Catching a cab in Cuba is fairly straightforward while at the same time a little confusing for the unprepared–there are a lot more options than flagging down a familiar yellow car! As always with travel, it’s best to be prepared ahead of time for local customs when it comes to fares and expectations. Generally, modern taxis serve the tourist trade while locals make do with wheezing jalopies. Hundreds of cuentaspropistas now offer private taxi service, and on almost any street you’ll be solicited.
A classic Chevrolet taxi parked in the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana, Cuba. Photo © Karel Miragaya/123rf.
Some taxis are metered (CUC1 at flag drop, then CUC0.50 a kilometer), but not all. Few drivers will use the meter, but will instead ask how much you want to pay. You will rarely pay more than CUC10 or so for any journey within town. Expect to pay about CUC5 between Habana Vieja and the Hotel Habana Libre Tryp. A light above the cab signifies if the taxi is libre (free).
Need a minivan? Max “Chino” García (tel. 5293-0849) proved a fun and reliable chauffeur, although his clapped-out VW van isn’t so reliable. Gerardo Rojas (tel. 5273-3398) has also served me well in a 13-seat Hyundai.
Fancy tooling around in a 1950 Studebaker or a 1959 Buick Invicta convertible? Private cars can be rented outside most major tourist hotels (CUC40-60 per hour, depending on car). I recommend Urbano Saenz and his cherry 1957 Edsel (tel. 5290-7771), Ramón’s canary-yellow Chevy Bel-Air (tel. 5381-4488), or Eddy’s 1957 Buick Invicta (tel. 5273-2516).
The state agency Gran Car (Calle Marino, esq. Santa María, Nuevo Vedado, tel. 07/855-5567) rents classic-car taxis for CUC30 per hour (20-km limit the first hour, with shorter limits per extra hour). They can be found outside major hotels.
Privately owned 1950s-era colectivos or máquinas run along fixed routes, much like buses, and charge 10 or 50 pesos for a ride anywhere along the route. Parque de las Agrimensores, on the north side of the railway station, is the official starting point for most routes. Foreigners are no longer barred from using them, so hop in—but don’t slam the door!
Hundreds of homespun tricycle taxis with shade canopies ply the streets of Habana Vieja and Centro. The minimum fare is usually CUC1. You can go the full length of the Malecón, from Habana Vieja to Vedado, for CUC5. Always agree to a fare before setting off. These jalopies are barred from certain streets and areas, so you might end up taking a zigzag route to your destination.
These cutesy three-wheeled eggshells on wheels whiz around the touristed areas of Havana and charge the same as taxis. However, they are inherently unsafe.
Horse-drawn coaches offer a popular way of exploring the Malecón and Old Havana, although the buggies are barred from entering the pedestrian-only quarter. They’re operated by San Cristóbal Agencia de Viajes (Oficios #110, e/ Lamparilla y Amargura, Habana Vieja, tel. 07/861-9171). Their official starting point is the junction of Empedrado and Tacón, but you can hail them wherever you see them. Others can be hailed on Parque Central, and at Plaza de la Revolución. They charge CUC10 per person for one hour.
Excerpted from the First Edition of Moon Havana.
