Helen, I've found the answer

To do a beach stay and 3 nights in Havana it's best to stay in Varadero. Brochure says Havana is only a 2 hour drive by coach from Varadero airport. The stay I've been looking at takes you straight to Havana for first 3 nights and then to Varadero hotel. When I mentioned the flying option to hubby he wasn't very interested- said we'd spend too long faffing about at the airports.

The main resort accessible to Havana is Varadero, Its a 2 hour coach journey.

Varadero does have its own airport and the 2 times we have been there we have flown into there and its a short 15 min transfer, But some airlines including I think Virgin use Havana.

Guardalavaca in the south is about an hour by plane from Havana.

Guardalavaca is wonderful back for third time end of June we did Havana from there last year overnight trip very good a bout hours flight.

Hi Helen,

I'm not sure whether you are asking because your flight from the UK lands in Havana and you are asking about how long it will take to get to your hotel or because you are wanting to visit Havana as an excursion trip. Most UK-based TOs don't usually use transfers from Havana but instead fly direct to either Varadero, Holguin or Cayo Coco. Havana is used mainly by the scheduled companies eg BA, Virgin, Air France, Iberia and Madrid. On the whole, I'd expect you to only fly into Havana from the UK if you've not booked a standard package but rather a tailormade itinerary and then, yes it will probably be a coach transfer of around 2 hrs to Varadero but an internal flight if staying elsewhere. Some bespoke packages that are based on flights in and out of Havana will include a 3 day stay in the city at either the beginning or end of your holiday so that there is only one return transfer trip to your resort hotel.

So I'm going to assume that the reason why you're asking is because you want to be able to visit Havana whilst being based in one fo the beach resorts for your holiday but the detasils of journey times apply to both situations really.

As others have said, Varadero is the closest of the beach resorts used by UK TOs to Havana. For trips to Havana from there, yes, it takes approx 2 hours by road - a little more if you are at the far end of the peninsula, a little less if at the start of it. Sometimes tourists are flown by charter planes from Varadero for day trips into Havana but it doesn't really save that much time by the time the coach has wended its way picking everybody up, then going through security etc and don't forget the journey into Havana from the airport - this can take up to 30 mins depending on traffic and the time of day.

If you are staying anywhere else on the island then it's likely that you'll be transferred by plane from either Holguin or Santiago depending on which is nearer to your resort. Flights between Santiago and Havana take approx 1hr, to Holguin a little less. Allowing for coach transfers between hotel and airport etc the actual journey time is still only around 2hrs - 2hrs30mins max. In other words, it doesn't really matter where you stay - expect the journey time between resort and Havana to be around the same. This is why I would always advise trying to do it with at least one overnight in Havana - it's a lot of travelling time for just one day and you won't really get the flavour of Havana without hitting the town for a night out.

If I can help with any other info - just ask.

SM

Hi Sm,

Do you know if it would be possible to book a trip to Havana from varadero for just one overnight stay? All the brochures I have here do a 3 night stay with 11 nights in the beach resort.

Ideally, I'd like to book 14 nights AI in varadero and then book a trip to Havana with an overnight stay (sometime during those 14 mights). Do you know if I'd be able to book the one night Havana trip in the resort of varadero either with a rep or independently? Thanks!

If you book via Thomson or First choice or Thomas Cook they do overnight trips to Havana.
They also do same from Guardalavaca I did it last year Havana not to be missed, back again in 8 weeks for 3rd time wonderful place.

Hi Shirley,

Am I correct in thinking that you and Helen are sisters who often go on holiday together? Is this a joint trip to Cuba that you are planning? If it is, then that opens up other possibilities because regardless of who you book with, the actual excursion is going to be provided by one or other of the two state travel/tourist agencies - Havantur and Cubatur. Those aren't typos by the way - there's no 'o' in their Cuban names. If you add an 'o' when you Google you'll be taken to the websites of their UK offices.

The Cuban site for Havanatur seems to be currently unavailable at the moment but the URL for the English language site for Cubatur is

http://www.cubatur.cu/indexeng.html

they have an office in Varadero at

Calle Primera Esq. 33, Varadero.Matanzas.Cuba
TEL:(5345)66-7217 Fax:(5345)61-4440

and their email address is

varadero@cubatur.cu

and I can look up the contact details for Havanatur in my paperwork from my last trip when I get home - but I do know that they have an office in Varadero too.

According to their website, Cubatur definitely still do an Havana trip with a visit to the Tropicana nightclub (very touristy but an expereince nevertheless!) and an overnight stay but there are no prices up for it. You'll find that most of the hotels will have a desk for one or other agency in them and they would book you something even if your TO doesn't offer a 1 night stay. Booking via your TO will guarantee an English speaking guide and it wouldn't necessarily be any cheaper to book direct. Cubatur might be marginally cheaper as they deal mainly with the domestic ie Cuban market and Havantur is aimed mainly at the foreign tourist market. But if booking direct stress that you want an English speaking guide - the standard of English spoken by the staff of both of them is usually very good but it's not helpful to end up in a multi-lingual group if youc an avoid it.

Where both will score, however, is that if you are travelling as two couples, then they will almost certainly be willing to put together a personal package for the four of you based on using a people carrier with a personal driver and guide. It won't necessarily be cheaper but it's unlikely to be that much more expensive either than booking with your TO. For the same prices as the British TOs were charging I toured western Cuba with 3 other people and eastern Cuba entirely on my own though still with people carrier, driver and personal guide! In my experience, nothing will be too much trouble for them and they will tailor what you do and see to exactly your wishes and you'll get much more choice about the hotel you stay in etc too. So I would suggest that this is certainly worth thinking about. Either way I don't think that there'd much to be gained from booking in advance - they could sort you out with something once you arrive but an email to check out ballpark prices would help you decide whether it was worth booking with your TO rep or leaving it until you arrive and booking direct and/or asking for a private trip to be put together for you.

SM

Hi SM - thanks for all that info. Yes Shirley & I would be going together, possibly with another couple as well. I didn't really want 3 nights in Havana either prefering either just an overnight or 2 night stay. It seems we've got a few options to look at before deciding. We've only just hit upon the idea of Cuba, so it's by no means certain that that's where we'll end up Thanks again for taking the time to answer - pricing things up will be the next priority. We like to go off somewhere for Easter as well, so price will be paramount, as we have to go in the school summer holidays.

Hi Helen,

No problem - glad to be of help. But if you do go to Cuba and there are 6 of you going to Varadero then I'd definitely pursue the tailormade option. Either of the local companies are going to regard a group of 6 as a very viable group size on its own and you are going to benefit from the personal touch too. A win-win situation for them and you.

I do understand that a 3 night trip is a large chunk out of a 14 day holiday but if you go, do give serious consideration to doing a 2 night stay. That way you could still do the Tropicana if you want the big extravaganza experience but could also spend a evening just mooching around the local bars in Havana Vieja and enjoying live music in smaller more low key venues. Also, if you are wanting to soak up the atmosphere, do try and stay in one of the smaller, older hotels in Havana Vieja (the old town) rather than one of the larger hotels in Centro - and avoid Mirimar like the plague! Not because the hotels aren't good but because it's essentially an outer suburb and you'll spend a lot of time travelling backwards and forwards to where the action is - and a lot on taxis to do so if you don't go down the tailormade route. The only thing that Mirimar has going for it is the beaches but if you are based in Varadero for the bulk of your holiday then you'll be disappointed by the quality of the beaches around Havana in comparison. There is a decent Casa de Musica there if you want to try and catch one of the big bands playing but it it would be better to travel out there - it's easy enough to arange for a taxi to come back and collect you if you want but unless you are a truly dedicated fan of Cuban music I wouldn't bother - you'll hear really good music in almost any bar or hotel you go into on Obispo!

SM

Fantastic info Sm. It sounds a real possibility for our summer hol 2011. I will do a little more resarch. As we would probably be on a B&B basis in our Havana hotel, do you have any idea about the price of drinks in the bars? Also how reasonable is the cost of food/ Thanks again.

Hi Shirley and Helen,

Re Drinks prices it really does depend on what sort of a bar it is. At somewhere like La Floridita you can expect to pay up to 7CUCs for a cocktail. But that's because it's a pretty posh, formal bar and where Hemingway drank so all the tourists go there to have their photos taken alongside the lifesize bronze statue of him at the bar! Go for one Daiquiri and then move on because that's well over £5 per drink! At La Bodegeita you'll pay less but it's still pricey because that's were he used to drink his Mojitos but then as long as you buy just one you can stay all evening and listen to the music without anybody pestering you to buy another. But on the whole expect to pay around 4/5CUCs for a cocktail, around 2CUCs for local beer in an average bar.

But the best prices around Havan Vieja are often in the hotels which charge a 'cover' if there is a good band playing but that usually means that your first 2 drinks are free. So for between 7 and 10CUCs you'll get entrance to an outstanding performance and a couple of cocktails thrown in. But if you drink where the locals drink, then a rum and cola or similar can cost as little as 2CUCs. But if you like rum with just mixers and you find a place you like the cheapest way of spending the evening is to do what the locals do and to buy a whole bottle of rum for the table and mixers as you need them. It would be rare in my experience to pay more than 15 CUCs in even the most popular venues for a bottle and mixers are usually around 1CUC for a can of cola or carton of juice and in the smaller bars away from the main tourist haunts then 10CUCs for a full bottle of decent rum would be regarded as pricey because a bottle of white rum sells for half that in the shops. And if you do buy a bottle you'll be regarded as someone who knows their way around if on opening it you pour the first few drops out on the ground (only to be advised in bars with a hard floor - not one with a nice carpet!). Cubans traditionally do this as an 'offering' to the Santeria gods even if they are not practising believers.

RE Food prices, well on the whole Cuban food isn't up to much - it's fuel and not a gastronomic experience and the best food is to be had in Paladares. These are privately run restaurants in people's own homes - there probably won't be a menu as such, just a choice of meat or fish main course, salad and potatos and/or rice, fired plantain and flan (a variation of baked egg custard or creme caramel) to follow but it will be good, fresh and plentiful and including drinks can be very reasonable. In Santiago I would regard 15 CUCs to be at the pricier end and it would frequently be lobster at that price! But Paladares can be hard to find and what's hot one month can have fallen out of favour by the next - you have to ask around. But if you do decide to book a tailormade excursion with Cubatur or Havanatur, then the price is likely to include all meals with the first drink included and whilst they won't use paladares they will use restaurants that are a cut above the average. Any other drinks you'll pay for separately but the main profit for the restaurant is the food and the drinks will be much more reasonable than in most bars. This can be the most cost effective way to go about things.

It's worth noting that the reason why the driver and guide will be so attentive is that this is regarded as a plum job for them because they will get to eat in the same restaurants as you and they want to make sure that no adverse feedback finds it's way back to the company and they don;t get offered this sort of job in the future. The usual etiquette is that they will sit at a separate table and will only sit with you if you invite them to do so. But if you do they will happily chat away with you, answer any questions you want to ask and give you an insight into Cuban life that as a tourist you probably wouldn't otherwise get. Similarly of an evening they will probably ask if you want to have time to yourself or whether you would like them to show you around etc. If you want time to yourself, they'll drop you off and leave you to it. If you take up the offer to be taken to various music venues etc then they'll accompany you and the usual etiquette is that you will need to buy them a drink - they are unlikely to be able to afford the CUC prices for themselves but unless you get to know them really well they will only accept one drink, make iot last all evening and politely decline by the time you get to your 2nd round. And more often then not the guide will drink nothing stronger than a beer and the driver will stick to a non-alcoholic soft drink.

At the moment the Convertible Peso (CUC), which is what tourists are expected to use, tends to move up and down with the Euro. On Sunday, I'm meeting up with a Cuban friend who's just arrived here for a holiday and can check the current exchange rate with him but it seems to have been hovering around 1.20CUC to the £1.

Anything else I can help with?

SM

That's plenty to be going on with thanks. If we decide to take the plunge and go, I'm sure there'll be lots more questions later on.

No problem, helen, I guess you've realised by now what a huge fan I am of all things Cuban

SM

Sma, as you've probably realised we didn't get to Cuba this year but it's back on the agenda for next year

Our younger sister wants to join Helen and I for a family holiday and we're thinking about Cuba again. we don't see any point in going all that way though without visiting Havana, so ultimately it will come down to cost.

I've just reread this thread and I'm so grateful once again for all your info. I'm going to point it out again to Helen and my other sis who's recently joined this forum.

As a matter of interest I can't find any package deals to Varadero with any of the main operators for next August although there are plenty around for the other beach resorts
thanks again

It's very strange, because First Choice actually lists the hotels in Varadero, but when you enter any dates in August, they come up as unavailable

Hi Shirley and Helen, how strange! I wouldn't have thought that they'd be all booked up already for next August - I wonder if they are planning to drop/reduce their Varadero flights? Do they come up as being available for other dates? Perhaps someone in the industry can shed light on this?

I'd guessed that Cuba didn't work out but if you get the chance to got his year, then, yes, it is a shame to go all that way and not spend some time in Havana. Do ask if there is anything else I can help with.

I didn't manage to get out there myself this summer because of going through an acute phase of a long term chronic health condition at the time I would have needed to commit myself and book the flights. However, I've just taken a partial severance package from work and dropped down to part-time working which means that I'm no longer confined to academic holidays quite so rigidly, so I'm looking at the possibilities of a trip in October if I can get decent priced flights at short notice or else go in February/March which is a great time to go.

SM

Hi SMa, I've managed to get a few varadero holidays up with TC. We've also picked up some brochures today to get an idea on price for the twin centre hols. 3 nights in Havana, along with 11 at a Varadero hotel, seems to be roughly £100-£150 pp more than the 14 nts AI at the one beach hotel. I'm doubting whether we'd get the 3 nights in Havana cheaper than that if we booked it locally, considering we'd have to pay for the transfer too. We're still keeping our options open.

Hi Shirley, that sounds like a pretty good deal - I've heard of people paying more than that for just the 1 night excursion to Havana. Even if it might just be possible to arrange it yourselves once you arrive for a little less, I doubt that there would be much in it and doing it as a two centre holiday as you suggest would be a lot less hassle.

It's probably based on staying in Havana for either your first three or last nights? If it is, that's probably why it's such a good price - you're benefitting from the fact that TC (and therefore you) are only paying for the 11 nights you are actually in your Varadero hotel whereas if you did it as an excursion during the holiday - whether through TC or off your own bat - you'd still be paying for the room for 14 nights plus the accommadation in Havana and the transfer etc. At that price, I'd go for it in your shoes.

Hope you can persuade the BiL to go

SM

SM

BIL is Helen's hubby and when I saw him today he seemed up for it and quite excited- that was before we had an idea on price

The example I was quoting was for the first 3 nights in Havana, transferring to Varadero on the 4th day.

Another option, I really like the look of is booking the Varadero hotel for 14 nights AI and then adding on a supplement of £139pp for the Footsteps of Hemmingway 4 day tour. It works out good value for money at only £50pp more than the twin centre option and for that you still get the 3 nights in Havana as part of the tour, plus a guide, plus lunch and evening meals (instead of just the b&b). Drinks would be extra.

We all need to sit down and discuss it so I doubt whether we'll make a definite decision until younger sis gets back from Barbados. She doesn't go until a week thursday, so we need to give her time to think about things when she gets back.