Renting a Car in Havana: Should I Reserve?
Question: We, me, my wife and 3 kids will come to Cuba at the end of July for about three weeks. What’s the best way to rent a car. Should we organize it from here or should we book it by arrival ?
Answer: Reserve the car from your home country because you might get here and have problems getting a car the last minute. Even though tourism is now entering low season (June-September) sometimes cars to rent get scarce in Havana.
It is best to get a mid-sized car because the small/compact models are very small and sometimes don’t have air conditioning and are usually older. Also remember that you get the car with a full tank of gas that you pay for. This means you should return the car on empty.
Remember be sure to print all confirmation information and have a hard copy ready when you arrive to Havana. Also double check if you have to put a deposit in cash in Cuba or if it is included with your reservation.
Think twice before you rent a car and consider alternative forms of transportation.
Having an accident in Cuba will earn you the privilege of seeing the inside of a Cuban jail and quite probably being detained on the island until the case is settled. This can be very expensive.