Havana has many public modes of transportation, all of which are evident in the area of Parque Central, where my hotel was located. Central Old Havana is an easy walk, blocks fly by because the streets are flat and there is a lot to look at. But if you are carrying parcels, or are in a hurry, hop on one of the plentiful and inexpensive Pedal Cabs, or Bici Cabs, which you will find outside of every tourist location and along side streets. Drivers are not “officially” supposed to transport tourists, but they do. A trip in one of these should cost you about $1-2 CuC depending on distance but if you don’t negotiate your price ahead of time don’t be surprised if your driver firmly demands $5 CuC when you arrive at your destination.
Bici-Cab drivers taking a break in the shade, midday Havana Cuba
Another type of local transport is the “Coco Cab”. These are cute little 3 wheeled motor vehicles which resemble yellow coconut shells, thus the name. These cost about $5 CuCs, (per ride, not per person) and up to $10 CuCs if you are going far or do not remember to negotiate your price in advance (always recommended.)
For travelers who want a more colonial sight-seeing trip around Old Havana, you will see horse drawn carriages in the many squares where tourists congregate. Locals do not take these, and at about $30 CuC a clip (for about 40 minutes- per ride, not per person) it is quite an expensive way to see the city, but some people find them irresistible.
Horse carriage, Habana Vieja
Local taxis are available as well. Taxis Coletivos, often vintage 1950’s Chevy BelAirs, can be hired from your hotel concierge. I took one of these with a group of fellow MCLA travelers to the Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón located outside of central Habana Viejo in Vedado. My group of 4 was charged $40 Cuc (in one cab). For that fee the driver took us to Vedado (about a 15 minute drive) waited an hour for us at the cemetery, then took us back to the hotel. I have read that these vehicles should charge much less, but again, everything is open to negotiation and if you don’t haggle, sometimes strenuously, you get the prices they give you. I’ll tell you more about this cemetery in another post.
Russian made Ladas are also available for longer trips, for instance if you would like to go to San Francisco de Paula to view Finca Vigia, Hemingway’s house. Lada’s cost about 40 cuC per km, but if you are not with a tour group you might do better to talk to your hotel concierge about cheaper options or better rates.
The most popular transportation for tourists are the vintage cars. Of all the makes and models you will see, convertibles are the most coveted. Our guide, Oscar, told me that these cars sell for about $20,000 CuCs, a King’s ransom for most Cubans who earn only $25 Cucs on average per month. But, if a local is fortunate enough to own one, he can use it to operate one of the few government sanctioned free enterprise businesses available to Cubans. Here are a few photos I took from the back of one of these convertibles as we drove West on the Malecon. Check out our driver: Kee-ewt!
Taxi driver/movie star
Vintage car transporters earn about $40 CuC per hour taking visitors around the city for a “wind in your hair” tour of Havana. The owners of these cars are very proud of them and do as much as they can to keep them in ship shape, within their ability since most replacement parts are unavailable. The paint jobs, which look authentic in photos, are not factory enamel perfect in person. Earl Schieb-type operations do not appear to be available in Cuba, so car jockeys must make do with hand-and-can applied coatings.
Rush hour traffic
Privately owned cars in countryside near Valle Vinales
There are also local buses. Prices are very inexpensive, but they run irregularly and at peak times they can be crowded, or even full, so getting a ride can represent a substantial wait. To get around this inconvenience Cubans hitchhike. In fact, Cubans with private cars are required to pick up hitchhikers and you will often see batches of people waiting by the sides of roads for passing cars. Often these folks will hop into a passing truck bed, where they will stand with many other travelers until they get to their destinations, each passenger paying the driver about 20 local pesos to get from one city to the next. I have not heard of tourists using this option, but I’m sure some hearty foreign travelers have jumped in with the locals for a little taste of real life commuting, Havana style.
Modified vintage sedan with pick up shell, carrying hitchhikers in back, heading West out of Havana.
Same truck, from back
Finally, you will see motor bikes everywhere you go. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast and want to tour Cuba on two wheels, you may officially rent 50cc scooters which will get you around Havana comfortably. These cost about $25 a day, but remember that no US credit cards are acceptable in Cuba, cash only. The other ubiquitous vehicles on view all over the city and countryside are the vintage Soviet Ural and Jupiter sidecar motorbikes. It is my understanding that these cannot be rented anywhere in Cuba, but some strenuous searching and adamant negotiating may work for you, who knows? You may succeed where others have failed.
Side car motorcycles, I think these are Urals
I think this is a Jupiter
Check back next Tuesday for another installment, ’til then, “Ciao!”
LA to Cuba 2014 
