Are you going on holiday to Cuba? Perhaps you’re thinking of driving around the Island of Cuba? Our guide to driving in Cuba gives you the facts and information you’ll want to know
If want to see a lot of the remote scenic spots that Cuba has to offer and you can afford to rent a car, then driving in Cuba is probably the best option. Driving in Cuba gives you the freedom to go where you want in Cuba, whenever you want. Also, if you are going as a group or three or four people, then you can split the costs and share the driving in Cuba, making it a relatively cheap experience as well.
Driving Expenses in Cuba
There is no way to import your car to Cuba for a holiday, so the only option left if you want to do some driving in Cuba is to rent a car. You will typically have the option of driving five or six different models of car, that are usually either old American cars from before the revolution in Cuba, or newer Korean and Japanese cars.
You can expect to pay around $50 per day of driving in Cuba, with discounts for long term rentals. The other main driving expense is fuel which is easy enough to find at main towns.
Many people who choose the driving option in Cuba also tend to pay a dollar or so per night to a parking attendant who will keep an eye on the car to make sure nobody steals it or damages it. There are also some highways in Cuba that exact a toll of about $2 for driving on it.
Driving Conditions in Cuba
Cuba has some of the best driving and road conditions in Latin America. Because of sanctions, most people in Cuba cannot afford cars, which means driving in Cuba is quite a pleasant experience due to the lack of traffic.
All major routes are well maintained although there are sometimes small patches on long routes that haven’t been recently repaired and caution is advised while driving on these bumpy parts.
Cuba uses internationally recognised driving and traffic symbols although roads are not always signposted very well making it important to run through your route in Cuba before you commence driving. Cuba has a lot of cyclists who sometimes ride in the middle of the road, so one should be patient and slow down when faced with such a situation while driving.
Driving Laws in Cuba
Driving in Cuba occurs on the right hand side of the road and the use of seat belts while driving is optional. The speed limit for driving on freeways in Cuba is 100km p/h, while the driving limit in urban areas is 50km p/h. Speeding tickets are usually issued on the spot and cost $10 which is then deducted from the car rental deposit.
