Cuba - Lonely Planet [113]
Train
Trains to most parts of Cuba depart from Estación Central de Ferrocarriles (Map; 862-1920, 861-8540; cnr Av de Bélgica & Arsenal), on the southwestern side of Habana Vieja. Foreigners must buy tickets in Convertibles at La Coubre station (Map; 862-1006; cnr Av del Puerto & Desamparados, Habana Vieja; 9am-3pm Mon-Fri). If it’s closed, try the Lista de Espera office adjacent, which sells tickets for trains leaving immediately. Kids under 12 travel half-price.
Cuba’s best train, the Tren Francés (an old French SNCF train), runs every other day between Havana and Santiago stopping in Santa Clara (CUC$17) and Camagüey (CUC$32). It leaves Havana at 7pm and arrives in Santiago the following morning at 9am. There are no sleeper cars, but carriages are comfortable and air-conditioned and there’s a snack service. Tickets cost CUC$62 for 1st class and CUC$50 for 2nd class.
Slower coche motor (cross-island train) services run to Santiago stopping in smaller stations, such as Matanzas (CUC$4), Sancti Spíritus (CUC$13), Ciego de Ávila (CUC$16), Las Tunas (CUC$23), Bayamo (CUC$26), Manzanillo (CUC$28) and Holguín (CUC$27). One train goes as far as Guantánamo (CUC$32). There are separate branch lines to Cienfuegos (CUC$11) and Pinar del Río (CUC$6.50).
The above information is only a rough approximation of what should happen; services are routinely delayed or canceled (including the Tren Francés, which was temporarily out of service at the time of writing). Always double-check scheduling and from which terminal your train will leave.
For information about the electric train from Casablanca to Matanzas, Click here. Suburban trains and local services to points within the Havana province are discussed under Getting Around (below).
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GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí is at Rancho Boyeros, 25km southwest of Havana via Av de la Independencia. There are four terminals here. Terminal 1, on the southeastern side of the runway, handles only domestic Cubana flights. Three kilometers away, via Av de la Independencia, is Terminal 2, which receives flights and charters from Miami and New York and some to and from the Cayman Islands. All other international flights use Terminal 3, a well-ordered, modern facility at Wajay, 2.5km west of Terminal 2. Charter flights on Aerocaribbean, Aerogaviota, Aerotaxi etc to Cayo Largo del Sur and elsewhere use the Caribbean Terminal (also known as Terminal 5), at the northwestern end of the runway, 2.5km west of Terminal 3. (Terminal 4 hasn’t been built yet.) Check carefully which terminal you’ll be using.
Public transport from the airport into central Havana is practically nonexistent. A standard taxi will cost you approximately CUC$20 (40 minutes). You can change money at the bank in the arrivals hall.
True adventurers with light luggage and a tight budget can chance their arm on the P-12 metro bus from the Capitolio or the P-15 from the Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras on the Malecón, both of which go to Santiago de Las Vegas stopping close to the airport (about 1.5km away) on Av Boyeros. This is a lot easier for departing travelers who will have a better knowledge of the local geography.
To/From the Bus Terminal
The Víazul bus terminal is in the suburb of Nuevo Vedado and taxis will charge between CUC$5 and CUC$10 for the ride to central Havana. There are no direct metro buses from central Havana. If you take the P-14 from the Capitolio, you’ll have to get off on Av 51 and walk the last 500m or so.
Bici-taxi
Two-seater bici-taxis will take you anywhere around Centro Habana for CUC$1/2 for a short/long trip, after bargaining. It’s a lot more than a Cuban would pay, but cheaper and more fun than a tourist taxi. Laws prohibit bici-taxis from taking tourists and they may wish to go via a roundabout route through the back streets to avoid police controls – a cheap tour! If they get stopped, it’s them that get the warning/fine, not you.
Bicycle
Havana’s (and Cuba’s) only official bike rental shop, El Orbe (Map; 860-2617; cnr Agramonte