Traveling by bus through Cuba

In January 2017, we traveled through Cuba and wondered how to get from point A to point B. The answer is: Viazul. This is the state-owned bus company that operates bus connections between all major cities in Cuba.

Nowadays, you can look up the connections on the new Viazul website and theoretically book tickets. It is advisable to do the research BEFORE your stay in Cuba, as internet access is rare in Cuba, as the internet spreads dangerous, liberal thoughts. One problem is that bus connections can only be planned up to 3 days in advance, so you cannot really book ahead.

Therefore, you will have to buy the tickets directly at a ticket counter at the bus stations. Just don't wait too long, as the seats on the buses are in high demand and can sell out quickly. This is especially true for popular destinations like Trinidad. Our approach was to buy the tickets for the next trip upon arrival. When the ticket counter was open. Speaking a little Spanish can be helpful for buying tickets.

The buses are relatively new and mostly from the Chinese manufacturer Yutong. Luggage is loaded into the luggage compartment from the side, as usual, and at least for us, it did not disappear along the way. The seats themselves are actually quite comfortable. However, sleeping is not particularly comfortable, which is a shame, as the journeys are long and often overnight.

The longest route is from Havana (La Habana) to Santiago. It takes 20 hours and is overnight. The bus network is completely focused on Havana, which means that depending on the route, you often have to plan an intermediate stop with overnight stay there. Since Havana is more to the west, this is not ideal.

The time estimates are more like recommendations, as it can also take longer at the first stop to get started.

Costs

The prices are not as low as one would hope for in Cuba, for example, the connection from Havana to Santiago currently costs 56 US dollars per person.

Conclusion

There is not really an alternative to Viazul if you want to get around in Cuba but don't want to venture into the adventure of renting a car. We had to adjust our travel plans a few times because there were no suitable bus connections in the next few days. This is not a problem with a rental car. By the way, the train in Cuba is only for enthusiasts, according to Cubans, it is incredibly slow and even more unreliable than the bus connections.