cuba en tren
____Matanzas - Santa Clara ("Guantanamero")
______Santa Clara - Caibarien (local)
________Santa Clara - Guantánamo ("Guantanamero")
__________Santiago de Cuba - Camaguey ("tren frances")
____________Camaguey - Moron (local)
______________Moron - Santa Clara (local; linea norte)
>>>_________Santa Clara - Habana ("el espirituano")
Journey:
Santa Clara - Habana
Date: 25.07.2006
Train: #24; 23:55
Price: 10 CUC
Trip Notes: Four German coaches were waiting my boarding at Santa Clara and were later attached to the front of the train. This meant that people were able to pre-board at around 23:00 hours although the train was scheduled to leave at 23:55. The train reached Habana at 6:30 in the morning.
The German coaches are very uncomfortable if you want to sleep because you can't change the position of the seats. In addition, and it is a little bit strange - at least for Cuba - to be in a small cabins with six persons. As I heard on the trip there were some cabin in which people had a party the whole trip. Also, the passage ways are very narrow so if people try to enter and leave the coach at the same time chaos is inevitable.
Aside from all this, I believe that they are the best-maintained coaches I have ever seen in Cuba . I believe that we should thank the maintenance workers that support these coaches for their hard work.
Santa Clara station Notes: Trains to Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba and to Habana (#24) all seemed to be on time.
Useful Information: You need to buy your tickets at the long distance office located across the park from the train station. You will have to show your passport and you may buy your ticket a day before if the train leaves early in the morning. Otherwise, you will have to buy your ticket a couple of hours before the train departs. With this ticket, you get priority and do not have to queue up. You will have to pay in CUC's.
Picture: Ticket
Picture: Entering Habana's central station (Estación central) in the early morning
Picture: Entering Habana's central station (Estación central) in the early morning