How to get to Varadero

Like no other country, Cuba attracts Russian traveler with their beaches. And the point here is not only in the ideal Caribbean landscapes, but also in the special spirit and mood that prevails on Liberty Island. They fly to Cuba to feel nostalgic for the old days, when sterile cleanliness reigned on store shelves, and people knew how to enjoy even the simplest trifles. Cubans in this sense are very similar to our former ones, and therefore the answer to the question of how to get to Varadero is sought and found by thousands of tourists who have decided to return to the past at least for a few days.

Choosing wings

Two airlines, Aeroflot and Cubana, make direct regular flights to Cuba from Russia, but their boards fly from Moscow to Havana. There are two possible options to get to the beaches of Varadero - either buy a ticket to Havana and go to the chosen hotel from there, or fly to the famous Caribbean resort with a transfer at one of the European airports:

• You can directly fly from Moscow to Havana aboard Aeroflot. The issue price is from $700. Travel time 12.5 hours.
• You can get to Havana cheaper by Air France and KLM. Their prices for tickets to Cuba are traditionally more humane than those of other carriers. The cost of the flight is from $ 600, you will have to spend in the sky from 13 hours.
• It will be cheaper for everyone to buy a ticket to Varadero Airport on a Belgian Airlines flight or on board Lufthansa. With a connection in Brussels or Frankfurt, the journey will take at least 20 hours. The price of flights depends on how far in advance they are booked and on the time of year. Approximately for the round trip you will have to pay $ 700 - $ 800.

Varadero Airport receives many international flights daily and is in second place after Havana in terms of the number of passengers served. Harbour Air most popular resort Cuba is located 20 km from the center of Varadero and bears the name of Juan Gualberto Gomez.
Cuban taxi drivers are the most willing to answer the question of how to get to Varadero from the international airport. For their services, they will ask from $40 to $50, depending on the degree of self-confidence. With the ability to bargain and the availability of free time and desire to do this, you can always "drop" the price to $25-$30.
Second and most cheap way to get to the strip of hotels - use the services of public transport. It is represented at Varadera airport by Viazul buses. IN resort area they leave several times a day, the journey takes about half an hour, and the price of the trip is $6.

• The Viazul bus timetable, ticket prices and other useful details can be found on the website - www.viazul.com. The resource has an English version.

How to get to Varadero from the capital

Having settled on the flight option Moscow - Havana, you can kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, you will be able to save a lot when buying an air ticket, especially if you try to book a seat on a flight in advance. Experienced independent travelers use email services special offers, which can be subscribed to on the websites of air carriers. The second advantage of a trip to Varadero via Havana is the opportunity to get acquainted with the many sights of the Cuban capital, central part which is listed by UNESCO world heritage humanity.
Once at the Havana airport, decide what you would like to do next. If you are interested in old Havana, you can get to the city both by taxi and by public transport:

• Coming out of international terminal walk a couple of tens of meters to the left. The taxi rank is located here, as is the shuttle stop between the terminals. Taxi drivers will ask for about $25 for their services. You can bargain with them indefinitely, but you are unlikely to be able to drop the price. The shuttle will take you to the Terminal 1 stop for just a few cents. There, crossing the road, you will see the stop of the city buses R15 and R12, following to the area of ​​Varadero and old Havana.
• If sightseeing in Havana is not your plan, you can take a taxi from the capital's airport and travel to Varadero in comfort. The cost of the service will be approximately $100 per car. When you get to the center of Havana, you can find a taxi for $70-80. At the airport, prices are always higher.
• The second way to get to Varadero from the capital is to get to the Viazul bus station in Havana and buy a ticket for a flight to Varadero. They leave at 8.00, 10.00, 13.00 and 17.00 and three hours later arrive at the most popular Cuban resort. The price of the trip is $10.

The most profitable option is to find representatives of travel companies and hotels among those meeting at the Havana airport and arrange a transfer to Varadero with them. Usually this service costs about $15-20, but you should not count on luck in this case for obvious reasons.

All prices in the material are approximate and are given for March 2017. It is better to check the exact fare on the official websites of carriers.

(archive) / Latin America

We are planning a trip in the spring. So far, we can't decide on a location. At first they wanted to go to Sri Lanka, but the reviews I read did not inspire me. The choice fell on Cuba or DR. Based on numerous reviews and personal experience organize a late on one's own it turns out much cheaper, especially if you take care of it in advance. Hence the question: Where do you advise to go and whether it is worth bothering independent booking hotels and tickets? How Is it generally the case with taxis and other things if you are not going from a travel agency?

Victorica... through TO. Cuba on one's own cheaper, we bought from solyson, flights to Kuban (shared flight with Aeroflot) chose hotels, etc. Spent almost 3 weeks in Cuba: Havana - Cayo Largo - Varadero. Varadero- Cuban Türkiye or Egypt. Doing nothing there at all, I howled on the 3rd day and we took the car and rushed back to Havana. Cayo Largo is ... why, we thought again semi-independently through solison, our route, etc. but counting how much How- it turns out expensive. Probably I will have to completely surrender to the tenacious paws of TO :) Now Cubana has ...

Post-instruction on how to get from Havana Airport in Cuba to Havana and the most popular resort on the island - Varadero.

• Havana airport code: HAV
• International airport name: Jose Marti International Airport
• Airport address: Avenida Nguyen Van Troi, Boyeros, La Habana, Cuba
• Local time: GMT -5
• Opening hours: around the clock
• Visa: A visa to Cuba for Russians and Belarusians is not required when staying on the island for no more than 30 days. Citizens of Ukraine to visit Cuba must obtain a visa. The validity of a passport to visit Cuba is at least 1 month from the end of the trip. Upon arrival in Cuba, a migration card must be filled out in two copies.
• Currency of Cuba: Cuban peso, 1 peso = 100 centavos. Current exchange rate: 1 Cuban peso = 0.03 US dollars or 2.2 rubles. Money can be safely changed at the airport, because. the course is the same everywhere.
• Date of construction of the airport: 1930
• Passenger turnover of Havana Airport: more than 4 million passengers
• Airfare Moscow - Havana: from 390 USD two way
• Regular Aeroflot flights from Moscow fly from Russia to Havana Airport.
• Havana airport location: Cuba island, 11 km south of Havana
• Distance to resorts: Havana Airport - Varadero 170 km
• Airport Phone: (53 7) 266 4644 / (53 7) 33 5777
• Weather at Havana airport during the year: the hottest months and the warmest sea are from July to September ( average temperature air: +30 +32 °С, average water temperature: +30 °С), the coldest and windiest months are from January to March (average air temperature: +25 +27 °С)
• Services at the airport Havana: ATMs, post office, currency exchange offices, paid Internet, smoking areas, travel agency and tour operator offices, car rental offices, taxi counter, VIP lounge, pharmacy, elevators, children's playroom, rum and cigarette shop, restaurants, cafeterias . The airport does not have a luggage storage, no hotel, and no free internet access.
• Beaches closest to the airport: Playa de Este (42 km from the airport), Playa de Haimanitas (22 km from the airport)

Brief description of the airport

José Marti International Airport in Havana is the largest international Airport freedom islands, hub for Cuban airlines Cubana de Aviación. The airport connects Cuba with other islands in the Caribbean, with the United States and Latin America as well as with Europe. The airport in Havana is the only airport in Cuba where regular direct flights from Russia fly. Travel time Moscow - Havana - 13 hours, flights depart every day.

Havana airport terminals

At Havana airport 4 passenger terminal and 1 cargo terminal.

• Terminal 1 - domestic flights within Cuba
• Terminal 2 - charter flights from the USA
• Terminal 3 - international flights(including flights from Russia)
• Terminal 5 - flights from the Caribbean

Shuttle buses run between individual terminals.

Among the most popular ways to travel from Havana airport to the center and resorts are bus, taxi, shuttle, rental car.

shuttle bus

This travel option is available to those who have purchased a package tour with a transfer to their resort. When you leave the airport terminal, you will be met by a representative of your tour operator who will tell you which bus you need to take. Some tourists who fly to Cuba on their own agree with transfer guides in advance and go to their hotel in a bus with other tourists at a price of 25-30 cookies per seat.

Bus to Havana and Varadero

There are no direct comfortable buses from the airport to the center of Havana. Local buses depart from Terminal 1 but are charged in Cuban Peso (CUP) and not Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC). The fact is that the money that is exchanged in exchange offices for tourists is the Cuban convertible peso, created specifically for the tourism sector and currency shops. Residents of the country also carry out payments in Cuban pesos.

Some tourists get creative and leave the airport on the highway, where they can wait for hours for a P12 or P16 city bus to get to Havana on a budget. The fare on such a bus is 10 pesos for an adult and 5 pesos for a child. The operating time of the route is approximate, even the airport staff may not know it - from about 6 am to 21 pm. However, for me, the search for such a bus and its long wait in the heat is a dubious pleasure, especially after many hours of transatlantic flight.

To get to Varadero, you will first need to get to the bus station in Havana by taxi. Address of the bus station in Havana, from which buses depart: Ave. 26 y Zoologico, Nuevo Vedado. Buses on the most popular route - Havana - Varadero - run 4 times a day. Travel time is 3 hours, ticket price is $10. In Varadero, the bus station is located at Calle 36 y Autopista. Bus tickets are available online at Viazul.com or at the ticket office at the bus station. In addition to Viazul buses, Cuba also has a budget bus carrier, Astro Bus.

Car rental

All car rental companies at Havana Airport are located in the arrivals area or next to the car park. Terminal 3 houses the local car rental offices of Cubacar, Rex, Havanautos and Via Transgaviota. It is recommended to book a car in advance, because. during the high season, the demand for rental cars often exceeds the supply. Prices vary from 50 to 125 cookies per day, depending on the time of year and car class. It is obligatory to purchase insurance at the price of 15 cookies per day.

Taking a car at the airport makes sense only if you immediately go from the airport to your resort. If you want to first explore the capital - Havana - then you will not need a car in it. In this case, you can rent it later in the capital itself.

Travel time by car from Havana airport: 30 minutes to Havana, 1 hour to Playa de Este, 2 hours to Varadero. On the roads of Cuba, Russian cars of the 1950s are very often found: Zila, Zhiguli, Muscovites. The traffic is not too busy. By car, you can reach the most remote corners of Cuba and will not depend on public transport. For example, to popular among Russian hotels Iberostar, Amigo Atlantico, Brizas del Caribe.

If you don't want to drive yourself, you can order private tour with a driver throughout the island - in which all your wishes will be taken into account.

Taxi transfer from Havana airport

Airport transfer is one of the most convenient ways get to your resort or hotel. Local taxis are available from stands located in front of all terminals. A taxi ride from the airport to Havana city center takes approximately 20-30 minutes and costs 20-25 CUC (US$20-25 equivalent) one way. Always negotiate the cost of the trip in advance, because. despite the fact that some taxis are equipped with meters, they are rarely turned on. Please note that taxis for locals are different from taxis for tourists. They are not equipped with air conditioning, broken and not always clean. However, their fares are very low. There are fewer and fewer rare taxi cars in Cuba now, and orange modern taxi cars from Hyundai and Skoda drive from the airport to the city.

Local in Varadero

What infinitely white beaches on Varadero, when there is a rainy season, where the history of Cuba comes from and other facts have already been written in the Internet space an infinite number of times.
Therefore, without stopping general information about Cuba and Varadero, I will immediately move on to specific questions that visited me when I was just planning to go to Cuba, for example: if you fly to Cuba through Havana, then how to go to Varadero on your own, what are the prices for a taxi and is it possible to pre-order a transfer from Havana to Varadero, and also if you fly to Varadero by charter, then how can you go on an excursion to Havana yourself. Perhaps you also have some of the above questions. Here I answer!

Moscow-Varadero: direct flights and flights via Havana.

When you plan to travel to a country on your own, in this case Cuba, the most expensive purchases are air travel and hotel accommodation. Therefore, I approached the purchase of a ticket to Cuba very carefully: I monitored prices from different airlines, followed promotions and discounts, subscribed to send cheap tickets from aviasales.ru , waiting for charter flights.
As a result, I bought a ticket to Cuba on the route Irkutsk-Moscow-Havana-Moscow-Irkutsk for only 57 thousand rubles, which by Irkutsk standards, taking into account the expensive flight to Moscow, is very cheap.

How to get to Varadero in Cuba direct flight Moscow - Varadero and through Havana.

Direct flight Moscow-Varadero it takes as much time as the Moscow-Havana flight, but such flights are not always the case. For example, Nordwind Airlines(North Wind Airlines) there are charter flights in the direction of Moscow-Varadero.
For prices and the availability of direct flights from Moscow to Varadero, you can navigate using the low price calendar:

From Moscow to Varadero can be reached through Havana.
If we compare the prices for the flight Moscow-Varadero and Moscow-Havana, then the difference can be more than 10 thousand rubles in favor of the flight to Havana.

Flight over Varadero

I wrote about the prices of air tickets to Cuba (Moscow-Havana), as well as how to book and buy air tickets to Havana online in the article

You will find all the information on how, upon arriving in Havana, to find accommodation, book accommodation in Havana in advance, about the transfer from Havana airport to the city, see the article
If you are not going to stay in Havana and want to go to Varadero right away then…

How to get from Havana airport to Varadero on your own.

The distance from Havana to Varadero is 134 km.
Getting from Havana to Varadero You can independently take the Viasul intercity bus. In general, it is cheaper to travel around Cuba on these buses than on a taxi or a collective taxi. Buses have a convenient schedule, and bus stations are located only in Havana far from the center, and for example in Varadero, Trinidad, Santa Clara, etc. right in the city.
The fare to Varadero from Havana is 9.5 cookies (which equals 9.5 euros). Travel time - 3 hours.
Intercity buses from Havana to Varadero run several times a day. Bus schedule - a screenshot from the page of the official Viasul website):

Bus schedule from Havana to Varadero (screenshot from the Viazul website page)

When planning a trip to Varadero, you should once again look at the schedule directly on the website: http://www.viazul.com/index.php

Transfer Havana-Varadero, taxi prices from Havana to Varadero.

Transfer prices Havana-Varadero fluctuate around 150 cookies. If you catch a taxi collectively, then this cost is divided by all passengers. Approximately 25 cookies per person in a 6 seater car.
You can catch a taxi and a taxi collective at central square in Havana or near the Viazul bus terminal, as well as at the Havana airport.
You can order a transfer from Havana to Varadero in advance through the service Kiwi Taxi .
You can book a Havana-Varadero transfer or find out the price using this form:

Excursions to Varadero: the island of Cayo Blanco and swimming with dolphins.

Resting on Varadero, travel companies offer a variety of excursions. We liked the excursion to the island in the Atlantic Ocean - Cayo Blanco. In principle, for sophisticated travelers, the island will not become something outlandish. Ordinary island, white sand, emerald water.

the island of Cayo Blanco, the sky was gloomy, as a result, a downpour struck)

The tour enticed us with the opportunity to swim with dolphins.
However, we were very disappointed with how it turned out.
And so, they are taken to the island on a comfortable catamaran.

Catamaran in Marina Marlin, Varadero

Drinks and snacks are included in the price of the tour. First, as in all sea ​​excursions in countries located by the seas, oceans, the first stop is at the coral reef. Everyone is given masks and tubes for snorkeling.
If you have been to the Red Sea in Egypt, then you will most likely be disappointed with snorkeling off the coast of Varadero. Compared to the flora and fauna of the Red Sea Atlantic Ocean(at least in this part - near Varadero) loses a lot. However, colorful fish are still available.

Next - declared swimming with dolphins. Just for the sake of this pleasure, we bought this tour.
The price for an excursion from Varadero to Cayo Blanco is 110 cookies (110 euros). If without swimming with dolphins, then the price of the tour will be lower - 80 cookies.
On the tour brochures, photos of this attraction look something like this:

me and a dolphin, and no one around) And if it weren’t for a life jacket, one could say that this was a chance meeting in the ocean)

In fact, everything is much simpler - like this.

Mini oceanarium and trained dolphin)

A couple of trained dolphins swim in this mini-dolphinarium and free swimming with them is prohibited. You won’t be able to take photos either, since there are a lot of people and everyone is standing in a line and with their backs to the pier. A professional photographer works on site, who for 10 cookies (10 euros) is ready to take a picture of you without other people. The trainer will give commands, the dolphin will perform (for example, lie on the palm of your hand) and the photographer will photograph how you supposedly hold the dolphin. Photos will be ready in the evening of the same day and they will be brought to you directly to the hotel or to the box office.
Ride a dolphin for 10 seconds (one tiny circle) - 10 cookies. Only in this case it becomes possible to take pictures yourself. Otherwise, you need to order a photographer.

Of course, indescribable sensations, but I didn’t have time to enjoy the process in 10 seconds)

But there is a plus in this tour. Lunch is included in the price and this is the only place in Cuba where we managed to eat plenty of seafood. The excursion to Cayo Blanco for lunch provides a buffet and you can eat "until you burst."

Lunch at Cayo Blanco

The excursion to Cayo Blanca starts from the very beautiful bay of Marlin Marina. We envied a little those who lived in the BLAU VARADERO hotel - from the catamaran they immediately ran to their rooms to relax after such a busy journey through the expanses of the Atlantic) And we went to the center of Varadero, as we rented accommodation from the locals.

Excursion from Varadero to Havana: self-book a tour of Havana.

Arriving in Cuba on your own, you can book excursions at the offices of the CUBA TOUR company. In Varadero, Cuba Tour's office is located in mall located right in the center of Varadero. This is one of the biggest travel companies in Cuba. But small local travel agencies also sell trips to Havana.
Attention! If you buy an excursion to Varadero from travel company, it will be either in English or in Spanish.
A tour of Havana with a Russian-speaking guide can be ordered from local residents:

You can go on an excursion to Havana on your own, without a travel agency. Walk the streets of Old and New Havana or take a ride on sightseeing bus(omnibus), which leaves every 15 minutes from the central square in Havana. The cost of such an excursion is 10 cookies per person. The bus runs to the sights of Havana. From it you can leave and go during the day on one ticket. The audio guide talks about Havana in English.

Architecture of Old Havana

You can get from Varadero to Havana in the same way as from Havana to Varadero, in several ways:
1) on the intercity bus of the Viasul company, cost - 9.5 cookies, travel time - 3 hours.
Buses run several times a day.
Timetables and prices from the Viasul website from Varadero to Havana:

Varadero-Havana

2) by taxi. Prices start from 150 cookies.

3) by taxi collectively. The price is 25 cookies per person for 6 people.
You can catch a taxi and a taxi collective near the Viazul bus terminal in Varadero or on the main street of Varadero.

I wish you a wonderful holiday on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Sincerely, Katya Bashkurova.
I would be glad if you share your impressions or your experience of vacationing in Cuba in the comments.

local people on Varadero beach, Cuba

It has long been one of the main attractions of Cuba. Their visit is an important item on the list of travelers. Soft white sand and crystal clear water despite rapid construction beach hotels, make this resort a place where you can enjoy the beautiful nature and relax from the bustle of the city.

How to get from Havana to Varadero on your own? Varadero is not so far from Havana, only 134 kilometers away. This distance can be covered in a couple of hours, although several stops can be made along the way.

excursion tour

Often travelers arriving in Varadero for a few weeks want to visit Havana. If the trip is planned with an overnight stay, then it is better to take a tour. The tour operator will arrange overnight stay at the hotel and transfer to and from Havana. The tour will also include a sightseeing tour of the capital. Prices range from 120 CUC (7,500 RUB) per person for a day trip to 2,000 CUC (12,200 RUB) for an overnight tour. This trip can be booked in advance or booked at the hotel reception.

Independent travel

How to get from Varadero to Havana on your own? If planning independent trip, then you can use the services of a taxi, regular buses or rent a car. Such a trip will save some money and time, because the tourist himself chooses what he wants to do in the capital: sightseeing, shopping or tasting local dishes and Cuban rum.

Bus

The easiest way to get from Varadero to Havana is by taking the Viazul bus. The cost of the trip is only 10 CUC (635 rubles). Bus station in Varadero is located on the corner of Calle 36. The station can be easily reached from any hotel, for example, by taxi - the cost is 3-5 CUC (150-200 rubles).

The bus is a great way to get to Havana quickly and safely. It is possible that it will be filled with other tourists who want to see the capital. It is better to book your seat in advance, at least a day in advance. Reservations can be made through the official Viazul booking system. After confirming the payment, a receipt is sent to the tourist’s e-mail, which must be printed out and exchanged at the bus station ticket office for bus tickets.

In Havana, the bus stops in Old Havana, and then in Vedado - the historic district of the city, the final stop is West Vedado.

Taxi

The option to take a taxi from Varadero to Havana is more comfortable, but much more expensive. The standard cost of a trip is usually around 80 CUC (5000 rubles), but you can find a cheaper car. Taxi drivers are waiting for passengers near the Viazul station, sometimes there are already one or two passengers in the car. You can try to join them and share the fare for the trip.

Getting to Havana by taxi will be much faster than by bus, because there will be no stops along the way, and the driver will bring tourists to the desired destination. You can and should bargain with taxi drivers about the price of a trip, because this is part of the Cuban adventure. Traded everywhere in Cuba, the original price can be significantly reduced. Even if the traveler does not speak Spanish, English language here, too, many understand.

From the capital to the resort

From Havana, you can get to Varadero in the same ways: bus and taxi. You can also rent a car. Three major car rental companies - REX, Cubacar and Havanautos - offer good cars. Included in the price daily fee for a car, initial deposit, insurance and a few additional fees (delay and damage vehicle). This option is only suitable for experienced drivers. After all, a trip along Cuban roads is still a pleasure and is often accompanied by increased stress.

Buses from Havana to Varadero depart from the Viazul main station on 26th Avenue, right in front of the old zoo. In total, there are four flights per day: at 6.00, 8.00, 13.00 and 17.30. All buses are modern, air-conditioned and very comfortable. The journey lasts three hours. During this time, the bus makes stops where you can have a bite to eat or take a photo session.

There are also buses of different auto companies, for example, "Havantur", which go to Varadero, collecting passengers from various city hotels. This travel option is also safe and cheap.

Varadero airport

From Havana Airport to Varadero can be reached by public transport - Viazul buses. Flights to the resort depart several times a day. The road takes about an hour, the cost is about 400-500 rubles per person. Cuban taxi drivers ask for about $40 (3,000 rubles) for their services, but you can bargain for half the price.

How to get from Varadero to Havana airport? The easiest way is a hotel transfer, its cost is often included in the ticket. If you go on your own, it is better to take a bus or taxi.