Cuba Guide
Getting around
By car
Given that so much of Cuba is not properly served by public transport, the most convenient (though substantially more expensive) way to get around the island is undoubtedly in your own rental car. Also, traffic jams are almost unheard of and, away from the cities, at least, many roads are almost empty.
There is a confusing array of car rental agencies, despite the fact that they are all state-run firms. Apart from prices, which are rarely less than $35 a day and more often between $50 and $70, the essential difference between the agencies is the type and make of car they offer. Havanautos (Calle 1ra esq. 0, Miramar, Havana 
7/203-98-15 or 203-96-57, reservations 204-06-47 or 204-06-48, 
www.havanautos.cu ) and Transautos (Calle 40-a esq. 3ra, Miramar, Havana 7/204-76-44, reservations 204-55-32, www.transtur.cu ) have the most branches throughout the island as well as the widest range of vehicles. For any chance of getting a car that isn't the most expensive model, it's essential to book at least a day in advance. All agencies require you to have held a driving licence from your home country or an international licence for at least a year, and that you be at least 21.
Driving in Cuba is on the right-hand side of the road. There is only one motorway in the whole country – el autopista – and from Havana it cuts through the country down to the eastern edge of Sancti Spíritus province and in the other direction to the provincial capital of Pinar del Río; it fluctuates between six and eight lanes. Road markings are almost nonexistent and the 100km/hr speed limit would undoubtedly lead to accidents were there more traffic. The main alternative route for most long-distance journeys is the two-lane Carretera Central, a more scenic though far more congested road with an 80km/hr speed limit. The quality of minor roads varies enormously and potholes are commonplace. Driving anywhere outside the cities is dangerous at night, but to mountain resorts like Viñales or Topes de Collantes, where the winding hillside roads are both narrow and without crash barriers, it's positively suicidal. The high proportion of cyclists on the road (the vast majority without lights) and the amount of horse-drawn transport are also cause for caution.