Cuba - Lonely Planet [343]
Other, slower coche motor (cross-island) trains also ply the route to Havana daily stopping at Bayamo (CUC$4), Holguín (CUC$5), Ciego de Ávila (CUC$14), Guayos (CUC$17) and Matanzas (CUC$27).
Cuban train schedules are fickle, so you should always verify beforehand what train leaves when and get your ticket as soon as possible thereafter.
TRUCK
Intermittent passenger trucks leave Serrano Intermunicipal Bus Station (Map; 62-43-25; cnr Av Jesús Menéndez & Sánchez Hechavarría) near the train station to Guantánamo and Bayamo throughout the day. Prices are a few pesos, and early mornings are the best time to board. For these destinations, don’t fuss with the ticket window; just find the truck parked out front going your way. Trucks for Caletón Blanco and Chivirico also leave from here.
The Intermunicipal Bus Station (Terminal Cuatro; Map; 62-43-29; cnr Av de los Libertadores & Calle 4), 2km northeast of Parque Céspedes, has two buses a day to El Cobre. Two daily buses also leave for Baconao from here.
Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
A taxi to or from the airport should cost around CUC$7, but drivers will often try to charge you more. Haggle hard before you get in. You can also get to the airport on bus 212, which leaves from Av de los Libertadores opposite the Hospital de Maternidad (Map). Bus 213 also goes to the airport from the same stop, but visits Punta Gorda first. Both buses stop just beyond the west end of the airport parking lot to the left of the entrances.
TO/FROM THE TRAIN STATION
To get into town from the train station, catch a southbound horse cart (one peso) to the clock tower at the north end of Parque Alameda (Map), from which Aguilera (to the left) climbs straight up to Parque Céspedes. Horse carts between the National Bus Station (they’ll shout ‘Alameda’) and train station (one peso) run along Av Juan Gualberto Gómez and Av Jesús Menéndez (Map).
BUS & TRUCK
Useful city buses include bus 212 to the airport and Ciudamar, bus 213 to Punta Gorda (both of these buses start from Av de los Libertadores, opposite the Hospital de Maternidad, and head south on Felix Peña in the casco histórico), and bus 214 or 407 to Siboney (from near Av de los Libertadores No 425; Map). Bus 5 to El Caney stops on the northwestern corner of Plaza de Marte (Map) and at Gral Cebreco and Calle 3 in Vista Alegre (Map). These buses (20 centavos) run every hour or so; more frequent trucks (one peso) serve the same routes.
Trucks to El Cobre and points north leave from Av de las Américas near Calle M (Map). On trucks and buses you should be aware of pickpockets and wear your backpack in front.
CAR & MOPED
Santiago de Cuba suffers from a chronic shortage of rental cars (especially in peak season) and you might find there are none available; though the locals have an indefatigable Cuban ability to conseguir (to manage, to get) and resolver (to resolve, work out). The airport offices usually have better availability than those in town. If you’re completely stuck, you can usually rent one at the Hotel Guantánamo, two hours to the east Click here.
Cubacar Airport ( 68 61 60; Antonio Maceo International Airport); Hotel Las Américas (Map; cnr Avs de las Américas & General Cebreco; 68-71-60; 8am-10pm); Jesús Menéndez (Map; 62-26-66; cnr Av Jesús Menéndez & General Portuondo) The Hotel Las Américas office rents out mopeds for CUC$24 per day.
Rex ( 68-64-45; 9am-8:30pm) Rents the deluxe stuff.
Guarded parking is available in Parque Céspedes, directly below the Hotel Casa Granda. Official attendants, complete with small badges, charge CUC$1 a day and CUC$1 a night.
The Servi-Cupet gas station (Map; cnr Avs de los Libertadores & de Céspedes) is open 24 hours. There’s an Oro Negro gas station (Map; cnr Av 24 de Febrero & Carretera del Morro) on the Carretera del Morro and another Oro Negro (Map) on the Carretera Central at the northern entrance