Cuba Guide
Getting around
By taxi
Taxis have become one of the most popular expressions of private enterprise. The official metered state taxis are the easiest to spot and getting hold of one by telephone isn't usually a problem. Cost depends primarily on the size of the car. For the smallest hatchback taxi in a provincial town you will be charged around 30 (convertible peso) centavos per kilometre, whilst in Havana a saloon car can cost as much as 90 (convertible peso) centavos per kilometre, with luxury taxis even pricier.
As ubiquitous are individually owned cars, predominantly 1950s American classics or Russian Ladas, which are run as taxis by their owners. The local name for these is máquinas or taxis particulares, but those that carry tourists are referred to throughout this guide as private taxis. Officially, drivers can charge in either convertible pesos or pesos, depending on their licence, but most will try to charge tourists in convertible pesos. Intra-city journeys typically cost between $2 and $5, but negotiation is part and parcel of the unofficial system. For longer trips, there is usually a specific area of a town, invariably next door to a bus station, where taxis wait for long-distance passengers. As a rough indicator, a driver will be looking for between $20 and $30 per 100km.
Peso taxis are known as colectivos, into which drivers fit as many passengers as possible. More akin to a privately run bus service, they are used almost exclusively by Cubans and can be flagged down from the roadside, though they are likely to ignore tourists, probably on the assumption that foreigners are unlikely either to understand the system or to be carrying pesos. It is generally accepted in Havana that a trip within the city in a colectivo will cost ten pesos. The rest of the country is similar.