Hi,

I cannot comment re Cayo Guillermero and the ferry arrangments (note that some of the cayos are connected to the mainland by bridges) but regardless of who you booked with, all transfers in Cuba are managed and provided by one of the two state owned tour companies (either Hanavantour or Cubatour). Whether it's a bus or taxi will largely depend on how many other people are arriving at the same time as you and staying at the same hotel. If your paperwork says taxi transfer even though you didn't book it as an optional extra, this probably just means that there aren't enough people to warrant using a bus and they'll have a taxi waiting instead. It doesn't matter if this isn't what you booked - they'll just send you whatever is the cheapest way for them unless you've paid extra specifically for a direct taxi transfer, in which case it always will definitely be a taxi.

On my most recent trip, because I was arriving in Havana from Santiago on the late evening plane (most tourists arrive on the morning plane) I was met by a local taxi driver with a people carrier holding up a placard with my name on who had been booked by Havanatour to take me to Varadero, rather than them using one of their buses to take just one passenger. This being Cuba, the taxi driver's wife came along for the ride and his brother-in law hitched a lift home from the airport as it was on our way! I could have objected - but what the hell, this was Cuba! - and it meant that they talked amongst themselves rather than practising their Englsih on me and I could get some shut-eye On the whole of this nearly 3 week tour, the only time I actually was transferrred by bus was on first arriving at Havana airport and then on my last day from Varadero back to Havana airport. All the other transfers where by taxi or small people carrier even though I hadn't requested this - it was just more convenient for them.

SM

...thank you so much sma,

you are a font of knowledge as always!

i am very much looking forward to this trip and hope to take in some of the mainland including havana during our stay, it seems to be somewhere of fascination and a welcome change from the beaches, although these look wonderful too!

thanks again

Hi emmacat,

I just love talking about Cuba! If you get the chance, yes, do go to Havana and if you can mange it, do at least one overnight stay. Havana really comes alive at night and the Cubans keep really late hours - bars and clubs with live music etc don't really start to get going until 10.00pm. I always feel really sorry when I see tourists being herded off to their buses and back to their hotels when I know that the headline band of the night hasn't even come on stage yet!

SM