Getting around Cuba: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Cuba's transport runs on fuel, and fuel is the thing that keeps failing in 2026. That single fact decides almost everything: buses get cut, flights get consolidated, rental cars sit in queues. Plan around two or three modes, not one, and keep a buffer day before any international flight.

Distances are short on paper — the island is about 1,200 km end to end — but road conditions, checkpoints and fuel stops stretch every journey. Havana to Trinidad is a full half-day; Havana to Santiago is a day by road or a short flight if one is running.

First, fix your long legs. If your route includes Santiago de Cuba or Baracoa, look at domestic flights before anything else, because they remove two road days. If no flight is available, book the Víazul bus for that leg as early as you can — online booking opens well ahead and seats on the eastern routes sell out first.

Second, fill the middle with colectivos. A shared car leaves when it fills, usually from a fixed corner or through your casa host, and on main routes it often beats the bus. Agree the fare and the pickup time the day before, and expect the price to move with black-market fuel prices.

Third, handle cities on foot plus short taxis. Old Havana and Vedado are walkable; Trinidad and Viñales are small enough to cross in 20 minutes. For airport runs, pre-book through your casa rather than hailing at the curb, and agree the fare before you get in.

Fourth, keep cash for every leg. Cards rarely work for transport, and drivers want payment in cash. Carry small notes and coins for horse carts, bicycle rentals and shared cars.

Fuel shortages are the main risk. Víazul routes have been cut or cancelled, petrol queues run for hours, and rental agencies sometimes cannot guarantee a full tank. Treat any timetable as a plan, not a promise, and build in a spare day on each long move.

Rental cars look like freedom but rarely are. You need fuel you may not find, insurance you may not be able to claim on, and patience for police checks. Old cars often lack seatbelts, so if you take a private taxi, check before you set off.

Trains are cheap and slow, with frequent cancellations and no dependable timetable — fine if you are there for the railway itself, poor as transport. Bicycles and horse carts work well in Viñales and Trinidad but not in the midday heat.

Power cuts affect everything downstream: ticket offices close early, fuel pumps stop, and apps and card readers fail. Carry cash, water and a paper copy of your plans.