Cuba - Lonely Planet [393]
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Cuba’s best and fastest train (by a stretch) is the Tren Francés that runs between Havana and Santiago de Cuba on alternate days (1st/2nd class CUC$62/50, 12½ hours, 861km). Train 1 leaves Havana daily at 7pm, passing Santa Clara and Camagüey, before reaching Santiago de Cuba at 9am. Train 2 leaves Santiago de Cuba daily at 5:35pm and reaches Havana at 9:30am. The trains with recycled European carriages are comfortable and air-conditioned, but there are no sleeper compartments. At the time of writing the Tren Francés had been temporarily suspended for ‘repairs.’
Other train routes that may be of interest to travelers include Pinar del Río–Sábalo, Havana–Matanzas, Havana–Cienfuegos, Havana–Sancti Spíritus, Havana–Holguín, Havana–Manzanillo, Santa Clara–Morón–Nuevitas, Cienfuegos–Santa Clara–Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey–Nuevitas, Camagüey–Bayamo, Bayamo–Manzanillo, Manzanillo–Bayamo–Santiago de Cuba and Santiago de Cuba–Holguín. Trinidad has been cut off from the main rail network since 1992 when a storm downed a bridge. The furthest east the line goes is Guantánamo – there is no line to Baracoa.
Many additional local trains operate at least daily and some more frequently. More information is provided in the regional chapters of this book.
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TRUCK
Camiones (trucks) are a cheap, fast way to travel within or between provinces. Every city has a provincial and municipal bus stop with camiones departures. They run on a (loose) schedule and you’ll need to take your place in line by asking for el último to your destination; you pay as you board. A truck from Santiago de Cuba to Guantánamo costs five pesos (CUC$0.20), while the same trip on a Víazul bus costs CUC$6.
Camion traveling is hot, crowded and uncomfortable, but is a great way to meet local people fast; a little Spanish will go a long way.
Sometimes terminal staff tell foreigners they’re prohibited from traveling on trucks. As with anything in Cuba, never take the word ‘no’ as your final answer. Crying poor, striking up a conversation with the driver, appealing to other passengers for aid etc usually helps.
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Health Dr David Goldberg
CONTENTS
* * *
Before You Go
Insurance
Medical Checklist
Internet Resources
Further Reading
In Transit
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Jet Lag & Motion Sickness
In Cuba
Availability & Cost of Health Care
Infectious Diseases
Traveler’s Diarrhea
Environmental Hazards
Traveling with Children
Women’s Health
Traditional Medicine
* * *
From a medical point of view, the Caribbean islands are generally safe as long as you’re reasonably careful about what you eat and drink. The most common travel-related diseases, such as dysentery and hepatitis, are acquired by the consumption of contaminated food and water. Mosquito-borne illnesses are not a significant concern on most of the islands within the Cuban archipelago.
Prevention is the key to staying healthy while traveling around Cuba. Travelers who receive the recommended vaccines and follow commonsense precautions usually come away with nothing more than a little diarrhea.
BEFORE YOU GO
Since most vaccines don’t produce immunity until at least two weeks after they’re given, visit a physician four to eight weeks before departure. Ask your doctor for an International Certificate of Vaccination (otherwise known as the ‘yellow booklet’), which will list all the vaccinations you’ve received. This is mandatory for countries that require proof of yellow-fever vaccination upon entry. Cuba doesn’t require yellow-fever vaccination, but it’s a good idea to carry your yellow booklet wherever you travel.
Bring medications in their original, clearly labeled containers. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing your medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles, be sure to have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity.
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INSURANCE
If your usual