Getting around Havana: public transport, passes and taxis

Havana is a walking city at heart, but the distances between Old Havana, Centro, Vedado and the beaches are real, and the transport you choose decides how much of the day you lose. The table below sets out what each mode costs and how long it takes, so you can pick before you leave the casa.

Old Havana is compact: Plaza de la Catedral to Plaza Vieja is a few minutes, and the Malecón is a straight line you can follow from the harbour to Vedado in about 40 minutes at an easy pace. Centro Habana sits between the two, so a full day on foot from Old Havana to Vedado and back is realistic if you start early and rest at midday.

Two things slow you down: heat and humidity from roughly May to October, and pavements with holes, missing covers and standing water after rain. Carry water, wear shoes with grip rather than sandals, and plan shade. After dark, stick to lit streets and take a taxi rather than walking back across Centro.

For anything beyond the centre, walking stops being practical. The airport is far outside the city, the eastern beaches are a bus or taxi ride, and the botanical garden and ExpoCuba area need wheels.

Private taxis are the workhorse of a Havana trip. Your casa host can book one, which is safer and usually cheaper than hailing on the street. Agree the fare in cash before you get in, and check the car has working seatbelts — many classic cars do not. Expect US$10–35 for a cross-city run and US$10–35 from José Martí airport to Old Havana or Vedado (check).

Taxi colectivo means a shared car running a fixed route, often between cities but also on some city corridors. You pay per seat, wait until the car fills, and share with locals. On main intercity routes the going rate is US$20–40 per seat (check). It is often faster than the bus when drivers have fuel, and the main risk is that the driver cancels because there is none.

Ride-hailing apps have appeared in Havana but coverage is patchy and driver supply thin, especially during fuel shortages. Do not build your day around one. If you do use an app, have a cash backup and a phone number for a casa driver.

Havana's public buses, the guaguas, are extremely cheap and extremely crowded. Fares are a few pesos, but visitors are often asked for more, and you need small notes or coins. Routes are hard to read without Spanish, stops are not always marked, and waiting times can run past half an hour. They are an experience, not a plan.

There is no tourist transit pass for Havana. You pay per ride, in cash, whether that is a bus, a shared car or a private taxi. The Víazul tourist bus is the intercity network, not a city pass: it links Havana with Viñales (about 3.5 h) and Trinidad (about 6 h) for roughly US$15–40 (check), and routes have been cut or cancelled during the 2026 fuel shortages, so book well ahead and reconfirm the day before.

If you are heading to the airport, the transfer is a separate decision with its own timing and cost — see the airport transfer page rather than improvising on the day.

Budget in cash. Cards are accepted in some hotels and state shops but not by drivers, and ATMs are unreliable during power cuts. Carry small US dollar or euro notes and keep coins for buses and toilets.

A realistic daily transport budget for two people in Havana is US$20–50 if you walk in the day and take one or two taxis, and more if you hire a driver for a full day or make an intercity run. Intercity colectivo seats add US$20–40 per person per leg (check).

Confirm any pre-booked pickup the day before, and again an hour before. Drivers cancel when fuel runs out, and a no-show at 5am is the worst way to start a travel day.

Keep a paper backup: your casa's phone number, the address written in Spanish, and enough cash for a taxi even if you planned to walk. Screenshot maps before you leave Wi-Fi, because mobile data is patchy and roaming is expensive — an eSIM bought before you fly is easier than hunting for a SIM in Havana.

Agree the fare and the destination before the doors close. If the driver wants to add a passenger or stop for fuel, that is normal in a colectivo and not in a private taxi you have booked for yourself.

Heat, blackouts and long queues make people tired and careless. If a plan collapses, the fallback is always the same: walk what you can, then call the casa for a driver.

Havana is generally low on violent crime but has persistent petty scams aimed at visitors: unofficial taxis quoting a fare and then demanding more, drivers who take a long route, and people who offer to guide you and then ask for payment. The defence is the same every time — agree the price first, in cash, and use a driver your accommodation knows.

Old cars without seatbelts are a genuine risk, not just a quirk. If the belt is missing, ask for another car or accept the risk knowingly. At night, pre-book rather than hail, and avoid walking back through poorly lit parts of Centro.

For a fuller picture of street-level risk, read the city safety page before you plan your evenings.

Most Havana day trips are close enough for a morning start and an evening return: the beaches east of the city, the Hemingway sites, and the countryside around Soroa. Each one needs a car and driver or a place on a colectivo, so book the day before and agree whether the price covers waiting time.

For longer runs, the Víazul bus and colectivo network covers Viñales, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and Baracoa, but schedules in 2026 are fragile. Varadero is the easiest beach add-on from Havana, and the country-level transport page explains how the whole network fits together.