren´t many trucks because also Cubans don´tlike to stand one or two hours in the rain!
  Look out for camiones at local bus-stations, or go to the street leading to your destination. Ask there for the "punto", it´s the place where the people are waiting for the CAMIONES. Normally this place is just out of the city.
  And one thing more. Don´t travel between Guantanamo and Baracoa by CAMIONES, there aren´t many because of the fuel shortage. It´s really hard, you have to wait several hours and if one arrives it´s a battle not for a seat but for any place... (photo)

Railway

• The only Carribean Island with passenger transport by railway!
  The trains are rather slow, they aren´t very punctual and, except the main routes, they aren´t very reliable but I recomend them... You normally have to pay with CUCs, but like by ASTRO you get your ticket the same day you want to travel (or a day before).

• NOTE. Between Habana and Santiago de Cuba the train is faster and cheaper than buses. You pay in the regular train only 30.50 for one way.
  
  
• Some hints for your train journey:
  
  - Normally you can buy some drink and food (very basic) in the train. But it's always better if you don't rely on this service. Always keep some crackers and water with you.
  - When you need to go to the trains' bathroom I strongly recomend to go with a pocket light because there's no light there but rather a lot of dirt.
  - If you like to sleep calm, I recomend to secure your bagage, so that nobody can steal it.
  - The special train between Habana and Santiago de Cuba (train #1 y #2) is also specially cold. You need a lot of clothes, because it's like a winter night in Toronto ( :-) ). Note that this train only needs one hour less than the normal one but the journey costs 8 CUC more. If you ask me, go with the regular one so you not only pay 8 CUC less for the train, you also don't catch a cold.
  - Between Pinar del Río and Habana you normally can buy the tickets in Pesos but you need to buy it at least one day before the journey.
  
  Finally, I strongly recomend you a journey by train. It's an adventure. At an other website about Cuba I've read "Driving car in Cuba, one of the last adventures in this world!" - I think going by train is much more fascinating than driving a car!!!

• Also have a look at the timetable I´ve published.

Airplane

• CUBANA flies from Habana to all larger cities.The prices are rather cheap, but the service in the air nearly doesn´t exist. You will receive a candy or, if you´re lucky a coffee...
  To fly is a good way to save some time. For exemple you travel by train, bus, camiones from Habana to Baracoa and afterwards you fly back to Habana.
  Price exemples. Habana - Santiago de Cuba/ Baracoa (120 CUC), Habana - Nueva Gerona (24 CUC).
  Book your flights in Habana (the best choice) or in Santiago de Cuba. The smaller officies haven´t got the computered booking system and because of that aren´t flexible. But there's also an other problem. The employees don't want to sell to you a ticket because you certainly don't think that you need to buy a littlebit more than 120 CUC for getting a ticket. Cubans do this, they pay about 5 - 10 CUC more than the oficial price, so they get a ticket...
  The Cubanas' main office where you can buy ticket is CUC you will find in Habana at Calle 23 between P and Infanta. Telf. 33-4949, 33-4446 to 33-4450. You will have to make a long queue so it's better to buy the tickets at a tourist office, for example in a Hotel. In Habana you can get you ticket easily by Havanatour, they have an office in the hotel Habana Libre.

to the top